Reducing Mortality in Critically Ill Patients

This book describes the techniques, strategies, and drugs that have been demonstrated by multicenter randomized trials to influence survival in critically ill patients, defined as those who have acute failure of at least one organ, due to either a pathological condition or a medical intervention, and require intensive care treatment. Each chapter focuses on a specific procedure, device, or drug. The scope is accordingly wide, with coverage of topics as diverse as noninvasive mechanical ventilation, protective ventilation, prone positioning, intravenous salbutamol in ARDS, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, mild hypothermia after cardiac arrest, daily interruption of sedatives, tranexamic acid, diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin, albumin, growth hormone, glutamine supplementation, tight glucose control, supranormal oxygen delivery, and hydroxyethyl starch in sepsis. The topic selection was made using a democracy-based approach in which hundreds of specialists from dozens of countries expressed, via the web, whether they agreed with these topics and whether they used the techniques in their daily clinical practice. The clear text is supported by "how to do" sections and "key point" boxes that provide easily accessible practical information. The book will be of interest for a wide variety of specialists, including intensivists, emergency doctors, and anesthesiologists.

Table of Contents:
Decision Making in the Democracy Medicine Era: The Consensus Conference Process.- Part I: Interventions that Reduce Mortality.- Non-Invasive Ventilation.- Lung Protective Ventilation and Mortality in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.- Prone Positioning to Reduce Mortality in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.- Tranexamic Acid in Trauma Patients.- Albumin Use in Liver Cirrhosis.- Daily Interruption of Sedatives to Improve Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients.- Part II: Interventions that Increase Mortality.- Tight Glycemic Control.- Growth Hormone in the Critically Ill.- Diaspirin Cross-Linked Hemoglobin and Blood Substitutes.- Supranormal Elevation of Systemic Oxygen Delivery in Critically Ill Patients.- Does Β2-Agonist Use Improve Survival in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress.- High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.- Glutamine Supplementation in Critically Ill Patients.- Part III: Updates.- Reducing Mortality in Critically Ill Patients: A Systematic Update.- Is Therapeutic Hypothermia Beneficial for Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest?.

Review :
"This summarized literature will continue to serve as a solid foundation and useful reference upon which to build in future. Specialists from areas of medicine that care for patients with critical illness will enjoy this book, especially those working in the intensive care unit. Experienced physicians will be comfortable with much of the subject matter and familiar with the landmark trails. ... provides useful clinical summaries and practical application points that even physicians well versed in the literature will appreciate." (Carmen Hrymak, Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Journal canadien d'anesthesie, October, 2015) "This is essentially a monograph of 15 evidence-based interventions that affect mortality in critical care patients. The book is the result of what the authors describe as a democracy-based consensus conference. It uses evidence-based medicine techniques to discuss seven interventions that reduce mortality and eight interventions that increase mortality. ... The audience is critical care practitioners regardless of training background. The book also will be of value to medical students, residents, and fellows." (Jeremy Scott Juern, Doody's Book Reviews, September, 2015)