Current Topics in Emergency Medicine

A unique textbook in cardiovascular emergencies “Cardiovascular Problems in Emergency Medicine” takes you on rounds with the leading teachers of emergency medicine. Transcripts of in-depth telephone conferences on 27 real-life cardiovascular cases provide a unique and fascinating insight into the way complex cases are diagnosed and managed by some of the most experienced and respected practitioners in the field. Each chapter is then complemented by an authoritative, fully-referenced review of the current literature on the topic. With its unique approach, and the range of cases covered, “Cardiovascular Problems in Emergency Medicine” is an invaluable source of information for all emergency physicians, both qualified and in training.

This book is designed to consolidate the relevant literature as well as the thoughts of professionals currently working in the field into a practical and accessible reference for the emergency medical technician, student, nurse, resident, and attending emergency physician. Each chapter is divided into four sections: case presentation, discussion, review of the current literature, and recommendations. Designed to serve simultaneously as a learning and reference tool, each chapter begins with a real case that was encountered in an ED setting. The case presentation is followed by a short discussion of the case, as if at a morbidity and mortality conference, by a panel of experienced attending physicians explaining how they would approach the ethical dilemmas associated with the case, and a review of the existing literature.

The elderly represent the fastest growing segment of the population in developed countries, reflected in the patient population presenting to EDs and hospitals. These patients more often than not have greater co-morbidities, more complicated workups and utilize more laboratory and radiologic services. This text is designed to teach emergency physicians how best to care for this specific demographic of patients. It addresses physiologic changes, high-risk conditions, and atypical presentations associated with elderly patients in the ED that result in frequent misdiagnosis or delays in diagnosis. It instructs the readers how best to care for elderly patients in order to minimize morbidity and mortality, addressing some of the difficult psychosocial issues that confront health care providers that care for elderly patients, such as psychiatric disease and end-of-life care. The utility of this text is not limited to emergency physicians, but it should be useful to all health care providers involved in the treatment of elderly patients with acute medical or surgical conditions.