Infectious diseases of the respiratory tract are ubiquitous in all medical and surgical specialties, present a challenge in precise diagnosis and management, and are among the leading infectious causes worldwide of substantial morbidity and mortality both inside and outside hospital.

Patients who develop respiratory infection present various scenarios to a variety of physicians and specialties. For example, individuals with long-standing chronic lung disease such as chronic obstructive airways disease or cystic fibrosis may well be referred to a pulmonologist when they develop an infective exacerbation. A patient may develop pneumonia at home or in a residential institution – a generalist is often involved initially. At the other extreme, a hospitalised patient, on an intensive care unit for example, with nosocomial pneumonia will initially be managed by an intensivist. Non-infectious pulmonary disease may masquerade as pneumonia. These patients require a careful differential diagnostic approach, often under the direction of a general physician or pulmonologist. Returning foreign itinerants with fever and respiratory symptoms may have acquired a variety of travel-associated microbial illnesses – the expertise of the infectious disease specialist may then be called upon. However, the onus of diagnosis and management may be placed on any physician, depending upon the local medical care structure.

This text was therefore produced for a wide range of physicians who wish to equip themselves with a current comprehensive, clinically orientated source book on respiratory infections.