Cardiovascular Pediatric Critical Illness and Injury (Paperback or Softback)

The development of pediatric cardiac surgical programs has had a profound effect on the s- cialty of pediatric critical care medicine, and as a result, the ? eld of pediatric cardiac intensive care is rapidly emerging as a separate subspecialty of pediatric critical care medicine. The ability to provide care for the critically ill child with congenital heart disease clearly separates pediatric intensivists from our adult colleagues. A thorough understanding and knowledge of the unique physiology of the child with congenital heart disease are therefore absolutely crucial for anyone working in the pediatric intensive care unit. Once again, we would like to dedicate this textbook to our families and to the physicians and nurses who provide steadfast care every day in pe- atric intensive care units across the globe. Derek S. Wheeler Hector R. Wong Thomas P. Shanley v Preface to Pediatric Critical Care Medicine: Basic Science and Clinical Evidence The ? eld of critical care medicine is growing at a tremendous pace, and tremendous advances in the understanding of critical illness have been realized in the last decade. My family has directly bene? ted from some of the technological and scienti? c advances made in the care of critically ill children. My son Ryan was born during my third year of medical school. By some peculiar happenstance, I was nearing completion of a 4-week rotation in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU).

The field of critical care medicine is in the midst of a dramatic change. Technological and scientific advances during the last decade have resulted in a fundamental change in the way we view disease processes, such as sepsis, shock, acute lung injury, and traumatic brain injury. Pediatric intensivists have been both witness to and active participants in bringing about these changes and it is imperative that all physicians caring for critically ill children in this new era have a thorough understanding of the applicability of these modern developments to the care of patients at the bedside and to keep up with the rapidly evolving field of critical care medicine.

The development of pediatric cardiac surgical programs has had a profound effect on the specialty of pediatric critical care medicine, and as a result, the field of pediatric cardiac intensive care is rapidly emerging as a separate subspecialty of pediatric critical care medicine. The ability to provide care for the critically ill child with congenital heart disease clearly separates pediatric intensivists from our adult colleagues. Cardiovascular Pediatric Critical Illness and Injury has been written by an international panel of experts to give readers a thorough understanding and knowledge of the unique physiology of the child with congenital heart disease. This book is therefore absolutely crucial for anyone working in the pediatric intensive care unit, from physicians, residents and fellows in critical care, pulmonology, cardiology and pediatricians to specialist nurses and support personnel on the pediatric intensive care unit and all medical professionals that are involved in the management of these patients.