About the Book
An intensive-care doctor reveals the long-term problems caused by ICUs, and how these can be prevented.
Thousands of people are admitted to intensive-care units (ICUs) every day, and this is only increasing with the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of these admissions will be sudden, unexpected, and harrowing — an experience that can alter patients and their families in physical, emotional, and spiritual ways, with effects that endure for years. But there is hope.
Dr Ely is a leading ICU doctor. His unconventional methods minimise patients being harmed by the cutting-edge technologies that are saving their lives; post–intensive care syndrome (PICS) is a well-established complication that millions of ICU survivors battle, which Dr Ely aims to eradicate. His cutting-edge studies have convinced doctors around the world to change their ICU practices for the better.
Through captivating stories, Dr Ely shows how he and colleagues from around the world have re-introduced humanity into the ICU, creating pathways that bring hope and healing to healthcare. This is the future of medicine, and is a must-read for healthcare professionals, patients, and their families.
About the Author :
E. Wesley Ely, MD, MPH, is a pulmonary and critical care physician who earned his MD at Tulane University School of Medicine, in conjunction with a master’s in public health. He serves as the Grant W. Liddle Endowed Chair in medicine and is a physician-scientist and tenured professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is also the associate director of ageing research for the Tennessee Valley Veterans Affairs Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center (GRECC). Dr Ely has published studies in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and The Lancet, and his writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, USA Today, and other publications. He lives in Nashville and is the founder and codirector of the Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship (CIBS) Center, an organisation devoted to research and recovery for people affected by critical illness. Dr Ely is donating all his net proceeds from this book to a fund at the CIBS Center established to help ICU survivors and their families. Visit www.icudelirium.org.
Review :
‘Critical care physician Ely draws on his own experience for this book about the role of humanity and compassion in the ICU … It includes sensitive analysis of the racialised history of critical care medicine and health care disparities that stem from gender, class, and disability. Ely discusses post-intensive care syndrome, which he believes is too-little discussed by patients and health-care professionals … Heightened media attention to intensive care medicine during the pandemic should make this of interest to both lay and professional readers. Ely writes with passion, clarity, and authority.’
‘A stunning, heartbreaking, and hopeful book, expressing Dr Ely's profound union of compassion and medical skill. Given that most of us will stay in an ICU, attend a loved one there, or even die in one, I hope that many readers demand treatment according to the humane practices Dr Ely has pioneered. I equally hope that every critical-care doctor and hospital administrator reads this beautiful book, puts its protocols into practice, and makes their ICUs more humane and medically effective.’
‘Every Deep-Drawn Breath is an enthralling journey through the ongoing evolution of critical care. In this richly illustrated book, with stories of people who teetered on the edge of death and survived to find their lives forever changed, Dr Ely, a thought leader in his field, reveals hard lessons he’s learned, innovations he’s led, and his compelling, bright vision for the future of medicine.’
‘Through rich and remarkable accounts of caring for patients in the ICU, Dr Wes Ely places the humanistic mission of medicine front and centre, where it belongs, in this outstanding book.’
‘A remarkable book from a legendary physician. Dr Ely revolutionised critical care and now, through stories that are intimate, honest, and brave, he reveals the failings and the great promise of the field. This could not be more timely — in the wake of a pandemic that challenged the humanity of our profession, Ely shows us the road forward. A must read.’
‘Every Deep-Drawn Breath is a beautiful, honest gem. If you’re interested in the wild world of the ICU, in the interface between nature and human nature, in how medicine (at its best) learns from good intentions gone awry, in the difference between in vitro and in vivo, or in how a good doctor becomes great, here is the book for you. I’m grateful to Dr Ely for his candour and his storytelling.’
‘Thanks to Dr Wes Ely and his colleagues, help is on the way for ICU patients, as well as the healthcare professionals who care for them. Every Deep-Drawn Breath is a must read for anyone who may someday be impacted by an ICU, which means all of us.’
‘The ICU is an important, mysterious character in the story of modern medicine, and Every Deep-Drawn Breath is its deeply felt, thoroughly researched biography. With compassion, grit, and grace, Dr Ely takes us into this liminal space and shows us, through the stories of his patients and his life, what it means to mobilise technology to save lives while also confronting the unintended pain and suffering that ICU care can inflict. This book illuminates the humanism, heroism, and humility required to stand with people at life’s edge, and reminds us to seek meaning and purpose in the life we have, a life sustained by each breath we take.’
‘In this fascinating and eye-opening book, Wes Ely makes the radical argument that we should be helping critically ill patients stay awake and engaged, not routinely sedating them into unconsciousness. Combining dogged research, intense reflection, and page-turning stories, Dr Ely reminds us that we have to treat the patient, not just the disease.’
‘With the storytelling sensibilities of Oliver Sacks and the surgical precision of Atul Gawande, Dr Wes Ely has given us an unforgettable journey of patients and doctors travelling in the disorienting world of intensive care, ultimately leading toward redemption for Dr Ely himself. Required reading for all mortals. If you liked When Breath Becomes Air, you will love this book.’
‘A treasure trove of hard-won wisdom. Reading Every Deep-Drawn Breath is like getting a backstage pass to the cloistered world of medical science. A gifted storyteller, Wes Ely brings his humanity to every moment, inspiring us to re-examine our own beliefs and re-imagine what is possible. He has seamlessly woven together the private stories behind the very public successes and failures of our well-intentioned ICU care. Illuminating and generous, he revisits with humility the pivotal moments of his career in this wise gift of a book.’
‘Every Deep Drawn Breath deserves a wide and deep readership … it summons physicians to seek relief for their patients’ endemic suffering, but not by standard yet short-sighted procedures that ignore post-ICU torment. On the contrary, doctors must humbly recognise their own limits, indeed their inevitable mistakes. Precisely and ever so admirably, this is what Wes Ely has done.’
‘Ely, a critical care doctor, debuts with a remarkable look at transformations in ICU care … This humble — and humbling — look at the limits and potential of medicine will stick with readers.’
‘In this dynamic, often touching debut, the author chronicles a personal, passionate return to the ethical heart of the Hippocratic oath. In addition to a timeline of the ICU and its history of medical innovations, Ely details a succession of individual bedside narratives … The author effectively illuminates the daily pressures placed on caregivers … Ely also provides a thoughtful exploration of the ICU treatment culture of sedation and immobilisation, and analyses how it can be recentred around a core value of “humanity in doctoring” … As Ely conveys through anecdotes and experience, physicians can maximise their knowledge by focusing on, listening to, and learning from their patients. Meaningful, thought-provoking insight into the world of critical care.’
‘An intensely emotive journey through the science and history of the intensive care unit … Every Deep-Drawn Breath is a paragon of humanity that will have lasting positive effects.’
‘[A] powerful new book … provides true insight into what can be accomplished with humility, perseverance, dedication and above all else, love.’
‘Timely.’
‘With its vivid observations and heartfelt tone, Every Deep-Drawn Breath is a joy to read. Ely’s passion for his patients leaps from the pages, inspiring readers to channel Ely’s humility and love for life to brighten the future of medicine, and mankind.’
