ABSTRACT

Especially written for qualified nurses working in intensive care units, this comprehensive text has been developed to be as accessible as possible. This fourth edition has been revised throughout to ensure the evidence base is completely up to date and the content reflects contemporary best practice.

Intensive Care Nursing is structured in user-friendly sections. The chapters contain sections outlining the "fundamental knowledge" needed to understand key chapters, "implications for practice" boxes, further reading and resources overviews, "time out" sections for revision and clinical scenarios with questions included. Reviewed throughout by experienced practitioners and teachers, it covers:

  • patient-focused issues of bedside nursing;
  • the technical knowledge necessary to care safely for ICU patients;
  • the more common and specialised disease processes and treatments encountered;
  • how nurses can use their knowledge and skills to develop their own and others' practice.

Written by a practice development nurse with a strong clinical background in intensive care nursing and experience of teaching nursing, Intensive Care Nursing is essential reading for nurses and health professionals working with seriously ill patients, particularly those undertaking post-registration training in the area.

part I|28 pages

Contexts of care

chapter Chapter 1|8 pages

Nursing perspectives

chapter Chapter 2|7 pages

Humanism

chapter Chapter 3|11 pages

Psychological care

part II|121 pages

Fundamental

chapter Chapter 4|17 pages

Artificial ventilation

chapter Chapter 5|11 pages

Airway management

chapter Chapter 6|9 pages

Sedation

chapter Chapter 7|11 pages

Acute pain management

chapter Chapter 8|8 pages

Thermoregulation

chapter Chapter 9|10 pages

Nutrition and bowel care

chapter Chapter 10|7 pages

Mouthcare

chapter Chapter 11|6 pages

Eyecare

chapter Chapter 12|7 pages

Tissue viability

chapter Chapter 13|9 pages

Children in adult ICUs

chapter Chapter 14|7 pages

Older patients in ICU

chapter Chapter 15|10 pages

Infection prevention and control

chapter Chapter 16|7 pages

Pandemic planning

part III|101 pages

Monitoring

chapter Chapter 17|13 pages

Respiratory monitoring

chapter Chapter 18|10 pages

Gas carriage

chapter Chapter 19|14 pages

Blood gas interpretation

chapter Chapter 20|14 pages

Haemodynamic monitoring

chapter Chapter 21|15 pages

Blood results

chapter Chapter 22|21 pages

ECGs and dysrhythmias

chapter Chapter 23|12 pages

Neurological monitoring

part IV|22 pages

Micropathologies

chapter Chapter 24|7 pages

Cellular pathology

chapter Chapter 25|6 pages

Immunity and immunodeficiency

chapter Chapter 26|7 pages

Haemostasis

part V|18 pages

Respiratory

chapter Chapter 27|7 pages

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

chapter Chapter 28|9 pages

Alternative ventilation

part VI|67 pages

Cardiovascular

chapter Chapter 29|9 pages

Acute coronary syndromes

chapter Chapter 30|10 pages

Cardiac surgery and interventions

chapter Chapter 31|13 pages

Shock

chapter Chapter 32|7 pages

Sepsis

chapter Chapter 33|11 pages

Fluid management

chapter Chapter 34|9 pages

Inotropes and vasopressors

chapter Chapter 35|6 pages

Vascular surgery

part VII|22 pages

Neurological

chapter Chapter 36|14 pages

Central nervous system injury

chapter Chapter 37|6 pages

Peripheral neurological pathologies

part VIII|51 pages

Abdominal

chapter Chapter 38|9 pages

Acute kidney injury

chapter Chapter 39|8 pages

Haemofiltration

chapter Chapter 40|7 pages

Gastrointestinal bleeds

chapter Chapter 41|9 pages

Liver failure

chapter Chapter 42|9 pages

Obstetric admissions to ICU

chapter Chapter 43|7 pages

Organ donation

part IX|24 pages

Metabolic

chapter Chapter 44|7 pages

Severe acute pancreatitis

chapter Chapter 45|6 pages

Diabetic crises

chapter Chapter 46|9 pages

Self-poisoning

part X|33 pages

Professional

chapter Chapter 47|7 pages

Transferring critically ill patients

chapter Chapter 48|7 pages

Professional perspectives

chapter Chapter 49|10 pages

Managing the ICU

chapter Chapter 50|7 pages

Costs of intensive care