This book addresses the ethical problems that physicians have to face every day while caring for critically ill patients. Advances in medical technology, ageing societies worldwide, and their increased demands on health care systems have, on the one hand, led to better care and remarkable longevity in many parts of the world. On the other hand, however, improved treatments in many medical fields, amongst others in emergency and critical care, have resulted in more patients surviving with reduced quality of life. This entails tradeoffs for many patients, their families, and the teams caring for them. At the same time, health care expenditures have risen dramatically and have to be balanced against costs for other public goods. Finally, the humane aspects of care have often failed to keep pace with the remarkable technological strides made in recent years. In this book, experts in their respective fields describe compelling ethical challenges resulting from these discrepancies and discuss potential solutions. The book is primarily intended for clinicians who care for two of the most vulnerable patient subpopulations – those being treated in ambulances or emergency rooms, and those being treated at intensive care units – due in part to the fact that they may be temporarily or permanently incapacitated. Core medical skills, such as diagnosis and predicting outcomes, as well as implementing treatment, remain challenging. However, without adequate communication and collaboration both within the inter-professional treatment teams and between the teams and the patients/their families, delivering excellent care is difficult at best. Therefore, the so-called “soft skills” are given the attention they deserve in order to overcome the gap between technological progress and interpersonal standstill.

In this book, part of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) textbook series, experts in the field of clinical ethics describe basic principles of clinical ethics and ethical reasoning, the fundamental pillars of intensive care medicine as well as the decision-making processes necessary to arrive at appropriate decisions for each individual patient. Specifically, the complex decision-making process, with regard to limiting life-sustaining therapies and integrating palliative care into intensive care, are expounded. Furthermore, the still controversial topics of ethical climate, proportionate care, and prioritization are elaborated upon. The so-called “soft skills” of inter-professional communication and co-operation are given the attention they deserve in order to overcome the gap between technological progress and interpersonal standstill. Finally, widely accepted ethical values and principles were challenged by the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing clinicians to elaborate recommendations regarding the prioritization of scarce resources. The book will be an invaluable tool for clinicians to understand ethical principles and reasoning to contend ethical challenges in intensive care medicine across the boundaries of disciplines and professions, in order to provide an appropriate individual plan of treatment for their patients.

The most engagingly written, clinically relevant overview of the practice of anesthesiology Hailed as the best primer on the topic, Morgan and Mikhail’s Clinical Anesthesiology has remained true to its stated goal: “to provide a concise, consistent presentation of the basic principles essential to the modern practice of anesthesia.” This trusted classic delivers comprehensive coverage of the field’s must-know basic science and clinical topics in a clear, easy-to-understand presentation. At the same time, it has retained its value for coursework, review, and as a clinical refresher. Key features that make it easier to understand complex topics: Rich full-color art work combined with a modern, user-friendly design make information easy to find and remember Case discussions promote application of concepts in real-world clinical practice Boxed Key Concepts at the beginning of each chapter identify important issues and facts that underlie the specialty Numerous tables and figures encapsulate important information and facilitate recall Up-to-date discussion of all relevant areas of anesthesiology, including equipment and monitors, pharmacology, pathophysiology, regional anesthesia, pain management, and critical care

"[This book is] the most authoritative assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of recent trends toward the commercialization of health care," says Robert Pear of The New York Times. This major study by the Institute of Medicine examines virtually all aspects of for-profit health care in the United States, including the quality and availability of health care, the cost of medical care, access to financial capital, implications for education and research, and the fiduciary role of the physician. In addition to the report, the book contains 15 papers by experts in the field of for-profit health care covering a broad range of topicsâ€"from trends in the growth of major investor-owned hospital companies to the ethical issues in for-profit health care. "The report makes a lasting contribution to the health policy literature." â€"Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law.

The Cambridge Handbook of Applied Psychological Ethics is a valuable resource for psychologists and graduate students hoping to further develop their ethical decision making beyond more introductory ethics texts. The book offers real-world ethical vignettes and considerations. Chapters cover a wide range of practice settings, populations, and topics, and are written by scholars in these settings. Chapters focus on the application of ethics to the ethical dilemmas in which mental health and other psychology professionals sometimes find themselves. Each chapter introduces a setting and gives readers a brief understanding of some of the potential ethical issues at hand, before delving deeper into the multiple ethical issues that must be addressed and the ethical principles and standards involved. No other book on the market captures the breadth of ethical issues found in daily practice and focuses entirely on applied ethics in psychology.

The critical care unit manages patients with a vast range of disease and injuries affecting every organ system. The unit can initially be a daunting environment, with complex monitoring equipment producing large volumes of clinical data. Core Topics in Critical Care Medicine is a practical, comprehensive, introductory-level text for any clinician in their first few months in the critical care unit. It guides clinicians in both the initial assessment and the clinical management of all CCU patients, demystifying the critical care unit and providing key knowledge in a concise and accessible manner. The full spectrum of disorders likely to be encountered in critical care are discussed, with additional chapters on transfer and admission, imaging in the CCU, structure and organisation of the unit, and ethical and legal issues. Written by Critical Care experts, Core Topics in Critical Care Medicine provides comprehensive, concise and easily accessible information for all trainees.

This issue of Emergency Medicine Clinics, guest edited by Drs. Michael K. Abraham and Evie Marcolini, focuses on Neurologic Emergencies. This issue is one of four selected each year by series Consulting Editor, Dr. Amal Mattu. Topics include: Traumatic injuries of the nervous system; Modern Neuroimaging Techniques in Diagnosing TIA and Acute Ischemic Stroke; Neurologic Emergencies at the Extremes of Age; Headache in the Emergency Department Avoiding Misdiagnosis of Dangerous Secondary Causes and Infections of the Central Nervous System.

The emergency department is a place of challenging ethical dilemmas and little time and resources to solve them. Ethical Dilemmas in Emergency Medicine provides invaluable information, perspectives, and solutions to common ethical dilemmas in emergency medicine. It addresses important topics seen in the emergency department, including medicolegal issues, triage, privacy and confidentiality, social media, difficult patients, minors, research, patient safety, disasters, suicide, and end of life issues. The accompanying educational modules provide a unique educational opportunity for resident and staff education on ethical issues in emergency medicine. Featuring twenty-three case-based discussions of ethical dilemmas in emergency medicine along with numerous multimedia resources, including media presentations, case based discussions, and multiple choice questions, this book is an invaluable resource for residents in training as well as practicing physicians.

This issue of Critical Care Clinics focuses on Obstetric and Gynecologic Emergencies in the ICU. Articles include: Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation in the Pregnant Patient, Anesthetic Complications in Pregnancy, Neurologic Complications in Pregnancy, Renal Failure in Pregnancy, Management Complex Cardiac Issues in the Pregnant Patient, Liver Failure in Pregnancy, Hypertensive Emergencies in Pregnancy, Ethical Issues in Pregnancy, and more!