Since the very beginning of critical care medicine, much attention has been paid to the risk of bleeding, but only recently the risk of thrombosis has been recognized in critical patients; in fact, current laboratory investigations aimed to monitor blood coagulation are more focused on the assessment of the hemorrhagic than of the thrombotic risk. Since mid-90s, many studies have detected powerful pro-thrombotic actions of endogenous mediators in sepsis and other inflammatory conditions, including trauma and postoperative status. Unfortunately, the related complication are both hard to...

This book covers a wide array of hematologic problems commonly encountered in the daily practice of critical care and emergency medicine. Unfortunately, the symptoms and signs associated with underlying hematologic disorders are frequently rather unspecific and confounding; furthermore, the clinical course of patients admitted to intensive care units with such disorders can be fulminant, warranting prompt diagnosis. This book recognizes the importance of accurate and speedy interpretation of symptoms in that the text is symptom oriented rather than disease oriented. Put another way, the...