Acute Medicine - a Practical Guide to the Management of Medical Emergencies 4E

This extremely popular title has become the definitive pocket guide to the management of medical emergencies for front-line hospital doctors. It provides detailed guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of all common conditions and includes a step-by-step guide to the nine most important practical procedures in acute medicine.

Table of Contents:
Preface ix Acknowledgments x Section 1: Common presentations 1 The critically ill patient: assessment and stabilization 3 2 Cardiac arrest 13 3 Cardiac arrhythmias: general approach 18 4 Broad complex regular tachycardia 21 5 Broad complex irregular tachycardia 27 6 Narrow complex tachycardia 33 7 Atrial fibrillation and fl utter 42 8 Bradycardia and atrioventricular block 47 9 Hypotension 53 10 Sepsis and septic shock 59 11 Poisoning: general approach 66 12 Poisoning with aspirin paracetamol and carbon monoxide 75 13 Acute chest pain 82 14 Acute breathlessness 91 15 Arterial blood gases oxygen saturation and oxygen therapy 98 16 Respiratory failure 104 17 Acid–base disorders 110 18 The unconscious patient 117 19 Transient loss of consciousness 124 20 Acute confusional state 133 21 Falls and `off legs’ 137 22 Acute headache 140 23 Acute vomiting 147 24 Acute abdominal pain 151 Section 2: Specific problems Cardiovascular 25 Acute coronary syndromes with persisting ST elevation or new left bundle branch block 158 26 Acute coronary syndromes without persisting ST elevation 169 27 Cardiogenic shock 174 28 Aortic dissection 181 29 Acute pulmonary edema 185 30 Cardiac valve disease and prosthetic heart valves 194 31 Infective endocarditis 203 32 Acute pericarditis 212 33 Cardiac tamponade 216 34 Severe hypertension 219 35 Deep vein thrombosis 224 36 Pulmonary embolism 231 37 Problems with pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defi brillators 236 Respiratory 38 Airway management and upper airway obstruction 245 39 Acute asthma 253 40 Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 261 41 Pneumonia (1): community-acquired pneumonia 268 42 Pneumonia (2): hospital-acquired pneumonia 277 43 Pneumothorax 280 44 Pleural effusion 283 45 Hemoptysis 288 Neurological 46 Examination of the nervous system in acute medicine 293 47 Stroke 303 48 Transient ischemic attack 315 49 Subarachnoid hemorrhage 321 50 Bacterial meningitis 327 51 Encephalitis 334 52 Spinal cord compression 339 53 Guillain–Barré syndrome 342 54 Epilepsy (1): generalized convulsive status epileticus 349 55 Epilepsy (2): management after a generalized fi t 355 56 Raised intracranial pressure 360 Gastrointestinal/liver/renal 57 Acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage 365 58 Esophageal rupture 373 59 Acute diarrhea 376 60 Acute jaundice 383 61 Ascites 388 62 Acute liver failure 394 63 Alcoholic hepatitis 404 64 Biliary tract disorders and acute pancreatitis 406 65 Acute renal failure 410 Endocrine/metabolic 66 Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemic states 423 67 Diabetic ketoacidosis 429 68 Hyperosmolar non-ketotic hyperglycemia 436 69 Sodium disorders 439 70 Potassium disorders 446 71 Calcium disorders 451 72 Acute adrenal insuffi ciency 457 73 Thyroid emergencies 462 Dermatology/rheumatology 74 Cellulitis 469 75 Acute arthritis 473 76 Acute vasculitis 478 Hematology/oncology 77 Interpretation of full blood count 489 78 Bleeding disorders and thrombocytopenia 500 79 Management of anticoagulation 507 80 Sickle cell crisis 514 81 Anaphylaxis and anaphylactic shock 519 82 Complications of cancer 523 Miscellaneous 83 Acute medical problems in the HIV-positive patient 535 84 Fever on return from abroad 542 85 Acute medical problems in pregnancy and peripartum 551 86 Psychiatric problems in acute medicine 555 87 Alchohol-related problems in acute medicine 561 88 Hypothermia 566 89 Drowning and electrical injury 571 90 Palliative care 578 Section 3: Procedures in acute medicine 91 Arterial blood gas sampling 587 92 Central vein cannulation 589 93 Temporary cardiac pacing 600 94 Pericardial aspiration 609 95 DC cardioversion 614 96 Insertion of a chest drain 619 97 Lumbar puncture 627 98 Aspiration of a knee joint 635 99 Insertion of a Sengstaken–Blakemore tube 638 Index 643

About the Author :
David C. Sprigings, Consultant Physician, Northampton General Hospital, UK John B. Chambers, Reader, Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Hospitals, London, UK and Consultant Cardiologist, Maidstone Hospital, Kent, UK

Review :
"This book makes an excellent companion for the junior doctor in the Emergency Department or the Admissions Unit.... [It Provides] the essentials in an easy to use format and comes highly recommended as an at-your-fingertips companion." (Acute Medicine Journal, December 2008) ?It is a handy book, especially for doctors in training who need immediate help in managing a medical emergency. I can recommend it without hesitation.? (Hospital Doctor) "This excellent little book was written for junior medical staff. However as a concise vade-mecum for the anaesthetist it would be extremely valuable." (Anaethesia & Intensive Care) "This book makes an excellent companion for the junior doctor in the Emergency Department or the Admissions Unit.... [It Provides] the essentials in an easy to use format and comes highly recommended as an at-your-fingertips companion." (Acute Medicine Journal, December 2008) ?It is a handy book, especially for doctors in training who need immediate help in managing a medical emergency. I can recommend it without hesitation.? (Hospital Doctor) "This excellent little book was written for junior medical staff. However as a concise vade-mecum for the anaesthetist it would be extremely valuable." (Anaethesia & Intensive Care)