ABC of Sepsis: (ABC Series)

The importance of early prevention and treatment of sepsis has never been greater. In the UK alone sepsis contributes to more deaths than lung cancer, from bowel cancer and breast cancer combined, and approximately one third of patients who suffer from severe sepsis die. The ABC of Sepsis provides a much needed introduction and an invaluable aid in the increasing efforts to reduce hospital infection and improve patient safety. As growing numbers of junior medical staff experience emergency medicine, critical care and acute medicine as part of the Foundation Programme, there is an increasing need to develop the skills required to treat severe sepsis. The editors are involved with the Survive Sepsis campaign - developed to improve the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of sepsis - and are perfectly placed to guide junior medics, GPs, specialist nurses, critical care nurses and primary care staff through this core aspect of acute medicine.

Table of Contents:
Contributors vii Preface ix 1 Introduction 1 Mitchell M. Levy 2 Defining the Spectrum of Disease 5 Ron Daniels 3 Identifying the Patient with Sepsis 10 Ron Daniels 4 Serious Complications of Sepsis 15 Hentie Cilliers Tony Whitehouse and Bill Tunnicliffe 5 The Pathophysiology of Sepsis 20 Edwin Mitchell and Tony Whitehouse 6 Initial Resuscitation 25 Tim Nutbeam 7 Microbiology and Antibiotic Therapy 29 Partha De and Ron Daniels 8 Infection Prevention and Control 36 Fiona Lawrence Georgina McNamara and Clare Galvin 9 The Role of Imaging in Sepsis 42 Morgan Cleasby 10 Presentations in Medical Patients 48 Nandan Gautam 11 Presentations in Surgical Patients 57 Jonathan Stewart and Sian Abbott 12 Special Cases: The Immunocompromised Patient 62 Manos Nikolousis 13 The Role of Critical Care 68 Julian Hull 14 Monitoring the Septic Patient 73 David Stanley 15 Novel Therapies in Sepsis 78 Gavin D. Perkins and David R. Thickett 16 Approaches to Achieve Change 83 Julian F. Bion and Gordon D. Rubenfield Index 87

About the Author :
Dr Ron Daniels MB ChB FRCA Consultant in Anaesthesia and Critical Care Lead Clinican, Critical Care Outreach, Good Hope Hospital, Birmingham, UK Chair: Surviving Sepsis Campaign United Kingdom Steering Committee Survive SEPSIS Programme Director Dr Tim Nutbeam MB ChB Trainee in Emergency Medicine/Intensive Care Medicine Editor: Survive SEPSIS (the educational programme of the international Surviving Sepsis Campaign)

Review :
“The book’s illustrations are superb. At the beginning of each chapter, an overview is presented, helping to succinctly outline the key points in the chapter. Tables and boxes are employed to outline key diagnostic and treatment points. There are a number of clinical pictures along with radiographic images to help highlight points of interest.” (Journal of the Intensive Care Society, April 2010)