Envenomation
Chapter 76 Envenomation James Tibballs Envenomation by species of snakes, spiders, ticks, bees, ants, wasps, jellyfish, octopuses or cone shell snails may threaten life, while envenomation by other creatures may…
Vasodilators and antihypertensives
Chapter 83 Vasodilators and antihypertensives John A. Myburgh Vasodilators are a generic group of drugs that are primarily used in the intensive care unit (ICU) for the management of acute…
Cerebral protection
Chapter 45 Cerebral protection Victoria Heaviside, Michelle Hayes The cerebral circulation is arguably the most important and most vulnerable in the body. Arrest of the circulation for only a few…
Sedation, analgesia and muscle relaxation in the intensive care unit
Chapter 81 Sedation, analgesia and muscle relaxation in the intensive care unit Peter V. van Heerden Despite the widespread use of sedative and analgesic agents in the intensive care unit…
Thermal disorders
Chapter 74 Thermal disorders Anwar Hussein Body temperature is normally very tightly controlled by a balance between heat production and heat loss, through a complex feedback mechanism involving the thermoregulatory…
Acute cerebrovascular complications
Chapter 44 Acute cerebrovascular complications Bernard Riley Cerebrovascular disease is common and its acute manifestations, known as stroke, produce considerable morbidity and mortality. Stroke is defined as an acute focal…
Severe pre-existing disease in pregnancy
Chapter 57 Severe pre-existing disease in pregnancy Steve M. Yentis The two main sources of information about the spectrum of pre-existing conditions that result in severe morbidity in pregnancy are…
Acute calcium disorders
Chapter 54 Acute calcium disorders Balasubramanian Venkatesh Calcium is an important cation and the principal electrolyte of the body. A total of 1–2 kg is present in the average adult,…
Sedation and analgesia in children
Chapter 100 Sedation and analgesia in children Geoff Knight All children, including preterm infants, feel and remember pain and discomfort.1 Provision of adequate sedation and analgesia should therefore be a…
Heart and lung transplantation
Chapter 95 Heart and lung transplantation Cliff J. Morgan The first successful cardiac transplantation was performed at Groote Schuur, South Africa in 1967 and was followed by operations in other…
