Handbook of Neurocritical Care

Neurocritical care has grown rapidly over the last two decades to become a complex multidisciplinary specialty requiring rapid diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. In Handbook of Neurocritical Care, leading neurocritical care and intensive care specialists from the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit of the Johns Hopkins Hospital have joined forces to spell out concisely for first line health care providers the diverse standards and therapeutic regimens required for the care of critically ill neurological and neurosurgical patients. Their authoritative reference guide takes an algorithmic approach to immediate patient care, incorporating both ancillary investigation to confirm clinical diagnosis and appropriate management guidelines. Designed for quick and easy consultation at the bedside by time-pressed physicians, the book consists of numerous tables and illustrations, highlights and summaries of key points, and lists of core articles. The authors offer comprehensive summaries of the best diagnostic and management practices for a wide range of neurocritical problems, including encephalopathy, intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury postoperative care, ischemic stroke, brain tumors, and spinal cord injury, and give special attention to analgesia, sedation, and paralysis in critically ill neurological and neurosurgical patients. A compact disc accompanies the book for downloading an ebook version to the reader's PC or PDA. Authoritative and highly practical, the Handbook of Neurocritical Care offers first-line hospital physicians and EMS personnel a comprehensive quick-reference guide to the rapid diagnosis and management of critically ill neurological and neurosurgical patients.