An authoritative and comprehensive review of the most important clinical issues facing critically ill neurologic and neurosurgical patients. The authors provide pertinent basic, clinical, diagnostic, and management guidelines for all the conditions commonly encountered in the neurocritical care unit, including the management of autonomic disorders that require critical care, postoperative management, and endovascular treatment. The authors also discuss the latest developments in the monitoring of different body systems, emphasizing the management of cardiorespiratory complications and other medical conditions that may threaten the patient's life. Also detailed are the concepts of intracranial physiology and current neuromonitoring techniques, subjects whose understanding is basic to effective management of critically ill neurologic patients. Numerous tables, figures, diagrams, and radiographs simplify and explicate both the diagnostic and therapeutic processes.

This is a practical and accessible review of neurologic critical care in the intensive care unit is single-authored and thus cohesive. The emphasis is on management in day-to-day practice. For the thoroughly updated and expanded second edition, Wijdicks has added new algorithms on outcome prediction in the specific disorders, and five chapters on the organization of the intensive care unit, acute spinal disorders, management of common postoperative neurosurgical complications, and psychosocial issues, ethics, and withdrawal of life support. For quick reference in the ICU the most useful tables and figures have been extracted and reprinted in an accompanying pocket-sized booklet.

In recent years, neurocritical care has grown and matured as a subspecialty of Critical Care Medicine with the advent of new monitoring, diagnostic, and therapeutic capabilities. The goal of neurocritical care is to rapidly deliver acute medical therapies and appropriate interventions through effective monitoring of both neurological and end organ function. Neurocritical Care provides 'at the bedside' guidance on the medical knowledge and technical skills required to care for critically ill patients with neurologic conditions such as cerebrovascular disorders, neurotrama, neuro-oncology, refractory seizures, neuromuscular diseases, infections, alterations in consciousness, and perioperative neurosurgical care. Part of the Pittsburgh Critical Care Medicine series, this compact volume is an ideal reference for physicians and trainees working in either a general ICU or specialty Neuro ICU unit. Readers will gain an understanding of background knowledge and concrete solutions to questions and situations encountered in daily practice.

Kumar and colleagues’ Neurocritical Care Management of the Neurosurgical Patient provides the reader with thorough coverage of neuroanatomical structures, operative surgical approaches, anesthetic considerations, as well as the full range of known complications relating to elective and non-elective neurosurgical procedures. Drawing upon the expertise of an interdisciplinary team of physicians from neurosurgery, neurology, anesthesiology, critical care, and nursing backgrounds, the text covers all aspects intensivists need to be aware of in order to provide optimal patient care. Over 100 world-renowned authors from multispecialty backgrounds (neurosurgeons, neuro-interventionalists, and neurointensivists) and top institutions contribute their unique perspectives to this challenging field. Six sections cover topics such as intraoperative monitoring, craniotomy procedures, neuroanesthesiology principles, spine and endovascular neurosurgery, and additional specialty procedures. Includes 300 tables and boxes, 70 line artworks, and 350 photographic images. Clinical pearls pulled out of the main text offer easy reference.

Critical Care Neurology, Part I: Neurocritical Care focuses on the care specialists and general neurologists that consult in the ICU and their work with patients in acute, life-threatening situations who are dealing with neurologic or neurosurgical crises emanating from either a preexisting neurologic syndrome or from a new neurologic complication appearing as a result of another medical or surgical critical illness. These two separate clinical situations form the pillars of neurocritical care, hence these practices are addressed via two separate, but closely related, HCN volumes. Chapters in both focus on pathophysiology and management, and are tailored for both general neurologists and active neurocritical specialists, with a specific focus on management over diagnostics. Part I addresses the principles of neurocritical care and the management of various neurologic diseases. Part II addresses the interplay between neurologic complications and the surgical, medical, cardiac, and trauma of critical illnesses that most typically present in the ICU. Provides an essential neurocritical care overview for general neurologists Presents neurocritical care specialists with an update on severe neurological illness management Offers coverage of all the most frequent neurologic diseases requiring intensive care Includes chapters authored by global leaders in the field, providing the broadest, most expert coverage available on the topics discussed

Companion to: Neurologic complications of critical illness / Eelco F.M. Wijdicks. 3rd ed. 2009.