The origin of modern intensive care units (ICUs) has frequently been attributed to the widespread provision of mechanical ventilation within dedicated hospital areas during the 1952 Copenhagen polio epidemic. However, modern ICUs have developed to treat or monitor patients who have any severe, life-threatening disease or injury. These patients receive specialized care and vital organ assistance such as mechanical ventilation, cardiovascular support, or hemodialysis. ICU patients now typically occupy approximately 10% of inpatient acute care beds, yet the structure and organization of these ICUs can be quite different across hospitals. In The Organization of Critical Care: An Evidence-Based Approach to Improving Quality, leaders provide a concise, evidence-based review of ICU organizational factors that have been associated with improved patient (or other) outcomes. The topics covered are grouped according to four broad domains: (1) the organization, structure, and staffing of an ICU; (2) organizational approaches to improving quality of care in an ICU; (3) integrating ICU care with other healthcare provided within the hospital and across the broader healthcare system; and (4) international perspectives on critical care delivery. Each chapter summarizes a different aspect of ICU organization and targets individual clinicians and healthcare decision makers. A long overdue contribution to the field, The Organization of Critical Care: An Evidence-Based Approach to Improving Quality is an indispensable guide for all clinicians and health administrators concerned with achieving state-of-the-art outcomes for intensive care.

The second edition of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine spans four volumes, with major sections dedicated to specific organ systems. Each major section consists of separate chapters dedicated to reviewing the specific disease processes affecting each organ system. Each chapter concludes with a comprehensive list of references, with brief, concise remarks denoting references of 'special interest' and 'of interest'. Consequently, the books are unique in their comprehensive coverage of pediatric critical care and their ease of use and will be of value to those studying towards pediatric critical care examinations and those who are already qualified.

This second edition spans four volumes, with major sections dedicated to specific organ systems. Each major section consists of separate chapters dedicated to reviewing the specific disease processes affecting each organ system. Each chapter concludes with a comprehensive list of references, with brief, concise remarks denoting references of 'special interest' and 'of interest'. Consequently, the books are unique in their comprehensive coverage of pediatric critical care and their ease of use and will be of value to those studying towards pediatric critical care examinations and those who are already qualified.

This comprehensive resource brings together the most current theories, evidence and best practice parameters for the use of nocturnal non-invasive ventilation (nNIV). Chapters focus on the application of acute and chronic nNIV in patients with cardio-respiratory disorders over a range of major medical settings. Updates on past and recent research in this field are highlighted. Authored by leading clinicians and investigators, Nocturnal Non-Invasive Ventilation provides practical and cutting-edge knowledge to physicians, researchers and allied health professionals on the front lines of treating cardio-respiratory and sleep disorders.

This book is designed to assist clinicians who are new to intensive care by providing information on a range of important and novel topics of relevance in the day-to-day management of critically ill patients. Guidance is given on the appropriate response to various emergencies and circumstances, including stroke, acute liver failure, severe burns, extreme pain, and delirium. The role of simulation training in the intensive care unit is discussed, and detailed attention is devoted to the application of modern techniques for the assessment of vital organs in the critical care setting, such as echocardiography and lung ultrasound. An individual chapter focuses on regional anesthesia in intensive care, and in addition the book addresses subjects and issues that are frequently neglected. Examples include transfer of the critically ill patient, the role of forgotten electrolytes such as magnesium, the use of non-coumarin anticoagulants, and neuropsychological rehabilitation. The book will have broad appeal, including for general intensivists, anesthetists, acute medicine physicians, and medical students attached to acute specialties or preparing for exams in intensive care medicine.

Post-burn scar contractures are a commonly encountered problem in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery. Nevertheless, many physicians still lack adequate knowledge on beneficial treatments. In this up-to-date atlas, leading specialists in post-burn treatment and the reconstruction of post-burn scar contractures depict in detail not only surgical techniques but also a variety of advantageous wound treatments. Many new methods invented by the authors are presented. Operative techniques are depicted in detail, and clear guidance is provided on selection of the most appropriate flap surgery. Advice is also given on how to prevent permanently disabling restriction of joint movement as a result of contractures and how to achieve good aesthetic reconstruction. This atlas is designed to appeal to a wide audience, from beginners to specialists. It will prove invaluable for doctors of every kind who deal with wound management.

Inadequate humidification of inspired gases can cause a variety of serious problems, and humidification has accordingly become an important aspect of modern intensive care medicine. This book is designed to serve as a practical guide for clinicians, providing information on the theoretical background of humidification, the equipment, and its optimal use. The book starts by examining the physiological basis of humidification. Current devices are then discussed, with careful attention to factors influencing their performance and methods to evaluate their effectiveness. The two scenarios of mechanical and non-mechanical ventilation are considered, and the issue of ventilator-associated pneumonia is addressed in detail. Further chapters focus on such topics as humidification following tracheostomy, humidification of the artificial airway during secretion management, measurement of inspired gas temperature in the ventilated neonate, and humidification in the home care setting.

The initial distribution volume of glucose (IDVG) is believed to be clinically relevant as a marker of cardiovascular and fluid management in critically ill patients without a significant modification of glucose metabolism. This book covers all aspects of IDVG measurement, including the basic concept, its relationship with other fluid volumes, and the clinical application of this technique in the intensive care unit.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been in clinical use for some 40 years, but it is only in the past decade that its application in the treatment of life-threatening circulatory and respiratory failure has truly flourished. This book presents a comprehensive overview of both pathophysiological and practical aspects of circulatory and respiratory extracorporeal support. The basics of ECMO, including its history, the "ECMO team", cannulation, materials, and blood-surface interactions, are first discussed. The various indications for and particular characteristics of circulatory and respiratory extracorporeal life support are then described in detail in the main part of the book. Patient care during ECMO and monitoring of the ECMO patient are also carefully covered, with explanation of the management of technical and clinical complications and transport-related problems. Further topics include long-term therapy options beyond ECMO, such as ventricular assist devices and transplants, outcome, the new frontiers of ECMO for organ procurement and future challenges. The authors are well-known experts in the field whose authoritative contributions and attention to practical aspects will be invaluable for novices and experienced practitioners alike.

Clinical research in critical care has exploded in the past several years and we now have a much better understanding of how to care for intensive care unit (ICU) patients in areas such as management of sepsis, fluid resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, antibiotic administration and sedation and analgesia. However, despite improved clinical care, many critically ill patients continue to experience complications of critical illness - some complications are iatrogenic and preventable, while others are simply a component of the natural history of critical illness. These complications lead to increased mortality, morbidity, cost and long-term chronic conditions. Non-Pulmonary Complications of Critical Care: A Clinical Guide is a valuable resource for trainees and clinicians who aim to better understand and improve the quality of critical care medicine. Armed with information about potential non-pulmonary complications of ICU care and strategies to minimize or prevent those complications, the critical care clinician will be able to help ICU patients potentially avoid much of the morbidity associated with critical illness. This book is organized by organ system such that it can be easily used as a bedside reference. Complications caused by pharmaceuticals are dispersed throughout every chapter and the concluding chapters provide a special emphasis on meticulous supportive care of the critically ill patient to allow the best chance for recovery.

A document may be based on accurate medical and scientific information, follow guidelines precisely, and be well written in clear and correct language, but may still fail to achieve its objectives. The strategic approach described in this book will help you to turn good medical and scientific writing into successful writing. It describes clearly and concisely how to identify the target audience and the desired outcome, and how to construct key messages for a wide spectrum of documents. Irrespective of your level of expertise and your seniority in the pharmaceutical, regulatory, or academic environment, this book is an essential addition to your supporting library. The authors share with you many years of combined experience in the pharmaceutical and academic environment and in the writing of successful outcome-driven documents.

This book is one of the first to comprehensively summarise the latest thinking and research in the rapidly evolving field of quality management in intensive care. Quality indicators and outcome measures are discussed with a practical focus on patient-centred, evidence-based implementation for safer and more effective clinical practice. Chapters on topics such as teambuilding, patient satisfaction, mortality and morbidity, and electronic management systems are organised into three sections, covering quality management at the scale of the individual patient, the intensive care unit, and the national and international level. Written by a team of over forty international experts in the specialty, with editors who have been heavily involved for many years with the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, the book reflects commonly accepted goals and guidelines for best practice, and will be valuable for practitioners worldwide. The ideal one-stop resource for intensive care physicians as well as ICU and hospital managers.

A comprehensive, state-of-the-art contribution to a field that is rapidly developing, The Behavioral Consequences of Stroke provides a broad overview of the cognitive and neurobehavioral effects of stroke. As attention to paralysis and the more obvious physical disabilities stroke patients incur expands, greater attention is being paid today to the cognitive and neurobehavioral complications that impact stroke morbidity and even functional neurological recovery in patients. Written by an international panel of experts and edited by a neurosurgeon and by a cognitive neuroscientist, this unique title addresses the full range of issues relevant to the field, including epidemiology, general treatment, sensorimotor control after stroke, post-stroke aphasia, memory loss after stroke, post-stroke depression, the role of imaging after a stroke, and an update on some stroke clinical trials, to name just some of the areas covered. Illuminative and an influential addition to the literature, The Behavioral Consequences of Stroke will serve as an invaluable resource for neurologsits, neurosurgeons, physiatrists and other physicians, as well as physical, speech and occupational therapists, nurses, psychologists, and other professionals.

This issue of Critical Care Clinics, guest edited by Drs. John Kellum and Dana Fuhrman, focuses on Acute Kidney Injury. This is one of four issues each year selected by the series consulting editor, Dr. John Kellum. Articles in this issue include, but are not limited to: Acute Kidney Injury and Disease, AKI in Cardiac Surgery, AKI in Sepsis, Hepatorenal Disease, Cardiorenal Syndrome, Onconephrology, Renal Functional Reserve and more.

Due to a high incidence of anemia, critically ill patients are frequently transfused, with up to 40% of patients receiving a transfusion during their stay in the Intensive Care Unit. It has become increasingly clear that there is an association between transfusion and adverse outcomes, underlining the need for a careful assessment of the risks and benefits of a blood transfusion. In the last decade, there have been several large clinical trials that have studied red blood cell transfusion triggers in various ICU patient populations, allowing us to take a personalized approach to transfusion. Moreover, ICU patients often suffer from coagulopathy. Recent studies have addressed the effectiveness of fresh frozen plasma and platelets to prevent or treat bleeding. Aiming at a personalized therapy approach in transfusion practice, this book is the first to offer a comprehensive summary of transfusion triggers for red blood cells in specific ICU patient populations and specific conditions. In addition, it discusses evidence for triggers for plasma and platelets and outlines the most common adverse effects of transfusion in the ICU. Transfusion in the Intensive Care Unit is a practical handbook that can be used in everyday practice to guide transfusion and thus will serve as a valuable resource for physicians, fellows and residents working in Intensive Care, Anesthesiology and Cardiac Surgery.

The Yearbook compiles the most recent, widespread developments of experimental and clinical research and practice in one comprehensive reference book. The chapters are written by well recognized experts in the field of intensive care and emergency medicine. It is addressed to everyone involved in internal medicine, anesthesia, surgery, pediatrics, intensive care and emergeny medicine.

This is a no-nonsense guide to drug treatment in the intensive care unit. It covers the most commonly encountered conditions and is organized by system. Management of each condition is tersely outlined step-by-step in table format. The book also includes non-drug information that is essential to making informed, evidence-based pharmacotherapy decisions, such as risk scores, scales, and assessment tools. The Second Edition has been revised to reflect the latest critical care practice guidelines and up-to-date drug and non-drug information.

This book covers a wide array of hematologic problems commonly encountered in the daily practice of critical care and emergency medicine. Unfortunately, the symptoms and signs associated with underlying hematologic disorders are frequently rather unspecific and confounding; furthermore, the clinical course of patients admitted to intensive care units with such disorders can be fulminant, warranting prompt diagnosis. This book recognizes the importance of accurate and speedy interpretation of symptoms in that the text is symptom oriented rather than disease oriented. Put another way, the reader confronted with a particular clinical problem or symptom will be guided step by step to the possible underlying disorder(s). The scenarios considered include critical illness in patients with anemia, leukopenia, leukocytosis, abnormal platelet count, and severe transfusion reactions. For each circumstance, factors relevant to symptom interpretation are fully discussed. In addition, helpful diagnostic algorithms are presented in the form of flow charts that will assist in decision making regarding the need for further investigations. The closing chapter is devoted to the drug-induced hematologic disorders. Although the book is intended mainly for intensivists, other specialists will find much information of value for their daily practice.

Whether a mass casualty, earthquake or weather event at home, or a disaster abroad, proper preparation is essential for providing high-quality care. This concise guide brings together the views and knowledge of experienced responders to offer a much-needed review of the essential elements of anesthesia and intensive care for disasters and austere environments. Combining academic theory and practical advice, the book covers topics such as emergency and trauma surgery; airway management; chemical, biological and radiological exposure; personal protective equipment; and the psychological impact of working in the operating room in disaster situations. As successful care depends on the incident response team working collaboratively, the text also covers emergency communications, infrastructure preservation, and topics relevant to other medical specialists such as pain management and obstetrics. Featuring numerous high-quality illustrations, Essentials of Disaster Anesthesia is a vital, relevant resource for anesthetists, emergency physicians, nurses, and ancillary personnel.

Innovation, training and research are the pillars that support a process deriving from basic science and multi-professional/multidisciplinary interventions. The APICE 2012 yearbook deals with several innovations for optimising prevention and management measures for the critically ill, by integrating diagnostic procedures with pharmacological and technological options. Peri- and postoperative managements as well as treatment of surgical infections and of pain, new and old artificial ventilation strategies are some of the most relevant topics the volume deal with in this new edition. The volume focuses also on the improvement standards and quality of care; on the expanding concept of clinical governance and professionalism and on the importance of ethical principles for establishing a process of patient-centered and evidence-based care.

This book is an up-to-date guide to the most widely debated practical and management issues in anesthesia and intensive care. It provides validated information on the state of the art regarding a wide range of topics, including choice of imaging techniques in the management of ARDS patients, the value and limits of continuous renal replacement therapy in intensive care, the prevention and treatment of postoperative shivering, the diagnosis and treatment of postoperative paralytic ileus, ways to prevent acute lung injury, the prevention of perioperative myocardial ischemia, and the management of invasive candidiasis in intensive care. All subjects are addressed in a lively and straightforward manner by recognized experts in the field. Anesthetists and intensivists, including trainees, will find Practical Issues in Anesthesia and Intensive Care 2013 to be an ideal source of rapidly retrievable practical information ."

This pocket guide is a single-volume source of the most common and important formulas and laboratory values used in the daily practice of acute care and critical care medicine. Information is presented in outline format and as tables, graphics, and algorithms to facilitate quick look up. Acute and Critical Care Formulas and Laboratory Values is designed to help clinicians to interpret clinical data, to apply formulas, and to understand laboratory values, and to integrate this information with their knowledge of pathophysiology to promote the delivery of evidence-based care. * Essential formulas and laboratory values * Multiple ways to derive a value, where appropriate * Non-clinical formulas useful for understanding physiologic concepts or that underlie diagnostic tests or clinical measurement included * Chapters divided by organ system * Practical appendixes of "Abbreviations" and "Key Telephone Numbers" * A special "Notes" section for recording frequently used formulas

This textbook is written at the dawn of a new era in the management of sepsis. Recent achievements in the clinical management of septic shock are the culmination of decades of basic and applied research by innovative researchers and clinical investigators worldwide. The contributing authors to this book have spearheaded much of this research and the Editors have endeavored to create a textbook that is comprehensive in nature while maintaining a specific focus upon the multitude of work that constitutes the spectrum of sepsis research including: pathophysiology; monitoring systems; general support; microbial aspects; complications; and anti-sepsis therapies.

Analysis of blood gas can be a daunting task. However, it is still one of the most useful laboratory tests in managing respiratory and metabolic disorders. Busy medical students have struggled ineffectively with Hasselbach's modification of the Henderson equation, been torn between the Copenhagen and the Boston schools of thought; and lately, been confronted with the radically different strong-ion approach. In modern medical practice, the health provider's time is precious: it is crucial to retain focus on those aspects of clinical medicine that are of key importance. Adoption of an algorithm-based approach in the study of topics that are hard to understand (particularly those that are rooted in clinical physiology) can be extremely advantageous. Handbook of Blood Gas/Acid-Base Interpretation, 2nd edition, is organized in a logical sequence of flow charts that introduce concepts and gradually build upon them. This approach facilitates understanding and retention of the subject matter. Medical students, residents, nurses, and practitioners of respiratory and intensive care will find it possible to quickly grasp the principles underlying respiratory and acid-base physiology, and apply them effectively in clinical decision making.

Die Ultraschalldiagnostik erobert die Notfallmedizin. Die Notfallsonographie ist mittlerweile fester Bestandteil der Untersuchung eines Patienten in einer Akutsituation. Die Sonographie wird dabei nicht nur innerhalb eines Krankenhauses durchgeführt, z.B. auf Intensivstationen und in Notaufnahmen, sondern zunehmend auch in Form kleiner tragbarer Geräte direkt am Ort des Notfallgeschehens. Potenziell lebensbedrohliche Krankheitsbilder lassen sich mit dem Ultraschall schneller und sicherer diagnostizieren, und damit notfallmedizinische Entscheidungen und Maßnahmen noch frühzeitiger treffen. Über 350 Abbildungen zeigen wie man typische Notfallbefunde mit dem Ultraschall erkennt: • Anatomie und Sonomorphologie aller Organe • Untersuchungsablauf und Optimierungsmöglichkeiten • Die häufigsten Notfallbefunde und deren Differenzialdiagnosen • Informationen zum weiteren diagnostischen und therapeutischen Vorgehen. Die Inhalte des Buches orientieren sich an der 3-Länder-übergreifenden Basisausbildung und dem Curriculum Notfallsonographie von DEGUM, ÖGUM und SGUM. Ebenso sind die Inhalte der Konzepte, wie e-FAST und FEEL integriert. Ein praxisorientiertes und interdisziplinäres Buch - richtet sich an alle Ärzte, die Ultraschall zur Diagnostik unklarer und akuter Befunde einsetzen möchten.