This book brings together basic scientists or clinicians from a variety of different backgrounds - immunology, infectious diseases or critical care - who share a common interest in understanding the changes that occur in immune responses in sepsis. It provides an up-to-date and unrivalled synthesis of current research in this rapidly developing field.

Critically ill and critically injured patients require specialized nutrition support to avoid the complications of progressive malnutrition. There is a paucity of information providing practical solutions to these difficult clinical problems. From Nutrition Support to Pharmacologic Nutrition in the ICU focuses on the theoretical and practical aspects of the management of this high-risk patient population. Each chapter presents a state-of-the-art discussion of nutritional and metabolic issues relevant to this resource-intensive patient population and contains current references,...

The pathophysiology of sepsis can be regarded as a series of steps, beginning with the invasion of normally sterile tissue by microbes and the elaboration of various pro-inflammatory mediators. The final common pathway is often the development of the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Whereas a great deal has been learned during the past quarter century about the inflammatory processes associated with sepsis (and other related conditions, such as ischemia/reperfusion injury), our understanding is far less developed with respect to the pathophysiological events that lead to organ...

There have been tremendous advances in understanding the cellular mechanisms involved in sepsis and contributing to the development of multiple organ dysfunction and mortality in this setting. The chapters in this book provide up-to-date insights into important pathways that are initiated by sepsis.

For many years, intensive care has focused on avoiding immediate death from acute, life-threatening conditions. However, there are increasing reports of a number of lingering consequences for those who do indeed survive intensive care. Examples include on-going high risk of death, neurocognitive defects, significant caregiver burden, and continued high healthcare costs.
Surviving Intensive Care, written by the world's experts in this area, is dedicated to better understanding the consequences of surviving intensive care and is intended to provide a synopsis of the current knowledge...

The coronary circulation is central to sustaining myocardial viability. Unlike the cir culations of most other organs, if the coronary circulation becomes insufficient to sustain myocardial contractile function, overall quality of life rapidly declines and life can abruptly end. In partnership with the cerebral circulation, the coronary circula tion plays a central role in sustaining life. However, unlike the cerebral circulation, whose function is self-sufficient to define life, the coronary circulation determines global blood flow and thus the initial state for the remainder of the body....