Acute-Care Books

Dr Barry White has written a sound and thorough guide to the treatment of acute coronary problems which, as a cardiovascular surgeon, I can heartily (no pun intended) recommend to my colleagues. For cases of inadequate cardiac output resulting in a reduction of renal circulation and glomerular filtration rate or even cases of obstructive lesions between the tricuspid orifice and the aortic valve, Dr White recommends a course of smooth sweet lovin' all night long. Diagnostic techniques are exhaustively covered also: establishing whether the patient is suffering from cardiomyopathy, where there is endocardial fibrosis or constrictive endocarditis, or whether it's just a groove thang goin' on is vital for the practitioner. Dr White eschews techniques such as angiocardiography or measurement of systemic flow by means of cardiac catheterization in favour of gettin' up close and dancin' real slow, feelin' the patient's lips upon your face and whisperin' tender words of love. Unorthodox but effective and a boon to the practitioner.

A very interesting emergency neurology book, it is based in real case examples. The author review the literature on each topic, give their opinion and then express what they would do. At the end of each situation there is a "pros/con" of each therapy, wich helps you decide what you would do.

This text book was easy to read and follow. It also makes a great quick reference because of the format that it is presented in.

This was the first source I went to with any clinical question throughout my acute care nurse practitioner program. The information is succinct and summarizes guidelines well. Most chapters follow an outline format that makes information really easy to find. I plan on keeping it close through this first year after graduation.

I used this book in my MSN-ACNP course and it provided the backbone of what I needed to know. I would base my readings in other texts on the information included in the Barkley text.

The only drawback with the new edition is the spiral binding; it makes it difficult to use at times. However, the information is what is important!

I used this book in my acute care program. It is a great book, easy to understand and apply to patient care!!! This book is a must if you are planning to be an acute care nurse practitioner!!!!

The best compilation of information for differential diagnosis for acute care nurse practitioners. Easy to read and follow. Great for preparing for boards as well. I keep this close to me always. Great reference for ACNP and adult NPs as well.

I heard a lot of feedback from my classmates and professors about the toughness of this book. I used it for my ACNP exam preparation, and without a doubt, it is a tough book. However, this book make me realize the weakness areas of my knowledge base, so that I can focus on those area during the exam preapration. I feel more comfortable to take the exam after I utilized this book. I am so glad I passed my exam at the first time.

This review book reminds me of the NCLEX reviews. It is concise, divides the questions into the key content areas and provides answers with the rationale.

Of particular help is the second chapter "Test-taking skills and designing your study plan". Here the authors give you seven strategies for test-taking. Included are the points "Understanding and analyzing the anatomy of a test question" and the ever helpful "Selecting the best answer when you do not know the answer". There is an analysis of learning styles and an example schedule for preparation.

This review has been very helpful in lowering my test anxiety while in school. Too bad Amazon won't package it with Gawlinski and Hamwi at a reduced price ;-) ;-) This one really complements G&H. I can't give it 5 stars until I take the certification exam!

I've used this book twice as a study aid for the certification exam. I thought it was very useful the first time I took the test.

I now had to re-certify by exam (5 years later) and decided to use this book (and the CD) as my primary resource, and boy did that strategy pay off. The language (unlike other resources I used) is similar to that used on the exam, and the random mix of questions was also similar, so I was able to identify my areas of weakness.

It helps to take sample exams repeatedly to build up the mental stamina required for the actual test.

All in all, I would highly recommend this book for potential certification exam candidates.

This is the book we've been waiting for. I am a human factors specialist and an educator with more than 30 years experience, of which more than 20 have been in the field of high performance, hight stakes teams in aviation and medicine. Currently I am the Director of Education at the Center for Medical Simulation in Cambridge MA. Once or twice a month a clinician asks how can I learn about the principles of Crisis Resource Management. Until now, the answer led them on a long trail of discovery. Finally, we have a book that answers the question! This is the book for all clinicians who want to learn about the field of the psychology of high performance teams who work in high stakes environments. I agree with the first reviewer that this book is accessible and readable and informative. As reviewer #2 says, perhaps there are some phrases that are not quite right for American English, but the book remains readable and informative. The bibliography does have a more international flavor than other American-centric books, but it is rich and informative. The interested reader is given plenty of outstanding references to pursue. At the Institute for Medical Simulation, a jointly sponsored endeavor of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology and the Center for Medical Simulation, it is the most highly recommended book for our students who want to learn about the principles of crisis resource management.

Overall the authors present the psychology of medical crisis management in a very readable and succinct format.
Unfortunately, this book cannot hide the fact that it is translated from an original published in German (in 2005): on numerous occasions the authors take liberties with the English language that will strike Anglo-American readers as "odd". Further, from an academic perspective it is frustrating to discover that a substantial number of the cited references are from German language publications and therefore of no use to the intended English-speaking readership.
My recommendation to the editors would be to enlist the help of an English-speaking medical translator in the preparation of the 2nd edition and to limit the number of German language references to an absolute minimum.

The concisely written book fills an important niche in the literature about team training and crisis management. Each chapter begins with a clinical vignette that highlights key issues in team interactions and decision-making in crises in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The body of each chapter then explores relevant concepts about individual/team psychology, all in a language accessible to clinicians without being overly theoretical, which is an important strength of this book. Indeed, for busy clinicians who frequently encounter high-stakes medical crises, each chapter promotes self-reflection. Similarly, for medical and nursing educators who lead debriefings of simulated crises, this book provides important insights and a framework to facilitate discussion about the development of medical errors, leadership issues, team interactions and communication, and threats to perceived feelings of competency and other factors that alter clinicians' behaviors in high-stress situations. A must-read!

Nursing requires a strong practical education. Most nurses will simply forget the multiple choice and true or false answers when confronted with a real world situation. Many nurses don't even wash their hands when going from patient to patient. More than 12,000 hospital patients die because of preventable errors mostly caused by nurses and nursing aids. Yes, it is also frequent that patients die because of doctor error.

This book is a wonderful guide to get you on your way to becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant. This is a wonderful career to have in the medical field. Helping people as a CNA is extremely rewarding.

Even if you're not looking to become a CNA, this book has excellent information for anyone who is in a caregiving situation. It has information ranging from infant care to elderly care.

I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to pursue a career in the healthcare field or anyone who has someone they take care of.

This book is a great book. It is easy to understand and follow. Procedures are well explained step by step and color photographs accompany the steps. The color photographs are abundant. There are lots of tables throughout the book. It has a helpful glossary in the back, as well.

The sections of the book are as follows:
Introduction To Nursing Assisting
Scientific Principles
Basic Human Needs And Communication
Infection and Infection Control
Safety And Mobility
Measuring And Recording Vital Signs, Height, And Weight
Patient Care And Comfort Measures
Principles Of Nutrition And Fluid Balance
Special Care Procedures
Other Health Care Settings
Body Systems, Common Disorders, And Related Care Procedures
Expanded Role Of The Nursing Assistant
Response To Basic Emergencies
Moving Forward

the book came at a great time; highly recommended; price was reasonable and good delivery time! thank you.

Congratulations to the authors of this valuable reference text! The Acute Care Handbook is, first of all, anything but a "handbook" in the traditional sense. It is lengthy and detailed, qualities which would make a more leisure-oriented read a sure bet for the bedside table. But, this useful book is not for dozing through. Rather, it makes for much easier quick searches or in-depth reviews of most topics critical to effective acute care physical therapists.

Two brief observations that might strengthen the utility of this reference book: First, a chapter on "Trauma or Multi-Trauma Patients" would be beneficial. Also, increased use of illustrations would enhance the book's impact.

Overall, though, this text has been a wonderful addition to my reference library. If you are an acute care therapist now, going to be one soon, or just need to "brush up" on this phase of rehabilitation, this book will definitely meet your reference needs.

I have been a medic since 1995. I have drug my feet about learning something new. I recently took 2 classes from Bob Page. If you are in EMS or public safety you know that most continuing ed classes are not inspiring shall we say. They are a required formality for keeping your license or certification. Well, Bob Pages are different. I took capnography and then 12 lead EKGs. I learned an incredible amount of information quickly. It was outstanding. This guy knows how to teach. If you are buying this book to learn 12 leads, you have either had his class and want even more or you NEED his class. He has a website. Find it. Get the guy to come to your service. If that is not an option, travel to one of his classes. You will not regret it. The guy taught the head of his hospital cardiology group stuff about bundle branches that the cardiologist did not know. And proved it. I am referring to the "turn signal theory" for determining axis deviation. Find out why you should say "NO LEAD II"

This is a great book to learn or learn more about EKG's. I encourage anyone to purchase this. He is also a great speaker. If you can go to one of his courses, then, you would come back more knowledgeable and feel more confident when looking at and trying to read EKG's.

Great coverage of twelve lead. I have used several other 12 lead texts and this is by far the best.

a little disapointed. good book. He failed to covey the excitement he puts into his class.

I was in a panic. I had a 12-lead final exam coming up and wasn't comfortable with the intrepretations. I ordered this book and studied it for a week before the exam. My score: 105% (There was a five point extra credit question). I highly recommend this book.

First, let me say I went to medical school with "Mitch" Spirt at Mount Sinai. Mitch was a good man with good social skills--and, now, I see he's succeeded in the clinical teaching realm, too. I'm sad to see such a prominent surgeon as Dr. DeMeester rate this book so poorly without clarifying more. Having both attending the same medical school, we were often presented with a plethora of textbooks--none of which were EVER "recommended highly" by our professors.

A medical student will NOT--and should NOT read, in its entirety such books as Cecil's or Harrison's textbook of Medicine; nor, should they read Schwartz', Cameron's, or Sabiston's textbook of surgery because, simply, if you're on the wards, learning CLINICAL medicine, doing your H & P's, examining patients, and standing as the first-assistant in the operating room, THERE ISN'T TIME TO READ SUCH MASSIVE REFERENCE TEXTS.

If you HAVE time, you aren't seeing patients (Remember Osler's quote? "To study medicine without textbooks is to sail an uncharted sea; to study medicine without patients is to NOT go to sea at ALL!"
This is where Mitch's book comes in. This is a SOLID, quick reference material for any 3rd or 4th year medical student (it's small and you can fit it in your backpack), you can read it during your rotation, it has the PERTINENT clinical information, and even an intern or 2nd year medical or surgical resident would benefit.

It is written for Dr. DeMeester? Absolutely NOT. Is it written for attending surgeons with 15 years of experience? NO! But it wasn't written for that purpose.

I think this book should sit along side:

a. Wheater's Functional Histology (and Pathology)
b. Lang's Textbook of Medicine (formerly, "The John's Hopkins Textbook of Medicine")
c. Stein's Textbook of Medicine (for 3rd and 4th year medical students
d. "Baby" Sabiston's introduction to surgery.

If you're already in the field, this isn't your book. If your GOING into surgery or gastroenterology, this is a GREAT place to start.

An updated edition, written in conjunction with a general surgeon, would be most welcome in the field of medical student education.

It's a privilege to know Mitch, and, now, as an attending General Surgeon (for almost 13 years, and board-certified, and re-certified), this book is a strong 9.5/10.

Poorly written book obviously written by a non-surgeon. As a practicing general surgeon for the past 30 years this book has little to offer anyone interested in anything but the most rudimentary aspects of abdominal disorders. Don't waste your money!!

A must for all general surgeons in clinical practice.

This textbook focuses on GI disorders in critically ill patients. It is a superbly-written text, and is destined to become a standard reference in the field. A real gem.

This book provides a good overview for the Acute Care Pediatric NP certification exam. There are 19 cds that you can get as well. I would recommend them. This is a review course that you can do yourself at home. The book includes 2 days worth of lecture notes and the cds are the lectures themselves. The notes are very thorough and at the end of each section there is a reference page. The first 147 pages cover growth and development and health and policy. The remainder of the 518 page book deals with medical information. The book is in outline format with a lot of information. I think it is a good resource to review from. I just wish there were practice questions, but there are not.