Critical-Care Books

It is a very well written and researched handbook with the latest facts regarding the art of conscious sedation. Although the field is constantly changing it is as current as possible.

Wow! No stones unturned here!! A comprehensive, authoritative resource ESSENTIAL to any medical personnel engaged in this practice. Have the words "Scope of Practice" crossed your mind? This book provides the most complete answers to a myraid of factors which influence conscious sedation. Thank you, Dr. Kost, for compiling the exhaustive, multi-facted reference manual that is so desperately needed to delineate the "grey" areas of practice and, most importantly, contribute to SAFE, positive patient outcomes. Conscious sedation is a continually evolving field that demands the practitioners stay on the frontier of education, technology, accountability, and expert practice. This book places the foundation on the table. You owe it to yourself, and to your patients, to master this manual.

Mr. Kost has provided a conscise review of all areas dealing with conscious sedation. Easy to read, clear and to the point. Any institution administering conscious sedation should have this book in their library. A MUST for nurses involved in any form of sedation.

This book seems ideal for both beginners and more advanced users as well. The manual covers all the accepted and emerging uses of ultrasound - not just FAST, echocardiography, and line placement, but optic nerve sheath diameter, foreign body localization, DVT identification, and more.

Each color-coded topic features multiple high-quality images of normal and abnormal views, and anatomical illustrations to demonstrate proper probe positioning. The writing is straightforward, and equally suitable for "on the job" referencing or reviewing at leisure. The chapters include troubleshooting and pitfalls sections loaded with helpful imaging tips, and lit review tables to guide researchers, over and above the extensive bibliography. I also appreciated the helpful sample clinical protocols, included to guide physicians' decision-making for starting therapy, calling consults, or considering other imaging methods.

Altogether, this concise manual is packed with information to guide physicians at all levels of training through the full range of ED ultrasonography. Emergency and Critical Care Ultrasound ought to be part of every department's library.

This is the best introductory text to emergency ultrasound that I've ever read. Like all introductory books, it starts with a brief, useful introduction to the physics of ultrasound concentrating on those aspects relevant to emergency applications. The book then moves to diagnostic and procedural uses of ultrasound in the ED. These sections go far beyond the traditional topics of the FAST exam and central line placement to include such varied applications as chest ultrasound, ocular US, foreign body removal, joint aspiration, lumbar puncture, etc. Further unlike other texts, this manual supports the text with quality anatomic diagrams along with sonographic images of both normal and abnormal examples. This method of demonstrating anatomy in conjunction with a normal sonographic image juxtaposed next to an abnormal image is extremely helpful and is sorely lacking in other books of this type. If you are looking for an excellent introduction to ED ultrasound, this is the book!

This is the ideal guide for emergency and ICU ultrasound. The reasons why I can highly recommend this book:
* Beautiful diagrams combined with actual ultrasound images
* Length is digestible by busy physicians, but includes all the crucial points on each modality
* Fantastic procedural section, which allows you to utilize ultrasound to increase the success rate and safety of your procedures the same day you read the chapter.
* Layout is easy to use and aesthetically pleasing.
* Includes up-to-date evidence for each technique.

This text is ideal for both beginners and intermediate ultrasound practitioners.

It's 2008 and I'm not aware of any new editions. I commend the combination of well structured, clinically relevant text with study questions. This version came out after I passed my first boards, and now it's time yet again. In my humble opinion questions really make learning more dynamic and immersive. I hope to see more projects along this direction.

Unfortunately the 2002 version is 6 years out, as of this writing. If you're studying for boards you may have to settle for ESAP.

Mark

Quite good in reviewing the basic pathophysiology of endocrine disorders.
This book is becoming the standard for fellows in endocrinology.

This textbook is very user friendly. I prefer this text over the William's textbook of Endocrinology. Very well organized with many good illustrations and tables. Has appendix of endocrine testing as well as common drugs used in endocrinology. Highly reccomended.

Although I am a paediatric cardiologist, I have never really understood paediatric heart sounds. I was born into the subject in 1980 with an ultrasound machine attached to my right wrist and could not wait to dispense with the guesswork that auscultation seemed to entail. Now I wear my stethoscope only for decoration or to add a touch of old fashioned authenticity for suspicious parents. The title of this publication seems quaint for the 1990s, at a time when technology has taken over from the stethoscope and a child with a complex heart malformation can be evaluated and surgically treated without the bell ever touching the chest.

Bereft of his portable echo machine, Lehrer has put together a package that is ideal for both undergraduates and postgraduates in paediatric training. The reasoning behind children's heart sounds and murmurs is laid out clearly and Lehrer is obviously a skilled, thoughtful, and experienced auscultator. I recommend especially the chapter on systolic murmurs to many of my consultant paediatric colleagues who remain unable to distinguish a classic innocent murmur from that of a ventricular septal defect. Many children arrive in our clinics having been referred for unnecessary echocardiograms. On several occasions I became concerned that the author had lost touch with modem terminology; endocardial cushion defects are not commonly described as such nowadays, being referred to as atrioventricular septal defects. Also, to talk of surgical pulmonary valvotomy, when the established treatment for pulmonary stenosis for nearly ten years has been a balloon valvuloplasty, seems strange. There is a brief, if slightly naive, overview of some major heart malformations, but this is perfectly suitable for undergraduates.

The tape provides good examples of the different types of heart sounds and murmurs found in children. I was surprised that one of the most common, that of pulmonary stenosis, was not included. However, familiarity with the limited nature of possible diagnoses should dispel the panic often felt by undergraduates and even, in some instances, postgraduates when asked to auscultate a child's heart.

LINDSEY ALLAN
Fetal Cardiology, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK

The Lancet 1992; 340:1147.

Reviews

UNDERSTANDING PEDIATRIC HEART SOUNDS By Steven Lehrer. 230 pp., illustrated, with accompanying audiocassette. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 1992. ISBN 0 7216 2387 5.

One of the joys of pediatric cardiology is the formulation of a clinical impression based only on the history and cardiovascular examination, perhaps supplemented by an electrocardiogram and a chest x-ray. For cost effectiveness and efficient use of resources, screening and referrals must be based on these cornerstones of clinical assessment. It is therefore timely and appropriate to reiterate the importance of bedside clinical evaluation. Lehrer's book emphasizes that auscultation is a diagnostic skill that still has great influence in the investigation of the pediatric patient thought to have heart disease.

Understanding Pediatric Heart Sounds is a well written, succinct book combined with a 20 minute audiotape. It contains 15 chapters, the first 3 of which concern anatomy and physiology, physical principles of auscultation, and an overview of the history and physical examination in pediatric cardiology. A brief chapter explains the methods of phonocardiography and external pulse recordings. The remaining chapters extensively detail the auscultation of normal heart sounds, abnormal cardiac sounds, and murmurs. The differential diagnosis of murmurs and the murmurs characteristic of both common and complex entities are presented. The relatively brief audiotape includes normal and abnormal heart sounds, as well as examples of murmurs common in young patients. For maximal clarity, the use of a stethoscope placed near the speaker is recommended when listening to the tape.

The major strengths of this book are its crisp, clear cut, and readable style and its thorough descriptions of auscultatory findings and of the mechanisms of cardiac sounds and murmurs. The integration of the text with ample, high quality illustrations allows the reader to proceed at a brisk pace. The reference list includes many classic works, and the index is comprehensive. On the audiotape, the reproductions of heart sounds are excellent. On the other hand, many of the murmurs are of only fair quality and are not always representative of clinical findings in young patients. However, having tried many times to simulate or present common murmurs in an audio format, I have great empathy for authors who try to reproduce them accurately. We live in an age of incredible electronic sophistication, but our ability to record or produce heart murmurs has lagged well behind our skill at other endeavors. Learning the art of auscultation requires accurate information, tutelage, and repetition. The reader-listener might be better served by paying more attention to the easy to follow text and the well produced heart sounds and less to the simulated heart murmurs.

Although the style is consistent, chapter 5 may be somewhat confusing to both novice examiners and experienced practitioners. It presents a revision of traditional areas of auscultation. Instead of referring to the well known mitral and tricuspid areas, the author uses a format that includes left and right ventricular and left and right atrial areas, as well as the traditional aortic and pulmonary areas. Although it has some potential benefit for enhancing communication, this format has the drawback of substantial overlap between these regions. Furthermore, the author states subsequently that the cardiac structures in congenital heart disease may be "displaced from their usual locations." Instead of a concentrated focus on specified areas of auscultation, a description of murmurs in relation to well-known landmarks, such as the mid left sternal border, the lateral second left interspace, and the suprasternal area, might be more effective. The technique of inching, moving the stethoscope in small increments over the entire anterior chest and also over the back, is described briefly, but it deserves emphasis. Also, the technique of dissection, which involves concentrating on one portion of the cardiac cycle or one heart sound to the exclusion of others, is often beneficial but is not discussed in the text.

A few minor omissions include the low pitch of innocent carotid bruits, the left lateral displacement of the aortic closure sound in congenitally corrected transposition of the great vessels, and the diffuse nature of continuous murmurs in patients with tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia and pulmonary blood flow derived from aortopulmonary collateral vessels. The narrow split of the second sound in patients with pulmonary hypertension is shown in a figure but is not mentioned in the text. In addition, the auscultatory variations of murmurs due to ventricular septal defects should have received more extensive review.

Despite these minor criticisms, I found Lehrer's work refreshing, concise, and a pleasure to read. The author's clear style makes the book, and at least a good portion of the audiotape, eminently suitable for students, house staff, and practitioners who wish to enhance their listening skills for pediatric cardiovascular examination. I wholeheartedly agree with the author that auscultation should not become a lost art.

J. PETER HARRIS, M.D. University of Rochester Medical Center

New England Journal of Medicine 1992; 327:741-742.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pediatric Heart Sounds

Understanding Pediatric Heart Sounds, by Steven Lehrer, 230 pp, with illus, and one audiocassette, paper. ISBN 0 7216 2387 5, Philadelphia, Pa, WB Saunders Co, 1992.

This 230 page soft cover book, by Steven Lehrer, MD, is a comprehensive review of the literature related to heart sounds. The author writes simply and clearly. The book is almost an abbreviated text of pediatric cardiology and could be titled "Pediatric Cardiovascular Assessment and Diagnosis." Much of the material has been previously covered in such books as Pediatric Cardiology for Practitioners, by M. K. Park, and two books by J. K. Perloff, The Clinical Recognition of Congenital Heart Disease and Physical Examination of the Heart and Circulation.

The figures and tables are almost exclusively reproduced with acknowledgment from previous publications. Although little new information is included, the manner in which the author presents the material is outstanding and goes much beyond the understanding of pediatric heart sounds. The references at the end of each chapter are extensive and excellent for the student who desires to pursue the subjects in great detail.

The chapter on heart murmurs will be particularly helpful for a better understanding of the origins of such sounds. As pointed out by the author, functional benign heart murmurs are common in children, yet perplexing for the practitioner to identify. Most care givers feel uncomfortable with any murmur that is grade 3 in intensity and will refer the child to a pediatric cardiologist for assessment.

The glossary is very beneficial, as is the chapter "Transcript for the Supplemental Tape." The tape should be most useful to the sincere student of auscultation. With the faster heart rates of younger children, the use of one's stethoscope under the tutored wisdom of an experienced pediatric cardiologist is indispensable!

The first three chapters of this book will be most helpful to all medical students. Family practice and pediatric residents and pediatric cardiology fellows will find the book full of good information in summary form. For the practicing care giver, the book will be an excellent reference text for refresher information.

Antoni M. Diehl, MD JAMA December 16, 1992 Vol 268, No.23, p 3380.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Understanding Pediatric Heart Sounds Steven Lehrer. Philadelphia: Saunders. 1992. Pp 230 + audio cassette. ISBN 0 7216 2387 5. Although I am a paediatric cardiologist, I have never really understood paediatric heart sounds. I was born into the subject in 1980 with an ultrasound machine attached to my right wrist and could not wait to dispense with the guesswork that auscultation seemed to entail. Now I wear my stethoscope only for decoration or to add a touch of old fashioned authenticity for suspicious parents. The title of this publication seems quaint for the 1990s, at a time when technology has taken over from the stethoscope and a child with a complex heart malformation can be evaluated and surgically treated without the bell ever touching the chest.

Bereft of his portable echo machine, Lehrer has put together a package that is ideal for both undergraduates and postgraduates in paediatric training. The reasoning behind children's heart sounds and murmurs is laid out clearly and Lehrer is obviously a skilled, thoughtful, and experienced auscultator. I recommend especially the chapter on systolic murmurs to many of my consultant paediatric colleagues who remain unable to distinguish a classic innocent murmur from that of a ventricular septal defect. Many children arrive in our clinics having been referred for unnecessary echocardiograms. On several

This package teaches how to examine the heart of a child, with a book and audio tape that reproduces heart sounds. The book reviews the anatomy and physiology of a child's heart as well as principles of sound, hearing, and the proper use of the stethoscope. It details methods for history taking, performing a physical examination, and auscultating the heart. "The author's clear style makes the book, and at least a good portion of the audiotape, eminently suitable for students, house staff, and practitioners who wish to enhance their listening skills for pediatric cardiovascular examination." New England Journal of Medicine

Wars are fought for a variety of reasons. The products of battle are never glorious and invariably involve suffering for a cause, or simply because soldiers are ordered into battle. This classic book shows the results of a war incited by delusion and maintained by hate. Far different from projectile wars, these wars are intended to maim and destroy by means that are beyond any civilized concept of combat. The ingenious measures taken in the operating rooms cannot be taught in lecture halls but must be experienced and perfected by trial and error in the face of life threatining injuries and must be planned so that the young victims of madness may have a hope of survival, even with limbs or organs missing. The only thing lacking is the metallic taint of blood or sweet smell of brain dashed from it's cradle..
This premier account does not gild any lillies or announce the freedom and liberty of Iraqis. Read it, or at least look at it to see how "modern" wars work.

The Authors and Editors of this book have really put together an outstanding piece of work that should not only be extremely useful to military and civilian trauma surgeons but will also stand alone as a document to the incredible work being done in the current conflicts. (Disclaimer: - although I am not a listed contributor, I did help take care of some of the patients listed in the book)

This is a great resource for surgeons (especially if it has been a while since they were immersed in trauma) to look over on the 14+ hour flight to Kuwait. While it cannot cover every single injury that may be faced downrange, it will certainly cover the majority of situations and definitely get the trauma mindset in gear. Other great reads on that flight include Top Knife: Art and Craft in Trauma Surgeryand Operative Trauma Management.

There was some minor controversy regarding the publishing of this book (mostly due to the photographs and some descriptions of the mechanism of the injuries) but I am glad the Army Surgeon General supported this book and that it is available. Time will only tell what long term medical and surgical advances will come from this war, but this book is an excellent start.

This book was produced by the Borden Institute which writes the Textbooks of Military Medicine for the Army Medical Department (AMEDD). It is a series of case studies from surgeons deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Each case presented begins with a narrative that describes how the wounded patient arrived and the care they received followed by teaching points from the surgeons who cared for the patients and then a section that describes best practices for surgeons who encounter similar situations including contemporary damage control techniques.

The foreward is written by Bob Woodruff who was critically injured in Iraq and who was evacuated to a military hospital in Iraq where he received life saving neurosurgery. In addition to describing his care he pointedly states, "it is our dream that the attention to the wounded remains as focused in the long journey to heal as it is in those white-hot moments in the surgical theater when nothing is spared to save a life."

The book is beautifully illustrated with over 450 color photographs. The pictures accompany the cases described and are dramatic but will be disturbing to some. Often, the pictures show the initial injuries and in some cases "after" pictures show the patients when they have recovered from their wounds. These photos were taken by the surgeons themselves at various stages of the patient's care.

Beyond its obvious usefulness in preparing surgeons for combat, the book also uniquley demonstrates what war surgery is, and the great work that medical personnel of the United States Armed Forces perform. It is in many ways the story of their war.

Braverman's grand work is almost the standard against which all other thyroid texts are compared. While not as comprehensive as the 6th edition, the eighth edition manages to cover the essentials of Thyroidology today. While some of the authors still seem to subscribe to the false god of TSH, instead of taking a good history and using good clinical acumen; this work does cover the state of Thyroidology as it exists today. Definitely an excellent reference for anyone working in the field, and a good place to begin a better understanding of the Thyroid.

This book is a classic in endocrinology. It has everything that an endocrinologist should know about the thyroid.

It provide excellent coverage of Thyroidology,It is a must for someone interested in or presently conducting research,or dealing with the thyroid patients.Though the cost of the book may be scary for some of the readrers.

This book is an excelent introductoin to the nursing process. She explains the how and why in a clear and concise manner. She shows how the nursing process can be applies to a variety of settings and situations, and also how to adapt it to the spacific needs of the patient.

Too many students are being taught approaches that are no longer relevant to practice. Alfaro-LeFevre knows how to grab your attention and let you know what you must know to succeed both in classroom and clinical settings. She discusses "old" versus "new" thinkng and gives sound strategies and rational for moving forward into this decade. As with her other book, Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment --- an AJN Book of the Year Award winner --- she makes difficult content easy (even fun) to learn. Her emphasis on ANA standards as they apply to using nursing process as a tool for critical thinking ensures a sound, logical, relevant approach.

This guide was invaluable to me in my preparation for the exam.The review questions mirrored the exam questions very closely.I would recommend this book to anyone preparing for the ACNP exam.

this book is very excellent and i am glad i made the decision to purchase it.

If you are doing peripheral nerve blocks with or without catheters you need this reference. Clear and concise with good illustrations and "pearls".

Great book with lots of ideas and clinical pearls.

A must-have for anyone interested in doing US-guided regional anesthesia.

Mark Ritter, CRNA

Quick and easy reference. Overall organization is by systems. The authors then set up each of these sections into chapters based on nice "clinical vignettes" or clinical "issues." Have purchased several for reference to have in both ICUs that I staff and one in my office for ICU residents and senior medical students to borrow for their rotations.

I found this book very helpful in my care of critically ill patients. The content is very readable and targets the key issues needed by a critical care provider be they a student, resident, fellow or attending. I highly recommend this book. Outstanding!