Cook County ICU: 30 Years of Unforgettable Patients and Odd Cases

An inside look at one of the nation’s most famous public hospitals as seen through the eyes of its longtime director of intensive care
 
Filled with stories of strange medical cases and unforgettable patients culled from a 30-year career in medicine, Cook County ICU offers readers a peek into the inner workings of a hospital. Author Dr. Cory Franklin, who headed the hospital’s intensive care unit from the 1970s through the 1990s, shares his most unique and bizarre experiences, including the deadly Chicago heatwave of 1995, treating the first AIDS patients in the country before the disease was diagnosed, the nurse with rare Muchausen syndrome, the only surviving ricin victim, and the professor with Alzheimer’s hiding the effects of the wrong medication. Surprising, darkly humorous, heartwarming, and sometimes tragic, these stories provide a big-picture look at how the practice of medicine has changed over the years, making it an enjoyable read for patients, doctors, and anyone with an interest in medicine.

Cory Franklin, MD, spent twenty-five years as the director of intensive care at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. He is an editorial board contributor to the Chicago Tribune and the author of Chicago Flashbulbs. His work has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the New York Times, the New York Post, the Washington Post, and the Chicago Sun-Times.