E BOOK REVIEW
Core Topics in Cardiothoracic Critical and complex congenital heart disease, and basics of pediat-
Care, 2nd ed
Valchanov K, Jones N, Hogue CW. Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge University, 2018, 484 pages, Hardcover
$99.99 (USD), ISBN: 978-1-107-13163-7
Downloaded from http://journals.lww.com/anesthesia-analgesia by BhDMf5ePHKav1zEoum1tQfN4a+kJLhEZgbsI
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C ore Topics in Cardiothoracic Critical Care, second edition,
is a welcome update of a successful textbook first pub-
lished in 2008. With the growth of cardiothoracic critical care
as a subspecialty, this new edition addresses advances in
knowledge, technology, and practice in the field. This text-
book covers essential topics for new cardiothoracic trainees
and provides an overview for practicing intensivists.
Organization of this new edition is quite different from
its predecessor and includes several new chapters. There
are 57 chapters divided into 8 sections, covering diagnosis,
practical procedures, therapeutic interventions, advanced
organ support, acute disorders, perioperative care of spe-
cific surgical procedures, critical care disease management,
provision, and delivery of critical care. This organization
allows the text to be highly accessible and aids rapid loca-
tion of information. The acute disorders section covers com-
mon postoperative problems seen in the critical care unit,
such as respiratory failure, bleeding, and resuscitation, all
which are useful for new trainees preparing for nights on
call. Diagnosis is a new section within this textbook cover-
ing essentials of critical care echocardiography, coronary
angiography, microbiology, bronchoscopy, and radiology.
The second edition includes important chapters cover-
ing life-saving mechanical support using ventricular assist
devices, percutaneous mechanical support (intraaortic bal-
loon pumps, Impella, TandemHeart), and extracorporeal
membrane oxygenation for cardiac and respiratory disor-
ders within the advanced organ support section. This is a
vital section with very specific patient management issues
that is typically challenging for new trainees to grasp. These
chapters describe the basic principles of these technologies,
as well as various configurations, indications, perioperative
patient care, and specific complications to look out for. The
chapter on ventricular assist devices also addresses the post
critical care issues regarding discharge planning, patient
survival, functional status, and overall impact on quality of
life. This textbook also includes new chapters on the grow-
ing areas of managing pregnant patients with cardiovascular
disorders, cardiothoracic critical care for adults with simple
DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000003993
March 2019 • Volume 128 • Number 3
Copyright © 2019 International Anesthesia Research Society. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
ric intensive care. Core chapters cover essentials of postop-
erative critical care, including modes of ventilation, sedation
options and monitoring, vasoactive drug support, transfu-
sion, and renal replacement therapies. Some core chapters,
such as respiratory failure, are updated with new definitions
and management of acute respiratory distress syndrome.
The chapters are written by experts within their field
and kept brief, allowing for simple and fast reading. The
chapters appear designed to provide a good overview of
relevant cardiothoracic topics and practical bedside guide
to patient care rather than in-depth, evidence-based review
of topics. This is a particularly useful approach for new
trainees and allied health professionals who require a suc-
cinct overview when caring for patients with various post-
operative cardiorespiratory issues. Most chapters conclude
with key learning points and multiple-choice questions. For
more in-depth information on topics, the chapters include a
short list of additional relevant texts for readers. The book
makes use of many tables and figures within each chapter,
although additional color figures and diagrams would be
welcome to aid the flow of information.
In conclusion, Core Topics in Cardiothoracic Critical Care
provides a concise overview of caring for complex patients
within this specialty. We would recommend this as a practi-
cal first-line textbook for new trainees and allied health pro-
fessionals managing patients who have undergone different
cardiothoracic surgical procedures and managing various
complications within the critical care unit.
Stephanie Ladowski, MDCM, FRCPC
Department of Anesthesia
Toronto General Hospital (University Health Network)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Department of Anesthesia
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Angela Jerath, MSc, FRCPC, FANZCA, MD, BSc
Department of Anesthesia
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Department of Anesthesia
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
angela.jerath@mail.utoronto.ca
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