Reviewer: David James Dries, MSE, MD (Regions Hospital)
Description: This is the fifth edition of a multiauthored, multi-institutional overview of critical care. The previous edition was published in 2009.
Purpose: A broad survey of the field is provided by an international contributor group. Complementary online features are available, which expand the scope of content and reduce the overall size of the book, as many chapters are available only online.
Audience: Senior residents, fellows, and providers, particularly those facing a broad spectrum of critical care problems, are an appropriate audience. The authors reflect major critical care programs in the United States.
Features: Opening presentations emphasize the multidisciplinary aspects of critical care, decision making, maintenance of competence, telehealth resources, and long-term outcomes. Successive chapter groups describe the physiology of monitors and the multiple presentations of shock and organ failure. Bedside techniques, such as intubation, vascular cannulation, and aseptic techniques, are included in a group of chapters available online. Subsequent sections in the print book emphasize special problems of transplantation, the surgical patient, and the critical care challenges of pregnancy. Later chapter groups are organized by traditional organ systems, beginning with cardiopulmonary disease, common neurological disorders, endocrine problems, and hematology. Concluding presentations, available online, emphasize pharmacology, metabolic support, and disaster management. Appendixes include formulas, pharmacological relationships, a list of fluid and electrolyte solutions, and severity scoring systems. Chapters are well written and make excellent use of tables and shaded multicolored drawings. Each presentation includes a detailed reference list emphasizing classic papers. In some chapters, however, the vast majority of references date to many years prior to publication. The index is extensive and includes separate citations for figures and tables. The index also indicates material in the online-only chapters.
Assessment: This edition is notable for its excellent overall production quality. The authors make effective use of online chapters to reduce the size of the print book. However, entire blocks of content, such as pharmacology, endocrine disorders, and gastrointestinal concerns are only available online. While many chapters have detailed, well-illustrated presentations, other contributions are brief and presentations superficial. Clearly this is a worthy, if not perfect, tool for readers needing an overview of the field.
