The ICU Book, 3rd Edition Doody's Expert Review Review Questionnaire ISBN: 9780781748025 ISBN-10: 078174802X Copyright: 2007 Edition: 3rd Author: Marino, Paul L. Doody's Expert Review    Score: 96 Doody's Star Rating™ and Doody's Expert Review provide by Doody Enterprises, Inc. Reviewer: David Dries,  MD  (University of Minnesota Medical School) Description This is the third edition of an immensely popular overview of critical care practice. The last edition was published in 1998. Purpose The "common ground" of critical care is presented with an emphasis on fundamental principles applicable to various disciplines. Audience Practitioners at all levels will benefit from this work, which maintains the flavor of single authorship, although a second critical care specialist contributes to later chapters. Features This softcover book of 53 chapters, three appendixes, and a detailed subject index has grown by 150 pages while remaining a manageable size. The previous presentation of content is largely maintained with an opening review of cardiopulmonary physiology, procedures, monitoring, and common practices in prophylaxis. Later chapters delve into specific cardiopulmonary problems including hypoxemia, acute coronary syndromes, airflow obstruction, ventilator dependence, and cardiac arrest. Concluding sections cover acid/base changes, renal insufficiency, transfusion, infections, neurology, and metabolic support. A new section has been added on the important subject of temperature changes. Chapters are effectively updated and contain reference lists organized to correspond to content subheadings. References date to within one to two years of publication. Most but not all chapters include a brief list of summary points. Radiographs reproduce with good quality and artwork has been nicely redone. The table of contents groups chapters by type of content while the extensive subject index of 58 pages includes separate citations for figures and tables. Assessment This edition is another outstanding presentation of applied physiology for the clinician of any discipline practicing critical care. Production quality has been significantly enhanced with improved artwork and paper stock. I believe this edition will be as popular as its predecessors have been. Another book of comparable orientation, price, and quality is Critical Care Medicine: The Basics, 3rd edition, by Marini and Wheeler (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006). Review Questionnaire Range Question Score 1-10 Are the author's objectives met? 10 1-10 Rate the worthiness of those objectives. 10 1-5 Is this written at an appropriate level? 5 1-5 Is there significant duplication? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 4 1-5 Are there significant omissions? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 4 1-5 Rate the authority of the authors. 5 1-5 Are there sufficient illustrations? 5 1-5 Rate the pedagogic value of the illustrations. 4 1-5 Rate the print quality of the illustrations. 5 1-5 Are there sufficient references? 5 1-5 Rate the currency of the references. 5 1-5 Rate the pertinence of the references. 5 1-5 Rate the helpfulness of the index. 5 1-5 If important in this specialty, rate the physical appearance of the book 4 1-10 Is this a worthwhile contribution to the field? 10 1-10 If this is a 2nd or later edition, is this new edition needed? 10 ©2010 Doody Enterprises, Inc.