Initial Management of Acute Medical Patients A Guide for Nurses and Healthcare Practitioners 2nd Edition

What was it like?

This clearly presented book covers the assessment and management of the acutely ill medical patient in the first 24 hours of admission to hospital. Chapters are arranged into broad topics such as Sudden Death, Cardiac Arrest and the Vulnerable Adult rather than specific body systems or disease pathology. Its holistic approach reflects the fact that patients are living longer with multiple co-morbidities and therefore makes this an interesting and topical presentation. Although this book only covers the basic principles of assessment and management, its depth is sufficient to provide nurses with enough information to assess and act on the patient’s condition. It gives an outline of the use of physical assessment with differential diagnoses and treatment regimes that will appeal to primary care nurses as well as those in secondary care. Although possibly not as detailed as a large medical text, it draws on current literature and guidelines to provide an excellent nursing reference.

What were the highlights? 

Important features of this book include the section on the Vulnerable Adult and the relevance of the contributors’ roles to the subject matter. It also provides a systematic and clear approach to assessment and management of acute conditions.

Strengths & weaknesses:

Strengths of this book include:

·        A clear layout using boxes and tables to summarise key facts.

·        A broad appeal for nurses and practitioners working in a variety of settings and at varying levels of practice.

·        Use of scenarios and exercises that encourage critical thinking.

·        Current and extensive referencing.

There are minimal weaknesses to this text, although advanced practitioners or those working within a specialism may need to consult medical texts for detailed or specialist information as this book does not cover all body systems, specialities or disease pathology. 

Who should read it?

Even though aimed at nurses and healthcare practitioners working in the acute sector, I would suggest that this book will be equally appealing to those working in primary care and the community setting whose aim it is to keep patients in their home settings while recognising and managing exacerbations of their conditions. I would also suggest that this book would appeal to junior members of staff as a source of new knowledge, but also to the advanced practitioner as an excellent update and clinical reference.