This incisive reference systematically reviews the diagnosis and treatment of common surgical and medical emergencies in elderly patients-thoroughly examining surgical interventions, drug therapies and drug prescribing protocols, life-threatening drug reactions, ethical issues, and methods of profiling patients for nursing care. Evaluates disease states and gauges optimal responses to each, supporting recommendations with valuable case studies. Written by over 40 distinguished medical experts, Acute Emergencies and Critical Care of the Geriatric Patient 7describes ideal patient-physician relationships in critical care settings 7highlights emergency management of myocardial infarction and cardiogenic pulmonary edema 7illuminates ethical questions surrounding confidentiality, informed consent, surrogate decision making, and patient comfort 7assesses special pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic conditions in geriatric patients 7provides vital information on stroke, seizures, and spinal cord compression 7investigates critical complications caused by pneumonia, meningitis, and endocarditis 7explores acute lung disorders such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, central nervous system dysfunction, and abnormal control of ventilation 7clarifies preoperative procedures for emergency surgery 7reviews anesthesia strategies for pulmonary, cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, and neurological conditions in the elderly 7and more! Including over 1000 references, tables, and illustrations, Acute Emergencies and Critical Care of the Geriatric Patient is an indispensable resource for geriatricians, primary care physicians, internists, emergency medicine physicians, intensivists, hosptialists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, orthopedists, cardiologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, and internists/residents in these disciplines, as well as nurses, pharmacists, and medical students.

Clinicians and researchers, many from the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles, focus on approaches to diagnosing and treating the most commonly encountered medical and surgical acute emergencies and life-threatening conditions in elderly people. They also, however, consider such topics as prescribing drugs for critically ill patients and adverse life-threatening drug reactions, elder abuse, ethics, and nursing care of the critically ill elderly. Covering principles of geriatric critical care, surgical and medical emergencies, and special issues of aging, they detail the relevance of aging issues in the emergency department, emergency anesthesia, hip fracture patients, hypertensive crises, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, acute vision impairment or loss, hypothermia and hyperthermia, and other aspects.
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Pt. I. Principles of geriatric critical care — Ch. 1. Relevance of aging issues in the emergency department — Ch. 2. Ethics in emergency care of critically ill patients — Ch. 3. Drug dosing and life-threatening drug reactions in the critically ill patient — Ch. 4. Acute and critical nursing care — Pt. II. Surgical emergencies — Ch. 5. Emergency preoperative evaluation — Ch. 6. Emergency anesthesia — Ch. 7. Traumatic injuries — Ch. 8. Critical care of the hip fracture patient — Ch. 9. Acute conditions of the abdomen — Ch. 10. Acute vascular emergencies