Tag Steven R. Boas

Pediatrics

Skeletal Diseases Influencing Pulmonary Function

Pulmonary function is influenced by the structure of the chest wall (see Chapter 400 ). Chest wall abnormalities can lead to restrictive or obstructive pulmonary disease, impaired respiratory muscle strength, and decreased ventilatory performance in response to physical stress. The…

Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics
March 24, 2024

Pediatrics

α 1 -Antitrypsin Deficiency and Emphysema

Homozygous deficiency of α 1 -antitrypsin (α 1 -AT) rarely produces lung disease in children, but it is an important cause of early-onset severe panacinar pulmonary emphysema in adults in the 3rd and 4th decades of life and a significant…

Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics
March 24, 2024

Pediatrics

Emphysema and Overinflation

Pulmonary emphysema consists of distention of air spaces with irreversible disruption of the alveolar septa. It can involve part or all of a lung. Overinflation is distention with or without alveolar rupture and is often reversible. Compensatory overinflation can be…

Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics
March 24, 2024