Surgical Critical Care
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* Donna McRitchie

**SURGICAL CRITICAL CARE.** John A. Weigelt and Frank R. Lewis, Jr. 453 pp. Illust. W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia; W.B. Saunders Canada, Toronto. 1996. $138. ISBN 0-7216-3368-4

The intended readers of this book are surgeons interested in learning the basic principles of critical care, surgical intensivists who need brief updating but already have a broad basic knowledge, and housestaff doing an intensive care unit (ICU) rotation who need a concise, readable, up-to-date book on critical care.

The purpose of the book is to provide the reader with “a surgeon’s perspective relative to critical care” issues. It is not meant to be a reference text, and it is far from comprehensive. However, what it lacks in volume and thoroughness, it more than makes up for in the excellent choice of topics, the concise readable format, the well-researched scientific treatment of many issues and the inclusion of often-neglected subjects such as statistics, severity of illness scores, pharmacokinetic alterations, endocrine problems and decision-making strategies. The information provided is accurate, timely and extremely useful. The practical, clinical slant in many chapters is nicely balanced with the scientific rationale for their recommendations. Indeed, the science behind the information presented is married so well with the practical aspects of ICU care, that one finds oneself grasping issues with a depth of understanding not felt previously. All the major categories of disease are covered. My only criticism is that the descriptions are often too brief and concise. This may not really be a disadvantage at all given the book’s intended purpose.

In summary, this excellent textbook uses a concise, readable format to cover the pertinent issues in surgical critical care. It will appeal to a wide range of junior and senior surgeons interested in this very important area of the care of surgical patients.