A Brief History of Artificial Ventilation -- The Structure of the Airways and Lungs -- How the Lungs Work: Mechanics and Gas Exchange with the Blood -- Respiratory Failure -- The Management of Respiratory Failure: Airway Management and Manual Methods of Artificial Ventilation -- Basic principles of mechanical ventilation -- Portable mechanical ventilators -- Managing ventilation during transport -- Paediatric Artificial Ventilation for the Non-Specialist -- Artificial ventilation in difficult and extreme environments -- Mass ventilation -- Conclusions: key messages. .

This book provides a basic clinical guide to the principles and practice of artificial ventilation, both manual and mechanical. It covers the development of artificial ventilation through the ages and the essential anatomy and physiology behind it. While there are many detailed texts available on mechanical ventilation, they are usually aimed at the hospital specialist and cover the many complex modes of ventilation used in the hospital setting. This book covers the basics of airway and ventilation management for non-specialists working in pre-hospital and emergency medicine. It fulfils the need for a resource that explains simply and clearly basic respiratory physiology, the pathophysiology behind respiratory failure and the practical aspects of artificial ventilation. This book links the two areas of hospital and pre-hospital practice together to promote better understanding of artificial ventilation by medical, paramedical and nursing personnel working in different fields of medicine. .