Published under the auspices of the World Federation of Societies of Intensive Care Medicine, which consists of 48 members societies, both medical and nursing. It is a world wide organisation whose aim is to promote excellence in the care of critically ill patients.

This critical care medicine book substantially differs from others due to the range of peculiarities that characterize it. Since it deals with acute patients in critical conditions, this is, as it were, a 'borderline'book, in the sense that it is intended for those, who, in their activity, need a continuous and in-depth interdisciplinary approach to optimize the quality of the treatments offered to critically-ill patients. This book helps to have a better understanding of the current limits of human intervention and aims at supplying updated guidelines; in particular, it is intended for those...

At the APICE '96 research scientists and clinicians were provided with updated guidelines for the treatment of patients with acute and chronic critical conditions. This volume contains 100 chapters, in which the main pathophysiological concepts were reviewed, with special emphasis on the cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, and neurologic systems. Special reference is made to the pharmacologic and biotechnologic strategies currently being used to support those vital functions that are affected by severe and sometimes devastating diseases. The topics of infection, sepsis, and SIRS have been...