ISBN: 9781905539925

January 2016 • M&K Publishing • 416pp

EDITORS:

Ann Price, MA, MSc, BSc (Hons), PGCE, ENB 100, RN, Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing, Canterbury Christ Church University

Dr Sally A Smith, Chief Nurse & Director of Quality, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

Dr Alistair Challiner, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthesia, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

‘a useful addition to any ward book shelf or student’s reading list’ Journal of the Intensive Care Society

Like the original Ward-based Critical Care, this second edition aims to guide practitioners in the initial management of critically ill adult patients within the ward setting. It should be of value to a wide range of healthcare professionals, including junior doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and students. It will also be relevant to practitioners who are moving into any setting that cares for acutely ill patients.

This volume has been slightly reorganised since the first edition to ensure that practical aspects are incorporated within the relevant sections. The book is still structured around the ABCDE approach to assessing and managing patients, as this is promoted in critical care and resuscitation care training. The focus on practical examples and ‘hot tips’ to aid memory of key points continues. All the chapters have been updated with the most recent guidance, as available at the time of writing. This has meant that some chapters have required major revisions, while others have remained relatively unchanged. Some new chapters have been included, such as the ones on anaphylactic shock, patient safety, dealing with pregnant women in the ward setting, and massive blood transfusion. In addition, each section now starts with a chapter giving an overview of the A–E approach in order to provide more detail about assessing and managing those aspects of patient care.

This informative book contains many useful features such as clinical scenarios, hot tips and practical skills, and the text is richly illustrated and cross-referenced throughout.

Contents include:

Introduction

Critical care outreach

Overview of assessing and monitoring the acutely ill ward patient

Examination of the sick ward patient

Respiratory physiotherapy and rehabilitation


Patient safety

Airway

Assessing and managing the airway


Temporary tracheostomies 


Suctioning a tracheostomy

Changing tracheostomy tubes 


Breathing

Obtaining and interpreting arterial blood gases

Oxygen therapy 


Pleural chest drains

Pulmonary oedema in acute heart failure

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Asthma 


Non-invasive ventilation in type 2 respiratory failure

Pulmonary embolism

Pneumonia

Neurological disease

Cardiovascular

Assessing and managing the cardiovascular system

Sepsis

Hypvoleamic

Cardiogenic shock

Anaphylactic shock


Management of critically ill patients with malignancy


Tachyarrhythmias in the acutely ill

Cardiac chest pain

Acute abdomen

Oesophageal varices

Electrolytes

Renal failure

Emergency and massive blood transfusion

Pregnancy related conditions

Disability

Assessing and managing aspects of consciousness and disability 


Neurological compromise secondary to electrolyte imbalance

Diabetic ketoacidosis

Neurogenic shock Severe acute pain

Nutrition in the acutely unwell patient


Placement of a nasogastric tube

Exposure

Exposure, examination and evaluation

Compartment syndrome

Organ and tissue donation

Patient transport 


Psychosocial aspects of acute illness

The post-ICU patient


The ethics of acute care

Communication Family care 


Caring for the suddenly bereaved in the acute care setting