An outstanding revision of the classic EGAN'S FUNDAMENTALS, this comprehensive text provides excellent coverage of the role of respiratory care practitioners, scientific bases for treatment, and clinical applications. It progresses from the foundations of respiratory care to applied anatomy and physiology, assessment, discussion of specific respiratory illnesses, basic therapy, acute and critical care, and preventive and long-term care. Special features have been designed with the student in mind and include outlines, active learning objectives, key terms and glossary, "Mini-Clinis," "Rules of Thumb," and bulleted key-point summaries. To improve students' clinical-skill application, CPGs and TDPs are included in appropriate chapters to familiarize students with the use of patient care guidelines and decision trees. NEW TO THIS EDITION: * Showcases NEW chapters on ECG and Lab Assessment, Nutrition, and Sleep Disorders. * Supplies NEW section, "Synopsis of Cardiopulmonary Disease," with eight chapters that discuss cardiopulmonary diseases. * Includes NEW Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) to give students important information regarding indications/contraindications, hazards and complications, assessment of need, assessment of outcome, and monitoring. * Provides NEW Therapist-Driven Protocols (TDPs) to guide students in decision making as they assess patients, initiate care and evaluate outcomes. * More than double the number of "Mini-Clinis" (short, critical-thinking vignettes) that demonstrate how content covered in the text applies to patient care. * Presents key content in bulleted points at the end of each chapter to identify key concepts in each chapter. * Incorporates a NEW "Rules of Thumb" feature throughout the text to highlight rules, formulas, and key points important to clinical practice. * Offers a newly revised student workbook and a NEW computerized test bank as ancillaries.