The management of critically ill patients is an important and integral part of internal medicine practice. Often, junior doctors and medical students receive insufficient training in this area of medicine.

There are important differences in the management of critically ill patients when compared with relatively stable patients, and these differences are vital in saving lives.

Critical care medicine is different from most other disciplines in that the approach is more problem oriented, rather than disease or condition oriented.

This does not mean that the role of the ICU clinician is simply to correct parameters which are out of normal range. On the contrary, a clear understanding of the basis of the clinical manifestations in critically ill patients is essential to proper management.

Anticipation and forward planning in care is also vital, as is the rapidity of response required from the treating team.

This book aims to give junior doctors and medical students an introduction to the practice of critical care medicine, orienting the reader towards a problem-solving approach.

It is hoped that this book will serve to make the subject of critical care medicine seem less threatening.

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