Review of “Oxford Textbook of Neurocritical Care,” edited by Martin M. Smith, Giuseppe G. Citerio, and W. Andrew I. Kofke

Abstract

No doubt rapid advancements in technology have had significant impact on medical diagnosis and treatment. Online access to current research is important for staying current and yet, the Oxford Textbook of Neurocritical Care, edited by Martin Smith, Giuseppe Citerio and W. Andrew Kofke, provides an in-depth foundation of neuropathophysiology for providers in the neurocritical care setting. Divided into 3 main parts, the text is researched and written by more than 60 experts in their respective fields. While disorders of the Central Nervous System (CNS) provide the focus for neurological care, this text also defines the role that complications from respiratory failure and other organ system failures play in patient outcomes. Caring for the neurocritical patient requires a multidisciplinary approach to understanding pathophysiology, treatment, and prognosis. It is essential that healthcare providers, from technologists to nurses to physicians, understand these interactions. Part I of the text introduces neurocritical care and the basic principles of the pathophysiology of severe CNS disorders and the effects on or by other organ systems, such as respiratory failure, intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion, as well as the efficacy of monitoring and imaging techniques. The neuroanatomy of cell structure, cerebral blood flow, cerebral spinal fluid, and cerebral metabolism are discussed as they relate to traumatic brain injury, edema, hemorrhage, stroke, seizures, ischemia and more. Pharmacological treatments are outlined, including antiepileptic drugs, anesthetic agents, analgesics, barbiturates, catecholamines, calcium channel blockers and more. Further, attention is given to the considerations of cardiovascular and respiratory effects on life-threatening CNS disease as related to mechanical ventilation and oxygenation. This section concludes with an examination of the ethical and legal issues inevitably encountered in treating critically ill patients. Often providers are faced with dilemmas regarding whether to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatments balanced against resulting quality of life or death. Part II, aptly named Monitoring, evaluates the important physiologic parameters necessary to monitor for signs of improvement or decline in a patient, as well as the available diagnostic tools to guide in medical decision-making. Some of the areas The Neurodiagnostic Journal, 62: 181–182, 2022 © 2022 ASET – The Neurodiagnostic Society ISSN: 2164-6821 print / 2375-8627 online DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21646821.2022.2113322