Key Topics in Management of the Critically Ill

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.