Timeline
Author’s Note
Introduction
PART I. Worldwide Plagues
1. The Disease Medicine Never Cured(Tuberculosis)
2. Captains of the Men of Death(Bacterial Pneumonia)
3. They Stacked Caskets in the Halls(Influenza)
4. The Man in the Iron Lung(Polio)
5. Products of Parasitic Beings(Fungal Infections)
6. Some Like It Hot(Legionnaires’ Disease)
7. The Virus with No Name(SARS, MERS)
PART II. Killer Air
8. Suffocating Work(Occupational Diseases)
9. Code Red(Fires and Disasters)
10. Cleopatra Reincarnate(Overdoses and Toxins)
11. Smoking Beagles(Tobacco Smoking)
12. Dad, and the Werewolf (Lung Cancer)
13. The Lethal Brown Cloud(Atmospheric Pollution)
PART III. Vulnerable Breathing
14. Panting for Air(Asthma)
15. Lungs That Do Not Collapse(COPD)
16. The Great Masquerader(Pulmonary Blood Clots)
17. Cells Like Elongated Crescents(Genetic Breathing Disorders)
18. The Pump and the Bellows(The Heart and the Lungs)
19. To Die To Sleep (Sleep Disordered Breathing)
20. The First Breaths(Newborn Respiratory Distress)
PART IV. Breathing Defends
21. Around the World on Oxygen(Respiratory Care)
22. Thank You For My Life(Ventilators)
PART V. Breathing Adapts
23. I Wouldn’t Want That for Myself(Ethical Dilemmas)
24. A Science of Uncertainty(Closing)
Kevin Glynn, MD, is a senior physician with ScrippsHealth in La Jolla, California. His 30 years treating respiratory disorders and his personal experience as someone with asthma make him uniquely qualified to tell the story of breathing. He practiced as a pulmonary specialist in San Diego and was Medical Director of Respiratory Care at Scripps Mercy Hospital. Recognized as a leader in San Diego medicine, Dr. Glynn was chief of pulmonary medicine, chief of medicine, and chief of staff at Scripps Mercy. He chaired the Biomedical Ethics Committee of the San Diego County Medical Society. Recognized for his contributions as a bedside teacher, he was a clinical professor at UCSD School of Medicine, and received the Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching at Scripps Mercy. A talented story teller, Dr. Glynn has published 20 articles in nationally circulated journals on topics related to clinical medicine, biomedical ethics, and professionalism in medicine. He was a long-time member of the Editorial Board of the San Diego Physician, the monthly journal of the San Diego County Medical Society, and for two years served as its editor. He is a member of the San Diego Writers & Editors Guild, and San Diego Writers’ Ink. For three years he was medical commentator on the radio program, Tuned in on Health, which aired weekly in San Diego, and was a frequent media analyst on medical topics.
Glynn, a medical doctor who specializes in respiratory care, makes
it impossible to take breathing for granted. It’s vital for life.
Within five minutes of not doing it, our brains begin to die. Glynn
accurately describes breathing in a narrative that is part history,
part biography, and part science. He covers the history of
tuberculosis, pneumonia, and polio. He talks about 'suffocating
work.' More than 300 substances cause occupational asthma. And he
looks at lung cancer, which kills 160,000 Americans per year,
including his father, a heavy smoker. Who could blame him and his
peers? Old ads featured physicians touting the refreshing power of
cigarettes. Like two of his children and grandchildren, Glynn
suffers from asthma. But his childhood condition came with a silver
lining. Because sports were tricky for him as a child, he turned to
books. And now he’s written one that is well researched and
thoughtful and that should appeal to a large audience, given that
36 million Americans live with respiratory impairment. Inhale,
exhale, appreciate.
*Booklist*
Gasping for Air is an extraordinary piece of scientific work which
is more of an artistic masterpiece. It's thoroughly researched and
extremely well written. Dr. Glynn has somehow managed to weave
together history of pulmonary medicine, several anecdotes and
personal experiences into an artfully written Novel of Pulmonary
Medicine for the non-physician. Though, it's a must read for every
practicing pulmonologists as well.
*Ibrahim Faruqi, MD, MPH, FCCP, Director, Interstitial Lung Disease
Program; Director, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship
Training Program, University of Florida*
Kevin Glynn has written a behind-the-front-lines war chronicle,
recounting in compelling detail our war against nature (influenza,
tuberculosis, polio, fungi, Legionnaire’s disease) and against
ourselves (toxins, industrial pollutants, cigarette smoke). Filled
with personal stories and dramatic historical accounts—like the
Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal—Gasping for Air will take your
breath away.
*Paul A. Offit M.D., MD, professor of pediatrics, Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia; author of Pandora’s Lab: Seven Stories of
Science Gone Wrong (National Geographic Press, 2017)*
Dr. Glynn has a gift for tackling would-be elusive and complicated
matters, and making them not only understandable, but a pleasant
and engaging read. Indeed, I found this book to most engaging. But
it’s also informative enough to consider it as Recommended Reading
for pulmonary/critical care fellows, perhaps even faculty, based on
my experience is dealing with the former as a program director in
an earlier life. Would other readers benefit? Sure. I think
pulmonary Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants, Respiratory
Therapists, air conservationists, medical students and college
undergraduates who have not yet decided on their career vector –
any of these could stand to benefit. In fact, anyone who’d like to
learn more about respiration will find Gasping for Air
worthwhile.
*Lawrence W. Raymond, Director, Carolinas HealthCare System, ScM
FCCP*
Well-written, clear, informative, humorous, but most of
all—sensitive and compassionate.
*Kenneth Miller, San Diego radiologist*
This book is an easy read for those interested in becoming health
professionals or for health professionals involved in caring for
patients with pulmonary issues. The work offers discussions
pertaining to various problems that cause pulmonary disease, such
as pollution, infectious toxins, and carcinogens. Glynn, a
pulmonary specialist and senior physician, suffers from severe
asthma; as a result, he is able to provide a thorough account of
how people who have difficulty breathing and obtaining air truly
feel. He offers several anecdotes of patients with various
respiratory diseases that he has treated throughout his long
career. Glynn provides expert details of disorders such as sleep
apnea, asthma, emphysema, and cystic fibrosis. He also offers
advice for sufferers on how to prevent severe exacerbations of
these diseases. Additionally, interesting statistics that
illustrate the number of individuals in the US and worldwide with
respiratory problems are cited, along with a historical perspective
of how influenza, polio, tuberculosis, and fungal processes have
caused serious health concerns over the years. Overall, Gasping for
Air offers an interesting account for patients suffering from
pulmonary diseases. Also, the work will be a useful resource for
individuals involved in caring for those with breathing issues.
*CHOICE*
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