Care of the Critically Ill Surgical Patient by Iain D. Anderson, Iain D. Anderson (Editor)

From the Publisher

Medical residents need to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively look after their patients following an emergency admission , major surgery or unexpected complications. The theory behind good practice is covered in this book, but the emphasis throughout is on those clinical methods and practical skills which will allow the inexperienced trainee to make early identification and correction of complications.

David J. Dries

This book provides a description of care of the critically ill surgical patient. The Royal College of Surgeons of England has produced a course, similar in concept to Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), to deal with the management of this patient. The purpose is to provide guidance to the surgeon who encounters organ dysfunction. The stated audience is the surgical trainee taking the critical care course designed by the Royal College of Surgeons. Practitioners dealing with multi-system complications in surgical patients may also benefit. Fifteen chapters and approximately 150 pages are included in this work. An overview of critical illness in the surgical patient is provided, followed by an organ system based presentation of monitoring, assessment, and intervention in the treatment of common problems including sepsis, respiratory failure, cardiovascular collapse, and renal insufficiency. A general approach to pain management, nutrition support, and communication with the patient and family is also developed. Chapters are concise and use a case presentation format to illustrate critical points. Major concepts are also separated by boxes and shading. Figures are unusual, but decision trees using line drawings are provided. No references are given in each chapter, though a brief reference list is found at the end of the book. The table of contents lists only chapter titles. The index includes separate reference to page numbers, tables, and figures. This book is a focused attempt to provide perioperative guidance to the surgeon encountering organ dysfunction. References and discussion detail are insufficient to allow this manual to stand alone as an aid to perioperative care. Asa stimulus to integrated management of perioperative critical care problems, this work can be warmly recommended. For a book with a similar focus on organ system support, the reader is directed to the Society of Critical Care Medicine's Fundamental Critical Care Support Course Text, 2nd Edition (1998).

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:David J. Dries, MD (University of Minnesota Medical School)
Description:This is the second edition of a manual focused on management of critical care issues arising in the patient sustaining injury or other surgical illness. It is designed to use the systematic approach developed in the Advanced Trauma Life Support system and apply this technique to critical care training.
Purpose:Management principles fundamental to the treatment of surgical critical illness are reviewed. This is a consensus driven summary rather than a cutting edge work.
Audience:Surgical trainees are the intended audience for this work. Medical students in the ICU or surgical service may also benefit. The editor and authors are senior intensivists in the United Kingdom.
Features:The organization introduced in the first edition of this book published in 1999 is maintained here, beginning with overall assessment of critical illness and continuing through management of cardiopulmonary problems, shock, sepsis, failure of abdominal organs, fluids and nutrition, pain management, and issues in multiple trauma. Chapters are well written and make ample use of tables and changes in type to emphasize learning points and key definitions. There are no illustrations or references are used. The table of contents lists chapters only by title. A feeding algorithm is presented in the appendix. An index of 10 pages includes specific citation for figures and tables.
Assessment:This is a well-written overview of fundamental physiologic and organizational concerns in a special patient group. Although it is designed as part of a critical carecourse for the Royal College of Surgeons of England, this manual is also a worthy standalone introduction for medical students and house officers. A complementary work is the Manual of Definitive Surgical Trauma Care edited by Kenneth D. Boffard (Arnold, 2003) .

Rating

3 Stars from Doody

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents