Critical-Care Books

I am the author, and will offer a few words about the book. "We Can't Kill Your Mother!" is for the general reader -- no special background or medical expertise necessary. These stories take the reader inside the medical intensive care unit, a major part of every acute care hospital. That's the setting, but the subject is people and their serious (and sometimes strange) afflictions.

The first chapter gives an overview of intensive care rounds and how the MICU operates. Succeeding chapters are devoted to one or two patients and the challenges they present. Like Harold Switek, too ill to leave MICU, too psychotic to stay. And Willie the Yellow Man, whose love affair with alcohol exceeded anything you've ever seen. You'll meet a young socialite hospitalized with rapid onset of total paralysis and wonder -- will she ever hug her kids again? And another woman about to have her baby during a terrifying asthma attack. Then there's the young accountant who slept in a coma -- for six months! Another story relates the strange saga of a man who claimed to be coughing up blood, only that wasn't his real problem.

Every sizable hospital handles the same problems and encounters the same ethical dilemmas as presented by our patients. Like the nursing home patient who is the subject of the title story; she is awake and alert, but can only live connected to a breathing machine. Her daughter demands that the ventilator be disconnected so "mother can die." Can doctors honor such a request? Can they ignore it?

The book contains 23 chapters or "stories"; many of the stories were previously published in magazines.

This is a great book to review the basic physiology pertinent to the ICU as well as an introduction to ventilators. However, be careful about making management decisions based on the book because it can be out of date in that regard.

Best Critical Care book I have read. This an enjoyable, very informative and easy to read book.

Better concise book doesn't exist. You can read it in 1 week! well illustrated. It offers the essentials you need to understand to be familiar with the disease's physiopathology you're confronted with in the ICU.
to be red and red again.
If you're looking for a more exhaustive book, buy the Parrillo's!

This is the best practical clinical book I have read in the field of medicine. Easy to read with a lot of practical application.You read this book and you will be a star clinical intern, resident and attending too....

The ICU Book is a selective (but fairly comprehensive) review of ICU topics from largely one doctor's perspective. (The 2007 edition has "contributions" from a second doctor.) That it's written by one person keeps a consistency in style but there are several controversial points raised where it's hard to tell whether this is now hard-science proven standard of care or the author's preference. There are many typographical errors (including drug dosages) and most of the references are from the 1990's and earlier; few references are after 2000.

All in all, it's a well written basic review of ICU topics but should be read knowing this is one person's approach to care. It's a good starter for residents and a good review book for the Critical Care boards.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the concept of both of the kids in the family being in trouble in different ways. I was interested in how the managed care system wouldn't pay for the treatment and how the other child almost commits suicide. I loved the character interactions of how they figure out the mysteries of what happened and when. However the ending of this book was awful. First of all, it wrapped up too fast and it didn't make a lot of sense. The ending of it was illogical and was not plausible or realistic. I can't give this book a great rating because of the ending, but I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good book.

Yet another fine installment in the Alan Gregory series. This time, author Stephen White takes on managed health care and HMO's. He has a 15 year old patient who has attempted suicide and almost was successful. Her family is in the midst of dealing with their HMO regarding an experimental drug for their younger daughter. White weaves the tale intricately and soon has us immersed in the story. I think this book is best enjoyed as part of the series and one would benefit from reading the earlier books. I really liked the side of Detective Sam Purdy in this one.

This is the 6th story featuring psychologist Dr. Gregory Alan, written by Stephen White. It would be a respectable read on its own, however, I'm glad I've read the earlier books and have gotten to know the repeating characters. Dr. Alan isn't perfect and his refreshing inadequacies often lighten the story or add some comic relief. The story was full of surprises, and for me, was the perfect mystery to curl up with in front of a fire on a few cold evenings.

My second Stephen White book (Priviledged Information) and I wasn't disappointed. A great read and would recommend reading it after "Privileged." I really like Dr. Alan Gregory's character. Smart, ethical and compassionate. A wonderful author

This is my first book by Stephen White, but not the last. The plot is excellent with many twists and turns to keep me interested, not confused. It sees Dr. Gregory trying to help a young girl who may or may not have killed in order for her sister to get critical health care. However, readers shouldn't despair as it is not full of medical language or too much cumbersome details. I give this book a well deserved five star rating.

This book is meant for people in medical school. It may actually be less advanced then Dubin. I may be biased there as I used Dubin in medical school and then everything was new. If you have gone through a basic book then this may be a waste of your time and money. It doesnot deal in depth with arrhythmias, or with T wave inversions or the use of vector EKG which may help in tight spots.

Simple, direct, effective.

The plain truth is that EKG's are not as mysterious and complicated as some people and some texts would have you believe. This book boils it down to the basics, yet is very comprhensive.

A must-own for anyone having to interpret EKG's: from tele techs to EMTs to MDs.

There are 2 main ECG books med students use, Thaler's and Dubin's. Having seen the other and used this one primarily, I feel the Thaler text is by far better for second or third year med students. He covers all the main cardiac and extra-cardiac pathology that can be seen on the ECG and does so with very good explanations that you'll remember without having to feel like you're memorizing. His introductory chapter explaining how the ECG works is also excellent and allows you to understand what part of the heart each lead represents, again without any real memorization. After reading his chapter this stuff just makes sense. While certainly not at the level of a cardiology fellow, this book serves the niche of an introductory ECG text for med, PA, CRNA, or ARNP students quite well. As a bonus, Thaler has a pretty fun sense of humor that makes the reading much more amusing that you'd expect for an ECG book.

I won the EKG reading contest at my program after reading this book. Of course, I did slightly more than just reading the book. But this book gives you all the basics that you will need. You can build a good foundation with the help of this book, reading journal articles, and reading real EKGs of your patients.

I've tried Dale Dubin on three different occasions and always gave up midway. This book is easy to read, keeps up your interest, doesn't clog you with unnecessary information, has a good summary at the end of every chapter, good clinical examples are provided and the best part is that it is quite funny. I actually laughed out aloud where he says wolff-parkinson-white and lown-ganong-levine aren't the names of lawfirms!
I managed to finish it in two weeks and it is refreshing to come across an ekg book that doesn't make you want to take extended break times!
Only thing is I wish the author had used more arrows to point out the specific abnormalities and that the last section of practice EKGS was a little more comprehensive.
But I think it is a good resource for residents and students. And I would pick it over Dale Dubin anyday.

I am not a nurse, but I found that the fullness of Heron's easy and poignant storytelling brings the reader into her life to share in the joys and frustrations of being a student, nurse, mother, and human being. I came to know the characters as if they were my own friends, coworkers and acquaintances. The reality and detail of the human life portrayed in the pages of this book reminds us of the universal experience of what it is to live. Her experiences are sometimes dramatic, tense, uplifting, sad, frustrating, or funny but always, always spellbinding. It is a true story of how to live, learn and grow. It is simply the best biographical narrative I have encountered.

A Nurse's Story: A Review of Echo Heron's Intensive Care
Imagine a student nurse's first day being assigned to the emergency room of a big city hospital. She can't decide if her nervousness or her impulsive enthusiasm is to blame for the beads of sweat forming on her forehead as her jittery legs take her down the hallway. She stands before the big double doors and decides she is ready to enter the world of on the spot medicine.
As she walks through the doorway to the emergency room she stops abruptly and allows a small gasp to escape from her lips. The turmoil and noise is overwhelming. Her eyes scan the room as she tries to comprehend what she has gotten herself into. Every available bed is occupied. A young woman covered in blood is in one bed moaning a rhythmic beat, a wailing child is in the next bed, and an old man yelling for a nurse is in the next. A tiny woman is muttering to herself as she mops us vomit from the tiled floor. The student nurse closes her eyes as she considers turning around and sprinting out of the building. Something deep inside tells her that she and her new career will have a love-hate relationship.
In her autobiography, Intensive Care, (Atheneum, 1987, 370 pgs.), Echo Heron relates the story of her nursing career from her early training in the mid 1970's to the burnout she suffered toward the end of her work twenty years later. Heron compels the reader to wonder why anyone would be drawn to this occupation and why anyone, even the most caring, would want to leave it.

The author's narrative reveals how she had the desire to make people's lives better from the age of eight but didn't pursue her dream until she spent many years working as a legal secretary. Heron was a divorced single mother of three and one-half year old Simon when she decided to follow her dream and apply to nursing school. She wasn't alone in her journey, her best friend Jane had applied at the same time. Together they were ready to save the world in their white stockings, crisp white uniforms, and the obligatory nurse's cap pinned to their hair. Heron quickly discovers the nursing program is extremely demanding. Intense studying into the night and long days striving to get through clinicals leaves her exhausted, skeptical, and reminiscing about the benign and boring days she spent as a legal secretary. Heron's resolve and determination prevails though even after fainting the first time she tries to inject a patient.
Faced with some of the ugliest of humanity and the pain people inflict on one another, the emergency room must be one of the most troublesome areas in a hospital for a nurse to work.
Though difficult, Heron learns to love the work in the emergency room. She thrives on the adrenaline rush created by the often chaotic atmosphere. The compassionate act of healing another human being among the onslaught of many patients at one time is what she has been training for. As Heron relates early in the book, "The familiar subtle thrill began to well up inside me as I walked to the nurse's station. Even though I had memorized my lines for the scene, no one ever really knew what was going to happen" (4). In one instance, Heron is assigned to work in the emergency room while she is still in training. Early one morning a man brought his wife to the hospital with burns covering 75% of her body. The couple had been drinking heavily the night before and the wife had passed out while smoking a cigarette. The husband wouldn't let her call paramedics for fear of disturbing the neighbors so they waited three hours for him to sober up. He dropped her off at the emergency room doors and headed to the bar. Compassion is not easily shown when confronted with human beings harming one another.
Children are frequently the most rewarding, frustrating, and heartbreaking of all patients to care for. Heron describes many stories of working on children especially in the emergency room. Most of the stories have happy endings but some endings are particularly sorrowful. Heron relates the story of one such unhappy ending in chapter six of Intensive Care (52). An exhausted looking mother brought her young toddler into the emergency room. The child is unresponsive as the medical team rushes him into a trauma room while the harried mother is escorted to a quiet waiting room. It was discovered while interviewing the mother that her son had wandered into the family's backyard pool while she was napping on the couch in the family room. Heron, still a student nurse, was given the task of informing the child's mother that despite the doctor's best efforts, her son was dead. As Heron struggles to come up with the right words to say, she realizes nothing about this is right. Tears fill her eyes as she thinks of her own son, who is safe at home, and the mothering instinct blends with her nurse's training as she finds the words to speak to the grief stricken mother who just lost her only child. As Heron explains, "Nothing I thought of saying would come close to touching the woman's anguish. In the end I said nothing at all and rocked her in my arms" (88). No amount of training prepares nurses for this moment. It's just another time where their heart leads them to do the right thing.
The population of intensive care units is often terminally ill patients. Instead of healing the sick and releasing them, nurses are frequently conflicted by tending the sick while they face their final days of life. Heron accepts a position in the intensive care unit when she graduates from nursing school. She is passionate about her work in this department although she finds it difficult to come to grips with the mortality rate of the patients she cares for. The recollection of
these people and the continuing fight to sustain life in these patients bleeds into her personal life and memory banks on a daily basis. Heron describes the scene as one of her favorite patients, Turk, is dying. "Joe bent over from the waist, placed the paddles on Turk's chest, and jolted him with four hundred-watt seconds of electricity. It was one of those certain sounds that stayed with me, never to be lost from recall" (235). Inevitably, Heron takes her work home with her which slowly becomes a contributing factor of the burnout she suffers.
Death is a natural part of life. Quite often, especially working in the intensive care unit, part of the author's duties was to increase the level of pain medication given to a terminally ill patient. Knowing that by increasing these levels nurses are essentially speeding up the progression of death goes totally against the oath a nurse takes to save and preserve lives. Heron often struggles with this during her career as saving lives is what her goal has been from a young age. Freeing people from pain for which there is no other release is another part of nursing.
Echo Heron was born in Troy, New York. She moved to San Francisco in 1967 and worked as a legal secretary for eight years. Heron went back to college to become a registered nurse in 1975 and worked for the next 20 years as a nurse in emergency rooms and intensive care units in hospitals along the west coast. In 1983 she submitted a story that was printed in the Reader's Digest and from that was contacted by a publishing house to write an autobiographical
account of her life as a critical care nurse. Intensive Care quickly rose to the New York Times bestseller list where it stayed at number one for two months. Heron has written an additional
seven books, both fiction and nonfiction, all dealing with the medical field. She is currently an activist for patient and nurse's rights and a public speaker while working on additional books.
In their review The New York Daily News reports, "Echo Heron is a very special nurse dedicated to healing and helping in the harshest environments. Intensive Care is unique, penetrating, and unforgettable. Her story is real." Heron does a wonderful job in taking her audience through a passionate and often painful look at nursing. Nursing has many times been characterized as an overworked, underappreciated choice of occupations but it has never been described as being glamorous.
Intensive Care is recommended to anyone interested in employment in the healthcare industry. The author shares her frustrations as well as triumphs as she puts into perspective the real inner workings of a hospital and the naivety of prospective student nurses entering the medical field. Little things like shaving an elderly man, foot rubs, wiping brows, and talking to unconscious people are important to the patient as well as the nurse. Heron's writing requires the reader to contemplate the decision to make nursing a career as she soundly illustrates both the challenges and rewards of nursing.

This is a great book to read and get a bird's eye view to some of the things that nurses deal with. She has great chapters with great scenarios, stories and writing on some of the emotions that are dealt with in the course of a nurse's day.

I can't help but think that some of the stories centered around her nursing school days are anything but Glorified and richly enhanced in terms of what she actually said and did, but nonetheless it's a great, easy read.

I first read this book in 1995 when I was starting to toy with the idea of leaving a paralegal career and pursuing a career in nursing. I found her descriptions and experiences to be very accurate, and her ability to tell a story very entertaining. Nursing is truly a career that comes from the heart, because nobody would do it only for the money! It has remained one of favorite books and I give it to those I know even considering pursuing a career in the nursing field. All her books are excellent, but I think this one is the best!

I enjoyed this book overall, but Ms. Heron seems to be quite arrogant. Was she the only good student in her nursing classes? According to her, you'd think so! In her hospital tales (which ar equite entertaining), she seems to know more than the doctors and much more experienced nurses. Some parts are a bit dramatic. Like in the opening tale, a grandson comes in to see his dying grandfather and Ms. Heron draws all these assumptions from their quick reunion. If you can get past all that, this book really is enjoyable and I will be reading her other books.

get it ... it a goo book. you just need to use it ... lol

I don't know why this book got so many good reviews anyway. I bought it expecting too much and it was a complete disappointment. Actually whatever was in that book I already knew. It is an introduction to the basics of medicine but it doesn't offer much overall.

My vpurchase came in the time specified and in the condition that was stated also. I will definately make future purchases from this seller

Buy it, take it to your local office supply store, get it wire bound with plastic covers for about $3-$4 and it'll last through your clinical years and internship. The only review book that can actually be carried in your white coat making it TRULY USEFUL on rotations. In fact, it's PERFECT for rotations as you can STUDY on the go whenever you have a few minutes PLUS it helps you with pimp questions and patient management. Psych, Derm, EKG, neuro, outpatient, IM, surgery and more.

This book is a good book to have in your collection of medical references. It is concise and bulleted with pertinent information for wards, as the name suggests, as well as studying for the USMLE. It is easy to understand and easy to navigate when searching for something very specific. It is a small book but not small enough to carry in your white coat during rounds unless you have big pockets or if your pockets are empty, (most medical professionals I know don't have their pockets empty due to all the crap we have to carry), you might be able to fit it in there snuggly. All in all its a good book to have as a refresher or reference but i don't find it's good enough to use as the only resource when studying for USMLE.

Excellent book. Well organized, direct and practical. Fairly easy to read and the approach is very interesting. We have used some of the techiques described, and all have been effective. Worth the money and its a good way to improve/expand your skills.

Glenn R.Schirg, EMT

Product was perfect for the class I was taking. I will keep this book in my library for reference.

this book is an amazing reference book. great for any paramedic or medical person. the diagrams are well written and the step by step procedures for the skills are well put together.

This book is a must for those who are dedicated to the art fo prehospital care. Very good editorial standard, easy to read and understand both the basics as well the advanced aspects related to trauma support. Highly recommended.

I just finished taking the course this weekend and I love this book. I'm an EMT-B and its satisfying to finally have a book that is more in depth with regards to injury kinematics, assessments, conditions, and management. There isn't MUCH new that hasn't been covered in an EMT-B course, however, it explains why certain procedures must be done with regards to the physiology of the trauma injury.

I can understand why Paramedics see it as a refresher, but I guess its good for them to reinforce their foundation of knowledge. My belief is that it is too simplified for nurses and doctors, but I'm sure they take ATLS anyway ( as they should!).

The main focus of the book seems to teach the ability to do a rapid assessment and treatment and then "load and go" instead of "stay and play".

I have read a few different parenting books and Raising an Adult is the most insightful one by far. The print and layout make it easy to read but most importantly the book contains so many tools to help with day to day parenting. The approach of the author is counter intuitive, things that make so much sense once you read them, but you'd never think of them on your own. Included are great tools to foster open communication with your child and build up the way that the child thinks of himself as well as tools you can give your child how to deal with other children and the real world. This book is great no matter what age your child is. My children are 3 and 20 months and it is so amazing to see how much my 3 year old tells me once I have implemented the advice of this book. In addition, I have found that it helps keep me calm too.

This book was a pleasure to read and simple to implement.

A pleasure to read, because of the charming little pictures all
through out, the encouraging tone, and the fascinating and
insightful analysis of what is at the core of our children and their
behavior. The author refreshingly stresses the need to get to the
bottom of things-he talks about the difference between self-image
and self-esteem, the importance of getting to the root of a
problem, and the crucial need to give difficult children "skills,
not just pills."

And of course, he gives plenty of little and big parenting
techniques that any caring parent can put into practice.

Simple to implement because his suggestions are simple to follow
(not a ten-point plan!!!), and we saw immediate results. The
obvious, positive changes we saw makes it easy to endorse this book
full of practical wisdom.

What a book...what an inspiration...what a wonderful guide for all parents on the path to raising a confident, loving, inwardly peaceful and successful child. But how...there are so many books and advice on raising children...but this is THE ONLY book you will ever need. Mr. Brenner not only shows how to handle the daily problems that arise, but he shows us HOW to PREPARE our children not only for life, but for LIVING. The warmth, compassion and strength of his knowledge comes through on every page. Each page is an empowering toolbox to draw from and feel confident in applying. Just as important Mark guides the parents in how to change our reactions so our children react in a positive way. His 4 tools...are empowering knowledge. Life is what we gave our children, direction and confident guidance for their life is what Mark has provided for us. No matter what the age of your children this is a MUST read....Thank you Mark...you have provided more guidance for life to our family than you will ever know!!!

A wonderful book that provides a path for parents to be the loving, supportive and effetive parents that we want to be. It is easy to read about concepts and agree with them - Mark's book gives us the words that we need to use to start being that loving, efffective parent. I can't tell you how great it felt when my son observed to me "Hey Mommy, we aren't having our fights anymore!"

Written by licensed marriage and family therapist Mark L. Brenner, Raising an Adult: The 4 Critical Habits to Prepare Your Child for Life! is a solid guide for parents to helping children grow up psychologically well-adjusted. The four important critical habits to ingrain while parenting are learning to acknowledge the moment, speak with respect, enforce limits, and show an unrelenting and deep belief in one's child. Additional chapters cover common motivations for misbehavior, how to change a negative self-image, an overview of social development concerns, how to break negative parenting habits and shift one's mindset, and much more. "When disturbing and angry outbursts occur, and when it is practical, remove the child from the situation immediately and calmly. It is difficult to calm a child down in front of strangers or other family members. This only embarrasses and humiliates the child, and upsets your other children as well." Highly recommended for parents everywhere.

This is the most confusing and hard to read textbook I have ever used. We used this book during our paramedic class and even the instructors hate it. If it was not the only book the state would allow us to use we would not have use it.

This book takes you step by step through the art of reading rhythm strips. In addition to the great tutorials, there are also many practice strips in the book and also on a CD-rom that comes with the book. I highly recommend the book to anyone who needs to read rhythm strips.

Easy to read and understand. Didn't like the CD that came with it, found it difficult to use the calipers, but the book definately helped me ace my test!

The information the book puts across is good.There are a couple of issues with the rythms which have to be reviewed. It is certainly a book worth having.

This book gives many practice examples. It is perfect for a person new to ECG rhythm recognition.

After completing this book, I recommend Huzar's Basic Dysrhythmias: Interpretation and Management - Text and Pocket Reference Package (Revised Reprint). It reviews the basics, but goes much faster (with fewer practice strips) -- but more importantly it goes into much more depth. It also delves into 12-lead interpretation much more than other similarly titled books.

I was hoping that the info would be new enough to have the current CPR/ACLS technique...but most of the info is still good.

It is very useful for nurses as it is small and light in keeping in the pocket. it contain almost all what the nurse need to review in their duty time.it is very helpful as a quick refernce in busy time.

Great handy little reference book. I work in an ED and the quick reference is nice to turn to

Lots of great references - everything from heart rhythms to drugs. I work in the ER and like having the handy reference in my pocket!

This book is a MUST for all ER nurses, it is so helpful and a great quick reference.