Acute Medicine: A Practical Guide to the Management of Medical Emergencies

Acute Medicine offers an accessible and concise guide to the practical management of all acute medical problems likely to be encountered in the emergency department, ambulatory care centre, acute medical unit or on the wards.

Reflecting the maturation of acute medicine as a separate specialty, the book is divided into common presentations, specific problems and procedures. New to the fifth edition is a chapter on bed–side ultrasonography; throughout, emphasis is placed on patient safety, and the use of flow diagrams, tables and figures ensures that key information is quickly accessible.

Thoroughly revised by experts in the subject, and updated to reflect current approaches to diagnosis and management, Acute Medicine is an excellent companion for the trainee as well as an aide–mémoire for the more experienced physician.

Contributors

Preface

Evolution of Acute Medicine: the development of Ambulatory Emergency Care

Section 1: PRESENTATIONS IN ACUTE MEDICINE

General

1 The critically ill patient

2 Hypotension and shock

3 Reduced conscious level

4 Delirium

5 Falls in older people

Cardiorespiratory

6 Cardiac arrest

7 Acute chest pain

8 Palpitations

9 Transient loss of consciousness

10 Acute breathlessness

11 Acute respiratory failure

12 Pleural effusion

13 Cough and haemoptysis

Neurological

14 Neurological diagnosis in acute medicine

15 Acute headache

16 Seizures and epilepsy

17 Weakness and paralysis

18 Acute sensory symptoms

19 Loss of vision

Abdominal

20 Acute vomiting

21 Acute abdominal pain

22 Acute diarrhoea

23 Acute jaundice

24 Ascites

25 Acute kidney injury

Skin and Musculoskeletal

26 Acute rash

27 Urticaria and angioedema

28 Acute arthritis

29 Acute spinal pain

30 Acute limb pain

Miscellaneous

31 Comprehensive geriatric assessment

32 Acute medical problems in pregnancy

33 Fever on return from abroad

34 Acute medical problems in the HIV–positive patient

Section 2: SYNDROMES AND DISORDERS

General

35 Sepsis

36 Poisoning

37 Acid–base disorders

38 Anaphylaxis

Cardiovascular

39 Acute arrhythmias: general principles of management

40 Regular broad complex tachycardia

41 Irregular broad complex tachycardia

42 Narrow complex tachycardia

43 Atrial fibrillation and flutter

44 Bradycardia and atrioventricular block

45 Acute coronary syndromes 1: ST–segment elevation

46 Acute coronary syndromes 2: Non–ST–segment elevation

47 Acute pulmonary edema

48 Acute heart failure and decompensated chronic heart failure

49 Cardiogenic shock

50 Aortic dissection and other acute aortic syndromes

51 Heart valve disease and prosthetic heart valves

52 Infective endocarditis

53 Acute pericarditis

54 Cardiac tamponade

55 Severe hypertension

56 Deep vein thrombosis

57 Pulmonary embolism

58 Problems with pacemakers and other cardiac devices

59 Upper airway obstruction

60 Acute asthma

61 Exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

62 Community–acquired pneumonia

63 Hospital–acquired pneumonia

64 Pneumothorax

65 Stroke

66 Transient ischaemic attack

67 Subarachnoid haemorrhage

68  Bacterial meningitis

69 Encephalitis

70 Spinal cord compression

71 Guillain–Barré syndrome

72 Raised intracranial pressure

73 Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding

74 Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding

75 Acute oesophageal disorders

76 Inflammatory bowel disease flare

77 Acute liver failure and decompensated chronic liver disease

78 Alcoholic hepatitis

79 Biliary tract disorders and acute pancreatitis

80 Urinary tract infection

81 Hypoglycaemia

82 Hyperglycaemic states

83 Diabetic ketoacidosis

84 Hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state

85 Disorders of plasma sodium concentration

86 Disorders of plasma potassium concentration

87 Disorders of plasma calcium concentration

88 Disorders of plasma magnesium concentration

89 Disorders of plasma phosphate concentration

90 Acute adrenal insufficiency

91 Thyrotoxic storm

92 Myxedema coma

93 Pituitary apoplexy

94Paraganglioma (phaeochromocytoma) crisis

95 Cellulitis and necrotizing fasciitis

96 Erythroderma and toxic epidermal necrolysis

97 Acute gout and pseudogout

98 Septic arthritis

99 Acute vasculitis

100 Interpretation of full blood count and film

101 Pancytopenia and Febrile neutropenia

102 Bleeding disorders

103 Management of anticoagulation

104 Acute painful sickle cell crisis

105 Complications of cancer

106 Alcohol–related problems in acute medicine

107 Hypothermia

108 Drowning

109 Electrical injury

110 Palliative and end–of–life care

111 Medicolegal issues in Acute Medicine

112 Airway management

113 Non–invasive ventilation

Section 3: TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURES IN ACUTE MEDICINE

114 Ultrasonography in Acute Medicine

115 Reading a chest X–ray

116 Central vein cannulation

117 Arterial blood sampling and cannulation

118 Arterial blood gases, oxygen saturation and oxygen therapy

119 Temporary cardiac pacing

120 Pericardial aspiration (pericardiocentesis)

121 DC cardioversion

122 Insertion of an intercostal chest drain

123 Lumbar puncture

124 Aspiration of the knee joint

125 Insertion of a Sengstaken Blakemore tube

David Sprigings,  Consultant Physician 1993–2016, Northampton General Hospital, Northampton, UK. John Chambers,  Professor of Clinical Cardiology and Consultant Cardiologist, Guy′s and St Thomas′ Hospitals, London, UK.