V. Courtney Broaddus, Joel Ernst, Talmadge E. King, Jr, Stephen Lazarus, Kathleen F. Sarmiento, Lynn M. Schnapp, Renee Stapleton, Michael B. Gotway

This seventh edition of the Textbook represents the first major reorganization since the first edition in 1988. You will notice many changes in structure and content, all aimed to enhance its readability and educational value.

There are two major changes. The first is that the number of chapters has been increased from 106 in the sixth edition to the current 142. This strategic change enabled us to create more focused shorter chapters, which we hope are easier to find and to read. We were able to bring new chapters  out  of  their  hiding  places  under  other  headings  (e.g.,  Influenza, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, and Pneumothorax), to create new chapters on topics not directly covered before (e.g., Hypoxemia, Aspiration, and Air Travel), and to cover entirely new topics (e.g., Microbiome and COVID-19). The second major change was the creation of a new section particularly with our trainees in mind, “The Evaluation of Common Presentations in Respiratory Disease,” built on the classic triad of Dyspnea, Cough, and Chest Pain. Seven new chapters were added on topics ranging from Hypercarbia to Hemoptysis to Pulmonary Nodule, which we hope will be a valuable resource for our readers.  Other changes to the Textbook are noteworthy: in particular, the sections on Basic Science and on Sleep have been revamped, reflecting the major rethinking of those topics in the last decade.

These changes were spearheaded by our exceptional editorial board, with three new members. The makeup of our editors is now equally women and men, a remarkable change from the time in 2005 when I (V.C.B.) joined as the inaugural woman.  Our new editors have brought a fresh outlook and diverse areas of expertise that helped chart this new course. With these new editors have come a slew of new authors. Of our 317 authors, we welcome almost 180 new authors, either to take on new chapters or to take the place of authors who have rotated off. Overall, our authors come from 33 states of the United States and from 18 countries. Here, too, we have increased the participation of women; women now make up 32% of our authors, almost double that in the previous edition (17%).

The printed textbook is a gateway to rich resources online. While there are a whopping 900 figures in the printed text, they are joined by others to make a total of 1650 figures online, all available for download. The text is expanded by an additional 25% online. A total of 190 videos and audio clips are accessible online, popping up with just a click to the link in the text. All the references are online, and each one links to the actual publication. Most importantly, the online textbook will feature regular updates from our editors and authors, with the aim of realizing a “living textbook.”

We wish to thank our valuable and skilled colleagues at Elsevier, who made this herculean work possible. In particular, our thanks go to Jennifer Shreiner, who has remained dedicated to the Textbook over the last three editions and made this task a pleasure. In addition, Carrie Stetz had the attention to detail and the high standards necessary to produce a lovely book.  Thanks go also to Dolores Meloni and Robin Carter. We also wish to thank the authors and editors who contributed to the past editions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has loomed over us during this project.  Much of the book was written and edited during lockdowns and hospital surges, with many of our authors simultaneously juggling heavy frontline clinical and family responsibilities with chapter deadlines. In recognition of this momentous experience, we have added a chapter (46a) devoted to the topic—a chapter that has been updated up to the last moment and will continue to be updated frequently online—and placed an image of the novel coronavirus on our cover. The impact of the pandemic on our lives has made the successful outcome of this project all the more remarkable. A special thanks again to our authors and staff for their outstanding efforts during this particularly difficult time.

Sadly, Dr. Murray, who started this Textbook together with Dr. Jay Nadel and guided it up to this point, died of COVID-19 in March 2020.  He remained committed to the textbook until his last days.  Over his illustrious career, he taught many of us and inspired all of us to the highest callings of teaching and caring for patients. This Textbook is dedicated to him.

© 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Purchase your copy of Murray & Nadel’s Textbook of Respiratory Medicine, 7th Edition here.