The Pharmacist's Expanded Role in Critical Care Medicine

There are few textbooks aimed specifically at critical care pharmacists, particularly in terms of their potential role in diagnosis. Recognizing this important gap, the editors of this comprehensive book have gathered together 55 chapters that provide an overview of core aspects of critical care patient management from the pharmacist’s perspective. The chapters, written by an international team of more than 100 experts, provide an important update on the physiological and pathological mechanisms of key areas of critical illness and the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to these conditions for the pharmacist. There are chapters focusing on specific diseases or conditions, including shock, acute liver failure, acute kidney injury, delirium, and acute pulmonary embolism; chapters on interpretation of diagnostic tests, such as radiology and electrocardiography; chapters on therapeutic interventions, including mechanical ventilation, intravenous fluids, renal replacement therapy, ECMO, nutrition, and blood transfusion; and chapters on specific groups of ICU patients, including obstetric, oncology, transplant, and burn patients. Two of the chapters, on the approach to clinical reasoning in critical care and sustainable pharmacy practice in the ICU, are unique chapters to pharmacy education and training. Providing an up-to-date overview of topics related to critical care and emphasizing the importance of correct diagnosis in providing appropriate and optimal treatment, this collection will help prepare ICU pharmacists for their multifaceted responsibilities as members of the ICU team, including an expanded role in limiting misdiagnosis. This book will serve as a useful resource for all pharmacists involved in the management of critically ill patients, whatever their level of experience and training.