Disease of the respiratory system

This chapter focuses on diseases of the respiratory system. The respiratory system aims to provide blood arriving in the various branches of the pulmonary artery with oxygen and to remove waste products in the form of exhaled breath. In most respiratory diseases, the major clinical consequence is pneumonia, which may be fatal and may progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome. The chapter discusses the inflammatory disease of the upper airways, trachea, and bronchi, the pathology of lung disease, and the diagnosis and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and pulmonary embolism. It also considers the full implications of the global COVID-19 pandemic wherein SARS-CoV-2 killed millions of people.