A friend recently sent me the links to several YouTube videos on pulmonary function testing. I’ve spent some time off and on over the last year looking at YouTube videos and in particular I’ve been looking for ones that can be used as part of technician education. Maybe I’ve set the bar too high but all too often I’ve been disappointed and frustrated with what I’ve found. One reason for this is that many videos are aimed at other audiences than technicians (i.e. medical students, physicians, patients). Another reason is that too often only simple concepts are presented, often in rote fashion and often without good visual explanations (c’mon, these are videos after all, not podcasts). A final reason is that sometimes they’re outdated, misleading or just plain wrong.
Still, even the flawed videos can be useful. Sometimes this is because they occasionally explain some concepts well; sometimes despite being simplistic they present a good overview; and sometimes because their mistakes can serve as points for discussion. I’ve tried to select videos that have at least some potential for use in technician education.
John B. West Respiratory Physiology Lectures
Based primarily on his classic textbook, ‘Respiratory Physiology’ (which should be on everybody’s bookshelf). Not 100% perfect but this is what many of the other videos should aspire to be. Many complex concepts explained using simple examples. Lots of interesting pictures and illustrations. Should be part of every technician’s education.
- Structure and Function
- Ventilation
- Blood Gas Transport
- Acid-Base Balance
- Diffusion
- Pulmonary Blood Flow
- Pulmonary Gas Exchange, Part 1
- Pulmonary Gas Exchange, Part 2
- Mechanics of Breathing, Part 1
- Mechanics of Breathing, Part 2
- Control of Ventilation
- Defense Systems of the Lung
- Respiration under Stress
- Respiration at the Limit