It gives me great pleasure to have this opportunity to write a Foreword for this new book. In the past two decades we have witnessed very significant advances in the management of the very ill patient. The great success in this field of medical endeavour is largely due to the establishment of intensive care units, but a great deal of progress can also be attributed to the major developments in technology, which affect patient management and care as well as the many sophisticated techniques of diagnosis and patient monitoring. Imaging and Labelling Techniques in the Critically III covers this...

The interrelated syndromes of shock and the adult respiratory distress to attract the attention of both clinical and syndrome (ARDS) continue laboratory scientists. This reflects both the size of the problem and its unresponsiveness to current lines of treatment. Doubtless, a greater appreciation of the underlying pathophysiological disturbances during the past two decades has led to appropriate action and increased survival in the early stages but once established these syndromes have remained remarkably immune to a wide spectrum of therapeutic modalities. This observation stresses the...

A workshop was organised in order to achieve multi-discipli- nary review of the pathogenesis and management of acute failure, particularly as it occurs and is managed in intensive therapy units. The book deals with the realities and practicalities of this important area of acute medicine. Each chapter is followed by a discussion, so that a concen- sus view is obtained from an international body of experts.