The Intensive Care Unit Manual

Rating:
Summary: Best current MICU text available. A MUST for housestaff!
Review: Dr. Lanken has written a superb text for medical housestaff (and all other health care professionals.) Unlike other MICU texts, Dr. Lanken's text is readable, lucid, and relevant. He has pulled together experts in pulmonary, cardiac, renal, hematology, trauma, gastroenterology, ob/gyn, and infectious diseases to write concise, practical chapters regarding MICU patients and their individual specialties. Diagrams are clear, the prose is minimally jargonned, and everything is tersely written. Furthermore, Dr. Lanken's text is the only text with recent references. Having been an on-call MICU resident, if there is one book I had to have on-call, it would be this one. HIGHLY recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Re: Jennifer SALABSKY's Comment
Review: I disagree with the rating given to this book by the new RN below. The RN found that the book did not meet her needs and therefore rated it 2 stars. However, this text was NOT WRITTEN for a nurse audience - it's a comprehensive critical medicine textbook for doctors and medical students, and it does a superb job for the intended readers. There are many nursing ICU textbooks available which SALABSKY will probably find more suitable for her needs.

Rating:
Summary: Good effort, but may be improved
Review: My criticisms, of this book, are as follows:

1. There are references to many classic papers, which is EXCELLENT. However, in ADDITION, it would be nice to see some more recent references. Please do NOT remove the classic references in a future edition. Add to it.

2.A bit more detailed pathophysiology/pathogenesis will be nice. Currently it is already very good, but I think can be improved upon slightly.

3. When recommending treatments, please put in the full drug name, doses, regimen, route etc, throughout the whole textbook. Don't just write condidtion X can be treated with drug Y. At 3.00 AM in the ICU, it would be nice if users didn't have to look up an additonal book just to check dosing etc while their patients crash through the floor.

Rating:
Summary: Good effort, but may be improved
Review: The Intensive Care Unit Manual by Paul N. Lanken MD is excellent for houseofficers and fellows caring for patients in the critical care setting, including medical, surgical, obstetric, and trauma ICUs. It's also a worthwhile book for senior medical students with a solid background in medical pathophysiology who have completed rotations in medicine and surgery and are eager to maximize on the ICU experience. This Manual's strength lies in it's easy-to-read, detailed, yet succinct text on pathophysiology, differential diagnoses, management, and complications. As a former medical student, houseofficer, Renal fellow, and Chief Resident, reading the short chapters in this Manual will also aid in asking well-thought out questions to the appropriate consultants (e.g., neurologist, cardiac surgeon, hepatologist, nephrologist). Though it is not a "pocket-sized" manual, it is an outstanding paperback manual that is comprehensive yet portable and easily would serve as the sole bedside/ call room reference book in the acute ICU setting.

Rating:
Summary: Superb manual for patient care in the critical care setting
Review: The Intensive Care Unit Manual by Paul N. Lanken MD is excellent for houseofficers and fellows caring for patients in the critical care setting, including medical, surgical, obstetric, and trauma ICUs. It's also a worthwhile book for senior medical students with a solid background in medical pathophysiology who have completed rotations in medicine and surgery and are eager to maximize on the ICU experience. This Manual's strength lies in it's easy-to-read, detailed, yet succinct text on pathophysiology, differential diagnoses, management, and complications. As a former medical student, houseofficer, Renal fellow, and Chief Resident, reading the short chapters in this Manual will also aid in asking well-thought out questions to the appropriate consultants (e.g., neurologist, cardiac surgeon, hepatologist, nephrologist). Though it is not a "pocket-sized" manual, it is an outstanding paperback manual that is comprehensive yet portable and easily would serve as the sole bedside/ call room reference book in the acute ICU setting.

Rating:
Summary: Only if you are a doctor or medical student, then buy this
Review: This book looked wonderful until I actually received it and started reading it. It was a book written for doctors by doctors. What a disappointment, especially since I am a registered nurse with minimal ICU skills, and was looking for this book under NURSING references. If you are a medical student, I highly recommend it, but otherwise, save your money!!