THE CHANGING THERAPEUTIC APPROACH TO PULMONARY EMPHYSEMA

THE CHANGING THERAPEUTIC APPROACH TO PULMONARY EMPHYSEMA

　Our increasing knowledge of the physio-pathology of pulmonary emphysema leads us to realize notonly that we are dealing with separate problems in the types of disease processes involved, but thatthese each demand a separate therapeutic consideration．　No longercan we talk glibly of　"bronchospasm"，　"check-valves"　and　"lack ofoxygen"．　Today we must analyze and quantitate alveolar ventilationand perfusion, their shunts, their medullary and cardiac effects, andthe mechanical changes in the lungs resulting from the underlyingpathology．

　Certain advances are common knowledge among clinicians today．