In recent years, many clinical interventions in intensive care medicine have been based on clear scientific evidence. However, at least as many clinical interventions still remain the subject of controversy, either due to a lack of rigorous data or due to the existence of conflicting data. In this book, these controversies are discussed by experts of international renown in their respective fields. The goal is twofold: To provide us with a balanced and unbiased presentation of the subject, explaining the different 'schools of thought' relevant to the controversy; To summarise the data with a clinically useful and valid recommendation for our practice. Virtually all fields of intensive care medicine are covered in over 50 chapters dealing with controversies over treatment options in acute illness states, organising and providing care for acutely ill patients, as well as how to answer ethical questions arising in critical care medicine every day.

This volume provides an overview of the most important current controversies in the field of pediatric intensive care. Organized into sections based on organ systems, the text focuses on controversies surrounding disease processes of the cardiac, respiratory, gastrointestinal, hematologic / immunologic, endocrine, and neurologic systems. Each chapter reviews the pros and cons of specific management approaches through case studies and the most up-to-date evidence-based resources, and concludes with bulleted take-home points for ease of use. Written by experts in the field, Pediatric Critical Care: Current Controversies is a valuable resource for intensivists, advanced practice providers, nurses, and other health care providers involved in the care of critically-ill children.

Ethical and legal issues pervade medicine, but in the unique environment of the intensive care unit (ICU) the potential for confusion, error and litigation is huge. This book is a practical guide to the main issues, offering clinical scenarios and possible solutions for the whole multi-disciplinary team working in the ICU.

The book covers vigorously debated controversial topics in the field of critical care medicine over the years. It provides the reader with a balanced approach and guidance based on historical and currently available evidence in dealing with contentious clinical scenarios. The book reviews the most relevant, contemporaneous evidence on each topic and provides practical guidelines for clinical practice. The book includes chapters that follow a structured approach to controversies related to specific organ systems. The topics covered provide a summary of the most relevant, practice-changing studies in the field of critical care medicine. Each topic describes the basic applied physiology, points of controversy, the evidence base, and summarizes the key points at the end. It includes brief description of landmark studies on each controversial topic. The book serves as an important clinical guide to practitioners of critical care medicine when confronted with challenging clinical scenarios. Besides, it is a useful source of information to postgraduate trainees in various medical specialties. The topics addressed are among the most widely discussed during postgraduate examinations. It is also relevant for practitioners in general medicine and specialized areas of practice, including pulmonology (respiratory medicine), cardiology, neurology, nephrology, gastroenterology, and surgical specialties.

Evidence-Based Practice of Critical Care, edited by Drs. Clifford S. Deutschman and Patrick J. Neligan, provides objective data and expert guidance to help answer the most important questions challenging ICU physicians today. It discusses the clinical options, examines the relevant research, and presents expert recommendations on everything from acute organ failure to prevention issues. An outstanding source for "best practices" in critical care medicine, this book is a valuable framework for translating evidence into practice. Gain valuable evidence-based recommendations on key topics such as acute organ failure, infection, sepsis and inflammation, and prevention issues pointing the way to the most effective approaches. Get an overview of each question, an outline of management options, a review of the relevant evidence, areas of uncertainty, existing management guidelines, and authors’ recommendations. Navigate a full range of challenges from routine care to complicated and special situations. Find the information you need quickly with tables that summarize the available literature and recommended clinical approaches.

Ideally suited for students in critical care rotations and residents, this concise, practical handbook presents the essentials of medical and surgical critical care in an easy-to-read format. The authors succinctly explain the pathophysiology underlying clinical disorders and the key principles of diagnosis and patient management, emphasizing cost-effective approaches. The Fourth Edition includes Controversies in Critical Care boxes in many chapters, which briefly summarize opposing arguments on controversial points. Other highlights include enhanced discussion of CT for abdominal disorders, new ACLS guidelines, and new material on removable IVC filters, interventional radiologic techniques for GI bleeding, and use of vascular ultrasound.

This practical title presents 18 challenging cases in critical care, complete with case histories and evidence-based, up-to-date learning points and clinical tips. Each chapter has commentary from an expert who identifies and explains the key points and controversies of the case.

Accompanying CD-ROM ... "lets you download all of the superb full-color illustations from the book into PowerPoint."--P. [4] of cover.

We are honored to present the second edition of Surgical Intensive Care Medicine. Our first edition was considered to be an important contribution to the critical care literature and received excellent reviews from Critical Care Medicine, Chest, and Anesthesiology. In the second edition, the basic organization of the book remains unchanged, being composed of 60 carefully selected chapters divided into 11 sections. The book begins with general topics in primary intensive care, such as airway management and vascular cannulation, followed by categories based on medical and surgical subspecialties. While the chapters discuss definitions, pathophysiology, clinical course, complications, and prognosis, the primary emphasis is devoted to patient management. The contents of the current edition have been comprehensively upgraded and the chapters retained from the first edition have been thoroughly updated, revised, or rewritten. In this second edition, some new topics have been added including Postoperative Care of the Obese Patient, Postoperative Care of the Pancreas Transplant Patient, Optimization of High-Risk Surgical Patients, Post- erative Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome, Ethics and End of Life Issues, Improving the ICU, and Continuous Medical Education in Intensive Care Medicine. We are extremely fortunate to have high-quality contributors, many of whom are nationally and internationally recognized researchers, speakers, and practitioners in Cri- cal Care Medicine. An important feature of this latest edition is the geographical diversity of its authors. Most are based in the United States, but colleagues from Canada, England, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Holland, France, Italy, Portugal, and Australia have also made notable contributions.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious and as yet incompletely understood disorder in which sudden impairment of kidney function occurs secondary to one or more of a variety of underlying conditions. This disorder is very common in (elderly) ICU patients and is associated with very high mortality. Many of those who survive suffer from permanent kidney failure and other long-term morbidities, which may include cardiovascular disease and immune dysfunction. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that AKI is not a single disease, but a syndrome comprised of multiple, often coexisting, etiologies. Being usually part of multiorgan failure syndrome, it calls for multiple organ support therapy.The publication at hand contains sections on prerenal azotemia syndromes, dying ‘of’ or ‘with’ AKI, pathophysiology of sepsis-induced acute kidney injury, developments in prevention / treatment / rehabilitation, and renal support. Reporting the latest recommendations from experts, it provides valuable information for those that are interested in understanding the disorder and its treatment options.