Critical-Care Books

This is a must-have for every psychiatry resident. The information is adequate and compact. Its a great book to survive the on-calls.

It is not the book that is expected, this book is only for residents/psychiatrists/doctors. It is not a book for an average "Joe" to have it misleads the reader and can cause problems with your doctor. Again, this is a book that will cause more problems in ones therapy.

This has been the staple and the go to for all areas of my practice. Will buy each new publication. Loaded with info in a pocket size format. Greaaaattttt!

Have worked in psych for 16 years and find this book an easy read and quick reference for many of the psych meds used...It is always in my pocket.

The book helped me understand the medication that is prescribed for my foster children. I am able to talk to the doctor about the meds and I can look up what drug is used for what disorder. Also what the side effects are and what the behaviors to look for while they are on the meds. Great reference if you are working with people who are on medication for mental disorders.

As a critical nurse, I can definately relate to the stories portrayed in this book. I understand all too well the frustration with short staffing, ways of cutting money at the expense of patients and the burnout nurses come to experience. But, I can also relate to the relationships developed between nurses, patients and families. It is almost impossible to become connected in some way. There are some patients and families you just do not forget. One thing that sticks out is how well Ms. Shalof points out the lack of appreciation nurses receive by the MD's as well as administration and sometimes the general public. Doctor's are always given the praise when a patient is healed, nurses are praised for their attitude. However, it is the nurse who actually has the job of providing the care that heals patients, as Ms. Shalof has shown. I also found great humor in some of the stories and found myself laughing out loud! Overall, I feel Ms. Shalof has done an excellent job at portraying life as a critical care nurse. I will definately be telling my friends about this book!

This is a very insightful look into the life of a nurse. It provokes discussion about dignity vs. technology and what people really expect of hospitals and medicine.

As a nurse, I have some understanding of this nurse's concerns and tribulations because I share them. To someone who is not a nurse, or who doesn't work with critically ill patients, this book may have a lot of informational value - however, being familiar with the setting, I found it more repetitive than anything else. I think I was hoping to gain more positive insights and to be introduced to some kind of unique perspective. For me, the book fell short.

I'm 7mo into my nursing career in a Pediatric Cardiac ICU. I'm at the point where the "honeymoon" is over. The charge nurse is giving me more difficult assignments and the senior nurses are expecting more from me. Most days its great, its nice knowing that the senior staff has the confidence in you to assign challenging pts. Other days... well its nice to read a book reminding you that this is our profession and even with the bad days, its wonderful. I loved this book, couldn't put it down. Several times when reading I just had to laugh out loud and say, "I've done that." or "I've felt that way."
After reading it, I bought six more copies and gave them away as gifts to some co-workers. Do yourself the favor and read this book...

If you want to know what it's like to be a nurse in the ICU, this book is a MUST read!! As an RN in the States with 23 years experience in the ICU, this could have been my story too! I always imagined writing a book about my experience, now I don't have to! Thank You Tilda!! You are my Hero!

It's grueling work caring for victims who wind up in a burn unit: work author Barbara Ravage examines as she follows the Mass General health team working in the hospital's burn unit. Here are touching stories of victims severely burned, medical teams which care for them through a difficult recovery process, and insights into the latest advances in rehabilitation and treatment. The many case histories personalize the entire experience.

I'll start out here by saying that I am a medical non-fic junkie. I have read just about every medical narrative non-fiction book to come out in the last five years, and I am simply intrigued with the behind the scenes look at what goes on in hospitals and in the minds of doctors and nurses. I was in the hospital a lot as a teen and I think that is where my interest started.

So I am not coming from a place of particular interest in burns, more from a general medical interest standpoint. If you are specifically interested in learning about what goes on in a burn unit or what goes on in a patient's body after they are burned, then this is an amazing book. It is very informative. The author talks about historical fires and how they contributed to medical knowledge about burns, the physiological changes that occur in a human's body after becoming burned, and the medical treatment. She also personalizes the burn unit by showing actual people who suffered a burn and showing their progress.

But for me, coming from the perspective of wanting a thrilling and informative non-fiction read about the medical field (like Hot Lights, Cold Steel by Collins), this didn't fit the bill. The historical and informative parts that told us about advances in the burn field and what happens physiologically were too dry to hold my attention without having any specific reason to learn about them, and the people she profiled didn't capture my heart and interest.

So, if you are looking for a general interest read that will capture your attention even with no particular interest in the field, look elsewhere, but if you have experiences with burns or are a doctor, then this is a really interesting and informative read. It is gory in parts, so be warned.

This book is exceptional. It goes into details and explains what happens to the burn victim's body and why it happens. I would recommend this book to medical students...but is also a good read to those not in the medical field. It has a story like flow and is presented in a very interesting way that captures your attention.

Before reading this,I knew very little about burns and burn care, other than they were messy, smelly, painful and left terrible scars. This book covers the burn treatment floor, Bigelow 13, at Mass General, one of the best burn units in the country. Very informative, if a little boring in places. At times, the author goes into long biological speeches about layers of skin and how they regrow and blah blah blah blah blah . It can read like a high school anatomy book- not exactly something that captures one's attention for long periods of time. But the rest of it- the explanation of procedures, case histories and daily routines of a burn unit- was fascinating.

Recommended, but get some coffee for the slow parts, and DO NOT eat while reading this book.

On August 3, my wife was burned in central Anatolia. On August 15, we med-vaced her to the United States. On September 1, I bought this book. On September 20, I received the book. I was so rapt by the writing that I finished this book in two days. Understand, my wife was in the hospital at the time. Reading was not a priority. I visited my wife daily while I ran a family and my own business.

Sometimes a writer's capabilities can so overwhelm the topic. A good writer can make the worst topics readable. Burns, sores, sepsis, pain, and scars are what I neither care to read about nor wish others to read about. The sterile black ink on the white pages cannot deliver the sensations to you of the stench associated with the dead skin, nor show you the grotesque complexity of the red and yellow skin which bleeds easily and often.

I no more would ask a person to experience what my family has lived the past few months, than I would ask them to clean my plumbing. Burns are a horrible topic which Ms. Ravage has managed to make less horrible.

I used this book for something more than enjoyment. The doctors' mouths, often as clasped as the arteries of their surgical patients, tell little to the patients' family, and when they speak, the language is too often cliched with inexplicables and nondeterminatives. This book answered questions, told me what to look forward to, and outlined what to anticipate. This was my "Burn Patients' Questions for Dummies." But, written well.

I cringed. I cried. I swallowed hard. And, at times, I had to leave the book. The writng and insight were as razor sharp as the scalpels discussed and referenced in the portion discussing grafting.

Good work Ms. Ravage! You helped a great deal. I can only tell others in my predicament, read this book. And, after you read the book, you will feel better about what there is looming in the slowly progressing and little discussed world of burns.

This is a great book that makes it easy for the reader to understand the heart, phyisiology of cardic system, ecg reading. Great for students, nurses.

I had to cram for my ACLS class and had very little time with the AHA book but needed remediation. This was the book that made it easy to pass the course. It makes sense and was well organized that made learing a step by step approach.

This book is very informative. I learned a lot from and you can keep picking it up and reviewing small or large segments without getting lost.Good for getting little hints on how to remember drugs or anatomy or waves that go together.

I honestly can't figure out why this book was written. It does not teach you how to "interpret" ECG's. All it does is present you with rhythms and then tell you what the interpretation is. It doesn't actually teach you HOW to interpret. After every paragraph, I would be left with the question in my head, "But...WHY?" They don't ever explain how the pathology results in what you see on the EKG paper. This book might be good for someone not actually responsible for interpreting EKG's, but just needs to rotely memorize some common rhythms...

I first purchased the 2nd Edition eight years ago, and when I was asked to teach a Basic Dysrhythmia Course at work, I found out that there was a 4th Edition. I just had to get this edition, the pictures and information in the book is basic enough for license staff and future telementary techs. No one gets lost reading this book, and it supplements what I am teaching.
Thank you for the 4th Edition.
Denise

I am one of those people who sometimes quickly forget what I read if I deem the subject difficult or intimidating. Often I have to get more than one reference, but this is one of the better books on learning basic EKGs. Lots of practice strips, flash cards, and thorough explanations. Once I learned the KEY differences of certain rhythms to simplify recognition then read the WHY OR HOW it happens, it made learnng EKGs so much easier, at least it did for me. I used to have such a mental block with learning EKGs because it looked like a foreign language, and involves a human life; it made me paranoid. I took a couple of home study classes in the past (just to conquer learning it, for my personal enrichment), but this book along with a formal class helped to prepare me for ACLS (for continuing education only). I am proud I finally learned the concepts to put it all together. I do not practice in acute care, but I am proud I understand a lot more thanks to this book. Now, if only I can find a really good book on algebra then I will feel like a genius!! ;-) I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BE THE ONLY BOOK NEEDED TO LEARN EKG INTERPRETATION.

Good review of the topic and the practice tests were a great way to sharpen rhythm interpretations skills.

This was a textbook for my nursing classes. It had good information and was very helpful in being able to read ECG's for the new practitioner.

This was required for my adult health class, and even though I didn't use it much I found it to be informative.

The course I took did not follow the book, but I think this is pretty helpful, especially the perforated flash cards included in the back. From an ICU nurse.

No problems in shipment. The book is full of useful information but it is on the dry side and hard to read without frequent breaks.

Nicely organized with invaluable information. Specially designed for the critical care nurse. Focuses on Nursing Management, unlike others, which focus on medical management. Excellent Book. I highly recommend!

My son needed this book for one of his nursing courses. Must be okay...haven't had any complaints from him.

One of the best purchases I have made! It is very well written and easy to follow. I will keep this book for as long as I nurse.

I love this book becasue it give you a basic A/P review and the pathophysiology is explained well. The disease process are also we explained and I plan to keep and use this book for a long time.

This book is great for the Neonatal Core review and testing for the RNC or CCRN...Many study questions that are purchased on line are answered directly from this book. It is a "must have" for anyone preparing for the certification exam in Neonatal Intensive Care. If you are a nurse in the NICU...you should be versed in most, if not all, of the principles in this book. Even though you might not be inserting a central UVC, UAC, PICC or even doing an LP yourself, you should be able to assist with these procedures. Any physician or NNP would appreciate a skilled nurse. The book is easy to understand and is in most NICU's for reference. A home copy is wonderful to have.

Having been in adult nursing for a few years and later changing my career path towards pediatrics... this was the first book I purchased in preparation for the NICU. It contains excellent material for either learning or brushing up on your neonatal education. Matter of fact, this exact book is used as a reference book in the NICU where I work. =)

This book is too difficult to understand. The book says it is a resource for nurses but it talks about how to insert a central catheter and calculating fluid/electrolyte/glucose rquirements which I will not use. It is full of complex formulas and charts that take up entire pages. It is also full of hundreds of statistics that are boring and a waste of my time to read. I was looking for something that starts out more basic and is easier to read. This book is more geared towards physicians or experienced nurses but not new grads starting out in the NICU like myself. Someone reading this book will need an introduction to basic neonatology before they can understand this book.

Excellent book for seasoned nurses to have as a reference or for a new nurse just starting in the neonatal unit. Comprehensive, well organized, easy to read and understand; photos, diagrams very helpful. Well worth the investment!
Chris Divens RN MSN

This book is excellent, very well written, easy to understand. I highly reccomend it!!

I needed this text in order to get my nurse two!! It is simple to understand and helps you remember whhat you need !!

I have been a nurse for 18 years- recently going back to work in a phone triage position, I got this book to help me catch the things I wouldn't normally think of. So far I really haven't needed it. It seems more for the newer nurse.

Very well laid out and easy to use.

After reviewing many book I find Telephone Triage Protocols for Nurses the best one out on the market. My team agrees.

This is the protocol book that has been approved by our physicians. We use every day for phone triage at a very busy college health center. The nuses find it very easy to use and the content is excellent.
I highly recommend it for any medical clinic that performs any type telephone triage.

Our busy office found this book an excellent resource. We hardly had to change the protocols much at all, only to update a few to reflect some changes in medications we use. The author has taken great pain to design a resource that saved us a great deal of time....I had started to do some of these for our office by myself BEFORE I came across this book and am embarrassed to admit the few protocols I managed to plod through were amateurish indeed compared to Ms. Briggs's work herein. Our office is a busy internal medicine practice with a heavy dose of geriatrics and we give this a "strong buy!"

On a dollar for dollar basis this is the best ER text for practical use IN THE DEPARTMENT during a busy ER shift. The layout of the book, 1 diagnosis per 2 pages (every diagnosis fits nicely on the left and right hand pages of the opened text). It quickly highlights the presentation of illness with signs and symptoms, the necessary workup (labs, x-rays, additional studies) and recommended dispositions (admit vs discharge). It WILL NOT give you an in depth discussion of the disease process, you must make the diagnosis, but it rapidly allows you to get your essential workup started.

Great for reviewing most everything you'll come across in the ER. If you need to brush up on certain topics while working quick and to the point.

This is a crucial tool when you're on a busy shift in the ED. It's a practical reference, not a study guide. A patient comes in with radiation keratitis. Do you use steroid drops? Beats me. Thats when I go to this baby. This is my most used reference. Very well organized and easy to use.

Its an okay book with decent tips and information but its really too brief and should not be relied on solely for information. Its a great book for medical students and starting interns and physician extenders.

good quick reference book. layout is open and easy to read but lacking the details. needs to read up more like uptodate or emedicine. if you have a PDA, getting the pda version would be nicer than the book version as it is too big & heavy.

This is an exceptionally well-produced and well-organized book which oozes quality and is a joy to read. If you need a reference or a bearing for understanding what youth sports is all about and what it should do to encourage and develop your child, this is it. If you are looking for one book to cover it all, provide insight, and suggest ways to make the sports experience positive, this is the book you need. If you have been stunned by the neanderthal tactics of your team's coach or wonder what is wrong with the youth sports picture in the US, also buy a copy of "Just Let the Kids Play" by Bigelow, Moroney and Hall.

Chapter after chapter we hear about how "winning at all cost," over-competitiveness and how kids specialize in a sport way too soon (before high school varsity level), the author goes against every piece of advice she's given. She admits that when her young sons were faced with a soccer league that was competitive and *gasp* co-ed, instead of allowing them to play, she started her own league! What? It took away the credibility of the entire book. I just can't listen to "do as I say, not as I do."

(Note: this review was based on an uncorrected publishers' proof.)

I heard author De Lench talking on NPR national radio last week about this book and all of the work she has done (is doing) with preventing catastrophic injuries and death of kids in youth sports. I had no idea what I was in store for when I read the book. In fact her advice may just save my kids lives. And, the chapter on Preventing Child Abuse in youth sports is another must read. Again, I now know that the hollering that one coach does to my 6 year old and his team mates is downright abuse. Better yet, I know (from her lessons) how to advocate for my kids to keep them emotionally safe and physically sound. I found her chapter on how to start a new team to be FABULOUS! Bravo-De Lench-You go girl! Kids were being excluded so she rallied her parent pals and started their own all-inclusive group with rules that we all would die for--no bad mouthing eachother, open dialog with the coaches, all kids play the same amount of time (coaches kids included), etc.

The chapter on Politics is a must read! And, the one on parenting/coaching girls and theother on how to parent boy athletes is very interesting.

The only folks who won't love this book are the bad coaches who are nervous that we all will become so well educated that they may lose their coaching jobs.

This book is a "must read" for any parent whose child is involved in youth sports at any level. It is really like a survival guide and was full of some great advice and ideas that made alot of sense. It makes life easier too when you know that you are not alone in a particular situation, as there obviously needs to be some serious reform in high school sports in my opinion. Ms. de Lench deserves alot of praise for tackling this difficult issue head on and gives many of us parents out there a much needed voice!!

I am raising five sports active kids and was intrigued enough to suggest and select Home Team Advantage as my book clubs (five fellow female attorneys) November read. Between us we have 21 children ages 6-19, who have been or for the most part are, in sports programs. We are each litigators practicing outside of Philly.

I speak for the group: If you are a mother or a father and you have children in sports you really ought to read this book. It may help save a kid's physical and emotional life if you do. We each agreed that the author is incredibly forward thinking in the way she synthesized her first hand in-the-trenches information, data and research to provide us with the big picture, especially with the chapters on politics, abuse, injury prevention and how to improve the culture of youth sports. Her depth of information and breadth of knowledge quite frankly is pretty brilliant and damn gutsy. We could not put the book down. Well written and ample interesting first hand stories. As a collective group we could relate to just about everything she wrote about. We talked for hours on each of her chapter topics. de Lench has the answers for all of our questions and concerns.

One negative; we each agreed that the phrase "hardwiring" (the new Politically Correct term for hormones) was used in place of hormones too often and gets a bit old. It did, however, inform us to the empirical data out there on the fact that boys in sports are very different than girls. Something we knew but could not confirm until reading this book.

Very enlightening read for anyone raising athletic children.