Davidson 17. Respiratory Medicine

Clinical Deep Dives · Jan 11, 2026 · 39m

Respiratory medicine focuses on exchange — of oxygen and carbon dioxide, but also between environment and body. This chapter explores how airway and lung disease shape breath, effort, and endurance.

In this deep dive, we examine obstructive and restrictive patterns, infection, inflammation, and respiratory failure. You’ll hear how physiology explains symptoms such as dyspnoea and cough, and why imaging, lung function testing, and clinical context must be interpreted together.

This chapter reframes breathing as both automatic and vulnerable — a continuous negotiation between demand and…