Critical-Care Books

Females are really the stronger sex and most will experience caring for males who become ill. It is the financial and emotional information that is invaluable in this book. It is really unique and useful!

I strongly recommend this insightful guidebook for women whose men are seriously ill, whether the illness is temporary, chronic, or life-threatening. It is an all-encompassing resource that helps you deal with the overwhelming challenges, decisions, and responsibilities you may face. The compassionate advice and helpful tips cover every possible problem---from physical disabilities or troubling behavior changes, to navigating the medical establishment, holding the family together, keeping love alive, and even keeping financially afloat, while, at the same time, coping with your own needs. If you man gets sick, I think you will find amazing support in this empathetic book.

After learning that my husband has terminal lung cancer, I bought several books that I was hoping would help me cope with my world falling apart; this book was definitely the best of all of them! The book offers practical, no-nonsense advice, along with tremendous support and compassion. It is written in a way that almost seems to be a personal letter from the author. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is caring for a spouse or life partner during a very difficult time.

This well thought out book will help anyone who has a loved that is going through a tough time. I found myself saying "I know that" but for whatever reason I wasn't doing "that" to help myself or my husband. I highly recommend this book for anyone in this situation

I love this book. Several things resonated with me intensely. Firstly, I was able to take a mini-test in "When The Man You Love Is Ill" to learn my coping style (I am a feeler by the way), and ways to maximize the help I was able to give and to seek help for my husband based upon this style. The first part of this book spoke about how to effectively give care and seek assistance, as well as how to be a champion for your spouse's care (it really is for husbands, wives, and life partners).

The other brilliant thing about this book is the powerfulness of the second half and the notion of "Transformational Love". I'd never really heard of this term. But it explores the idea of how a spouse's disability or illness can forge a deeper bond never explored in complete "health". Some couples never are able to feel this kind of love and the book explores why and its very very interesting.

I also loved the notion of self-care. I am no good to anyone, if I can't sleep or if I am overwhelmed with grief and anxiety. I learned the things that I can do to take care of me and maintain my own health.
Buy this book today.

Linda Ingalls takes you through, what for most of us, are the most mysterious aspects of life--what to do when you and your loved ones are faced with critical health issues. Her description of what it is like when someone is put on a respirator was absolutely eye-opening. Yes, it is a bit frightening, but more importantly, Linda's empathy and knowledge of how patients are treated during these trying times, is actually very comforting. This is truly a book about "everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask." An absolute MUST if you are dealing with these life and death crises.

Even though the author is our daughter, and the one who will have to deal with our doctors, the book was most helpful to us in determining what type of "Code" we want her to give in case it is needed. In dealing with our blended families, emotions and finances were our primary concerns. This book helped us make that decision.

I have already recommended this book to many of my friends and in turn, I'm sure they will also do the same.

A friend recommended this book for me and I read it in one swoop. You really connect right away with the author and immediately trust the information given. Death and dying is such an emotionally hard thing to deal with in the first place, but if you can prepare and begin to accept it, this book will help you immensely, with honest, accurate information. I've lent it to others who cannot thank me enough. I highly recommend.

This is a "must read" for anyone either facing a complex or long hosiptal stay for themselves or a loved-one. It is also a detailed preparation for the eventualities that can occur while under ICU care. Ms. Ingalls has a deep understanding of the issues and first-hand knowledge of the ICU experience from all points of view from patient to medical personnel to care givers. Many books may touch on this topic but this is the first I have seen that covers this subject with such minute detail and candor.

This book answered every possible question we had when a family member was in the hospital Intensive Care Unit last year.
Nurse Ingalls' expertise in this area of hospital care is apparent throughout the book as she addressed each step of the many different processes that take place in the ICU. Family members are forced to make many decisions (some quick) in an ICU, and as a lay person , I didn't always feel equipped to make them. I sat in the hospital waiting room on day 2 of what would turn out to be 30+ days in the ICU, read Ingalls book (almost in its entirety), and was immediately better equipped to make decisions and better able to understand the roles of the machinery and hospital staff. It made a difficult ordeal manageable and alot less scary.

I would reccommend this book to anyone dealing with sudden ICU situations and also to anyone writing their living will.
Every hospital CCU or ICU waiting room should have a copy.

I have been a NICU nurse for 10 years. I find this book to be up to date, accurate and very thorough. It is a great reference book for anyone who works in neonatal medicine.

Up to date, with rationales, for the reason one answer is correct or not correct. Very organized.

I had originally planned on reading the Core Curriculum text, but then realized that wasn't going to happen. Instead, I just did the review questions in this book. It is divided by topic and gives rationales for all the answers in the book. I went through the book once and passed my NICU RNC exam on my first try.

This book was a great help to pass the CCRN, it gives questions and rationals in all sections of the test. It is also good if you just want to brush up on neonatal nursing knowledge. A great accompany to this book is the Core Curriculum for Neonatal Nursing, these two books together have everything you need to know to pass the CCRN and increase your knowledge in neonatal nursing.

This book is like sooo good. I love it!! It rox. I mean who knew that medical stuff was soo interesting. I,mean, i like ER and all and this book really put that into perspective for me. READ IT! I LIKE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

This book was spectacular! I learned so much! I had to read a book on "Critical Care" and chose this one. It was an excellent choice; i got an A+ and now my teacher and her husband are both reading this informative book! Good job DAD!!!:)

This text was designed to be a review manual for the critical care boards. It does an overall excellent job and succeeds in its mission superbly. It should be noted that this text does not replace standard texts of critical care medicine but can easily act as an additional supplement to them.
It may be a little too advanced for medical students but I will highly recommend it for my interns and seniors doing their critical care rotations. It can easily be read during the month rotation and brings out the essential key points that they should be learning.

As a fourth year medical student, I found this book to be a great reference during my ICU rotations. That being said, this book should not replace "The ICU book" as a standard operating manual. This book contains much more Information than the ICU book, but is better left for reading at night after you have finished your day.
For example, the Chapter on Mechanical Ventilation, is a terrific, very thorough explanation of Vents and vent management, but is very detailed. A little more detailed than a medical student needs. This book will serve me very well during residency.
This along with "The ICU book" are must haves for your Critical Care library.

This is a really nice handbook. It is great to have in a lab coat pocket or bag so that you don't get stuck somewhere with nothing to read. Obviously, this is not a reference text. Easy to read and loaded with high yield information.

Book came in perfect condition. Exactly as described. Quick shipment. Would buy from this seller again.

A very nice companion to Barash's 2nd Edition "Big Book". A nice OR quick reference/primer. Also very helpful as a quick summary/review after reading a chapter in the big book.

I bought baby Barash and I loved it. It is the best first book you can have, and you can always bring it with you and have it ready. It is easy to find what you need. The information is compacted but enough that you can have a pretty good idea of a particular topic. It is a lovely book!

This is an excellent resource for advanced hemodynamic monitoring. I recommend for any ICU / critical care RN. I am in nurse anesthesia school and I was supposed to be familiar with this before I got here. It's very comprehensive, not too difficult to understand, but not "PA catheters for Dummies" either. I will refer to this book often.

This book is great. It covers the basics and helps the reader to understand how to analyze this information.

This book has been invaluable in explaining ALL the different parts of hemodynamics and the interplay between the characters (presure, flow, etc). I credit this book for helping me pass the CCRN. It will help you analyze waveforms and predict outcomes to attain the best clinical outcome for your patients. Truly a wonderful investment.

I currently work in a Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care setting, and have found this book to be among the best hemodynamic texts available. Its comprehensive presentation of anatomy, technology, and pathophysiology in relation to hemodynamics is arranged very intelligently. What I enjoyed most about this book though was its readability. The language is straightforth and simple without losing any of its meaning, which has lent to its popularity among nursing students performing clinical rotations in the unit. Friends of mine who have borrowed this book invariably purchase their own copy afterwards. It is that good! I reccomend this book to anyone in a field where hemodynamics hold importance.

I'm very pleased with the content and breath of information contained in the text. In my job as clinical nurse educator for perianesthesia nurses, I have added chapters to new employee orientation as a requirement to meet clinical comptency. The new addition is up-to-date with current practice and, as always, emphasizes the critical care aspects of PACU nursing. Chapters on care of specific surgical procedures is very helpful for new nurses, as well as a great review for seasoned veterans. Anyone who works in perianesthesia, in hositals or ambulatory surgery centers, would greatly benefit from having a copy of this book and having it as a ready reference. I highly recommend using this book while studying for the CPAN or CAPA certification exam.

This book should be a resouce in every PACU across the USA. It is helpful for preparation for the CPAN exam and as a refresher. I would recommend this book.

This book is a great asset to any PACU nurse. For both new PACU nurses as well as more experienced PACU nurses, this book is an excellent reference. It covers all the systems as well as many of the drugs our patients receive intraop as well as post op. My colleagues agree, and I have ordered this book for some of them as well!!

Starts with a review of body systems and moves on to the different types of anesthesia and the meds used. As a new PACU nurse, it was just what I needed to get started

I am so suprised to see how well the information is dispayed, and the ease of use. This is a definite must-have in the hospital setting. I will share this w/many friends! Thank you Amazon!!

I hate to admit that as an E.R. Doctor I never go to work without this book in my scrub shirt pocket; a book written by a nurse. But, William Porter has done an outstanding job of placing so much vital information in a ready reference that I cannot see myself ever working the E.R. without it close at hand. I have a lot of medical students that rotate through my E.R. and I recommend this book to each of them. Thanks Bill Porter!

The size is perfect to carry in a pocket to insure that you always have pertinent critical care and emergency resources at your fingertips. The content is both concise and all encompassing, a true handbook that spans all age groups and most illnesses/injuries. I wore out the last edition and this one is even better. Worth every penny!

This is a very good reference for EMS providers. The information provided in it is easy to use and understand. The only problem I have had with the book is that it does not hold up very well. The pages are paper instead of laminate like that used for the EMS Field Guides.

When I leant this to our first grader's teacher I expected a little hesitance, a little procrastination. But instead I was greeted with a request to keep the book longer so she could make more notes. I've now purchased two more copies of the book to share with family and others and would highly recommend this as a resource for anyone coping with the devastating diagnosis of FASD. Extremely highly recommended.

For anyone raising a child with FASD this is the book for you! It is full of information and ways to use them. Down to earth ideas that are useful and easy to do. Great book! We even purchased one to donate to the local Library. Signed Fasdaware

As the adoptive mother of a child with FASD I have read many books on this subject looking for guidance. This is the best book I have found. First it describes the behaviors my daughter has and then gives us clearly explained ways to help us learn to manage them as well as train our daughter how to manage them. There is help for every stage of their childhood as well as help for the classroom teacher. It doesn't sugar coat the issues and say it will be easy but gives you practical ways to manage these difficult issues. I was relieved to learn my stress and exhaustion are typical for mom's who deal with this and that there is hope. This book has been an answer to my prayers!

THIS BOOK WAS VERY INFORMATIVE GUIDEBOOK TO READ AND OWN FOR LATER USE WHEN DEALING WITH AN ADOPTED CHILD WHO HAS FETAL ALCOHOL EFFECTS AND WE ARE DEALING WITH SEVERE EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIORIAL AND LEARNNG DISABILITES.

For all the information packed into this book, it reads like a rich and compelling narrative rather than a stuffy textbook. Care plans for three critically ill patients are debated by a diverse panel of experts from around the globe. The debate is lively and energetic, engaging and candid. Geared for anyone with an interest in healthcare, it goes beyond clinical medicine to consider ethics, the law, and the three individuals behind the Three Patients.

An interesting book, probably unique in its kind. Dr Crippen is an intensive care specialist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who in 1996 started an international internet discussion group (CCM-L) to deal with many issues involving critically ill patients. More than 1,000 members have enrolled. This is exceptional in the sense that for the first time health care professionals and providers from all over the world were able to interact and exchange information and opinions in such a direct, facile, almost immediate way.

A fundamental problem - As the population ages and life may be "artificially" extended with the use of sophisticated and often expensive technical support, ICU availability and costs have become an issue of growing public importance and concern. Dr Crippen created three hypothetical patients and asked critical care providers from all over the globe to offer their comments on their management. The result is this remarkable book which is surprisingly easy to read despite the use of specialized terminology. Different perspectives based on different cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds emerge as the reader proceeds. A physician from South Africa describes the huge demand for ICU beds and the limited availability. Physicians from India and Russia underline the importance of the patient's social and financial status and what impact this may have on future decisions related to hers/his critical care. A physician from the Netherlands describes the universal coverage health system available in his country and how the decision for further care rests primarily on the physician's medical judgment. A physician from Israel tries to achieve a balance between religious constraints and futile care. And at the end of the book, non-physician critical care providers contribute with vivid descriptions of pertinent cases and with their perception of futility. Among them, a hospital chaplain describes how she helps her patients deal with the fear of the incoming inevitable death by bringing them closer to a picture of a God who is love, mercy and compassion instead of fear, punishment and revenge.

It is evident throughout the book that one of the major issues shaping critical care costs and distribution in the USA is unlimited patient autonomy and overzealous litigation. Increased physician mistrust on behalf of the patients is stated as a major cause of this phenomenon. Whereas many physicians outside USA would assume a role conceived as paternalistic for the USA standards, patients in the USA are often offered a menu of available option regarding their future critical care treatment ("Mr. Jones, in case your breathing worsens do you want us to proceed with mechanical ventilation? In the event your heart stops, do you want us to start chest compressions?" and so on... )

Under the editing of Dr's Crippen, Kilcullen and Kelly a balance and an answer is sought. It is not an easy task but the team involved is one of the best international teams available. I highly recommend this book. It underlines once again the concept that a good question is often more important than the answer.

From Dr. Hoyt's chapter "Globalization of Critical Care"
"There is only one way to explain the birth of this book. That is CCM-L..., an electronic bulletin board that is devoted to critical care medicine), and Dr. David Crippen, one of the book's editors. An avowed nonconformist and refugee from the 1960's, Dr. Crippen has connected intensive care unit (ICU) physicians from around the world by means of the Internet. He has singlehandedly, without commercial sponsorship, woven a network of international intensivists. Nothing like this has ever occurred before. All readers of this book are being treated to a unique experience."

I might add a historical irony. One of Dr. Crippen's ancestors was Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen. This man was the first criminal to be arrested in 1910 via the use of wireless technology. The earlier Dr. Crippen had murdered and disposed of his wife, then sought escape by going on an ocean liner with his mistress (disguised as his 12 yr. old son). The Captain grew suspicious (he saw the "father and son" holding hands and appearing amorous) and wired back to shore. This then led to a spectacular arrest as a member of Scotland Yard traveled on a faster ship and arrived in time to board and arrest Dr. Hawley Crippen. The papers at the time had a field day and this case was part of the "inspiration" for the Alfred Hitchcock film "Rear Window" starring James Stewart, Gene Kelly, and Raymond Burr. Now at the turn of another century we have yet another Dr. Crippen again making history via the use of a new "wireless" technology-- the internet. And the issue of death is involved. But instead of the sensational and criminal death of one person, we have the issue of death and dying in ICU's all over the world.
The four issues interwoven and discussed throughout the book are 1) patient autonomy, 2) beneficence (providing benefit), 3) nonmaleficence (doing no harm), and 4) distributive justice. Does patient autonomy imply not only the right to refuse treatment, but also to insist upon whatever aggressive therapies they may desire (and may have looked up on the internet)? Could we provide more benefit by trying to ease suffering during the end of life as opposed to prolonging life by a matter of days to weeks? To what extent do patients, on the surface appearing calm and sedated, actually suffer as we apply futile resuscitation efforts in their last days? If we are to formally apply some legal formula for the just distribution of critical care resources, is this a decision best left for medical professionals? Or is it a political and ethical decision for the public at large? Those looking for easy and short answers to these questions will be disappointed with this book. Many of the chapter's authors take divergent viewpoints.
What I found interesting was how several authors pointed to a historical trend in the USA. In the old fee-for-service era, when all provided technology and service was very lucractively billed, it was the families whom were going to court to have futile life support terminated. Now, in the new era DRG's, capitation & shrinking reimbursement, it is the hospitals and MD's whom are seeking to legally no longer provide futile care. This seems to imply that there has always been an economic foundation as to the determination of what constitutes "futile care". If we are discussing the compassionate and just application of medical technology and service then "futile care" may be seen as one thing. If we are talking about the provision of billable medical services then "futile care" may be seen as quite something else.
If this book has any one failing in my opinion it is that the issue of Palliative Care isn't addressed adequately. I feel this issue warranted a full chapter at least. While "palliative care" was mentioned in passing by several contributors, a more in depth look at the international differences would have been quite revealing. In many countries Palliative Care is it's own specialty. "Doing everything" is usually meant to do everything in regards to prolonging life, not doing everything to ensure a good death-per many of our default biases. Indeed a recent SCCM pamphlet I received in the mail, titled "ICU, Issues and Answers" and meant for family members of ICU patients, answers the question ""What is meant by `doing everything' with the following.
"'Doing everything' implies tht any and all appropriate therapies will be utilized in order to preserve life." The pamphlet goes on to describe how MD's aren't required to offer therapies that would be medically ineffective. But what if we expanded our definition of "doing everything" to include effective and compassionate end of life care. That care may not be "critical" in the technological sense, but certainly it is "intensive" from the standpoint of patient need and clinician time, energy, and professionalism.

One chapter is by an RT and is titled "Advanced Medical Technology and End of Life, A Respiratory Care Practitioner's Perspective by David Walker, MA RRT. Mr. Walker eloquently describes a "day in the life" of a Respiratory Therapist.
Another chapter is titled "End of Life Care in the Intensive Care Unit" by Gabriele Ford CCRN. Ms Ford paints a rather disturbing picture of what it is like to oversee the provision of futile care.

This is one of the most interesting and riveting books I've read in a while. It is a book which deserves to be both read over again as well as passed around. No ready-made solutions pop out of the book, but I assure you that your cerebral matter will be quite stimulated.

For all the information packed into this book, it reads like a rich and compelling narrative rather than a stuffy textbook. Care plans for three critically ill patients are debated by a diverse panel of experts from around the globe. The debate is lively and energetic, engaging and candid. Geared for anyone with an interest in healthcare, it goes beyond clinical medicine to consider ethics, the law, and the three individuals behind the Three Patients.