2008-Issue1.indd The ICU Book SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY MEDICAL JOURNAL MARCH 2008, VOLUME 8, ISSUE 1, P. 95-96 SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY© SUBMITTED - 7TH NOVEMBER 2007 The book, running to more than 1000 pages, has 53 chapters in 16 sections covering: Basic Science Review; Preventive Practices in the Critically ill; Vascular Access; Haemodynamic Moni- toring; Disorders of Circulatory flow; Critical Care Cardiology; Acute Respiratory Failure; Mechanical Ventilation; Acid Base Disorders; Renal and Electro- lyte Disorders; Transfusion Practices in Critical Care; Disorders of Body Temperature; Inflammation and Infection in the ICU; Nutrition and Metabolism; Criti- cal Care Neurology; Toxic Ingestions.The appendices include Units and Conversions, Selected Reference Ranges and Clinical Scoring Systems. The ICU book is excellent reference material for all physicians, not just intensivists. It is a valuable resource for any health professional, from medical student to ex- perienced physicians and a must for anyone entering critical care medicine, anaesthesia, accident and emer- gency, medicine or surgery and even for critical care nurses as well. It provides a superior review for resi- dents preparing for board examinations and the essen- tial background for ICU rotations. The ICU Book is a very complete overview of fun- damentals and the physiology behind patient care pre- sented in a succinct manner. The latest complex physio- logical findings are broken down into simple concepts, accompanied by important straight to the point facts and easy to understand illustrations. The short para- graphs prevent you from getting lost in the subject. The text is brilliantly written and easy to read and learn from, with simple English for those who speak Eng- lish as a foreign language; every nurse can follow it as well. The emphasis on managing critically ill patients in a simple manner with the support of evidence-based medical literature is also useful for patient care outside the ICU. B O O K R E V I E W املركزة العناية وحدة �كتاب مارينو ال. بول : املؤلف Author: Paul L Marino Publisher: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Third Edition 2007 ISBN: 13: 9 78-0-07817-4802-5 Price: OR 24 Available at: Al Manahil Educational Email: manahil@omantel.net.om AU TH O R I N F O R M ATI O N Dr. Marino is Chairman of the Department of Medicine and Critical Care Director of Saint Vincent’s Midtown Hospital in New York City. He is also clinical Associate Professor of New York Medical College in Valhalla. The third edition of the ICU Book welcomes Dr. Kenneth Sutin, Department of Anaesthesiology and Surgery at Bellevue Hos- pital Centre and Associate Professor of Anaesthesiology and Surgery at University School of Medicine in New York City, who adds his expertise to the final 13 chapters of the book. TH E I C U B O O K 96 The ICU book covers a broad spectrum of critical care topics. The third edition has undergone extensive revision in content and most of the chapters have been rewritten. Newly renamed and refocused chapters on hot topics are: acute coronary syndromes, severe airflow obstruction and anaemia and red blood cell transfusion in the ICU. Additional new chapters in- clude hyperthermia and hypothermia syndromes and infection control in the ICU. Close to 400 new tables and figures including radiographs, CT scans, electro- cardiograms and microscopic images have been added to provide visual references, which aid in comprehen- sion of the text. The editor is to be congratulated on enforcing the original aim to produce a book that is well organised, with topics that are easy to find for quick reference and exam review. The majority of chapters make good use of tables and figures. Critical points and contro- versies are bold faced throughout the text. Most chap- ters include a so-called Final Word with an important take-home message. Each chapter has an extensive and generally up-to-date reference list, subdivided into specific topics as an easy link to further readings, and with emphasis on evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. In general, the ICU book has good quality paper and binding. The large print and solid text unbroken by illustrations and brilliant simple figures with great message make the book pleasant to read. A future edi- tion should not be any larger so that the book retains its handy portability. However, I found there were too few details about Non-Invasive–Ventilation. Also the Ramsay Score, which assesses the level of ICU seda- tion, although described in the text, should be includ- ed in the appendix of clinical scoring systems. As an owner of the previous edition and the Ger- man translation, I am even more impressed with this third edition. The ICU Book has been always a great guide for my everyday practice as anaesthetist and I highly recommend this excellent reference book, avail- able at a reasonable price that will disappoint nobody. R E V I W E R Karin Nollain Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman Email: karin@squ.edu.om