Description Provides a single source book providing the reader with the most up-to-date therapies and protocols for managing acute medical situations Extensively re-written since the first edition; contains the latest evidence-based guidelines Improved, colour text design to aid navigation and readability, with a colour plate section showing acute eye and skin conditions Contains a new chapter on psychiatric emergencies Accessible to all members of the multidisciplinary team and practitioners across a wide range of specialties   New to this edition Chapter on psychiatric emergencies List of useful web sites Extensive revision of all chapters in line with the recent Task Force Reports and recommendations from the Royal Colleges and specialist societies, e.g. Resuscitation Guidelines 2000; British Thoracic Society Guidelines on ischaemic heart disease; British, European and American Society of Cardiology Guidelines; changes in management of HIV; modern therapies in shock and ARDS, acute lung injury More evidence-based   The management of acute medical emergencies is the most demanding and stressful aspect of medical training. Most textbooks of medicine can only go into general detail about the management of medical emergencies, and it is difficult for the practising doctor to keep up-to-date with the latest guidelines while doing a busy clinical job. The Oxford Handbook of Acute Medicine is an up-to-date, practical and comprehensive guide to the management of the acutely ill patient. The book relates pathophysiology to clinical features to help the reader make the diagnosis quickly. It identifies priorities for treatment and leads the reader, step-by-step, through the management of the patient while awaiting specialist help. Wherever possible, published guidelines have been incorporated to ensure that the book reflects current, recommended management of medical emergencies, with evidence-based treatments. Details of specialist treatments are included to inform readers about the patient`s likely ongoing care. The layout of the book reflects clinical practice: topics are divided into assessment, differential diagnosis, immediate management and ongoing treatment. There is an extensive section on practical procedures. It is the ideal companion for students (keen to understand the management of patients they see during their training), practising physicians at all levels from recently qualified doctors to consultants (to brush upon the modern management of acute medical conditions), staff in A&E who see acutely ill patients daily, and nurses caring for acutely ill patients.   Readership: Junior doctors (PRHOs; SHOs in the UK); general physicians, A & E staff; anaesthetists; general practitioners; nurses; senior medical students Contents 1. Cardiovascular emergencies 2. Respiratory emergencies 3. Shock 4. Infectious diseases 5. Infections in the HIV patient 6. Renal emergencies 7. Neurological emergencies 8. Psychiatric emergencies 9. Endocrine emergencies 10. Gastroenterological emergencies 11. Haematological emergencies 12. Rheumatological emergencies 13. Dermatological emergencies 14. Drug overdoses 15. Disorders due to physical agents 16. Practical procedures Reference intervals Useful web sites Useful telephone numbers Index