Prof. Maurizio Cecconi is Head of Department Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Units, IRCCS Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano (MI), Italy and Professor of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele (MI), Italy. His main fields of research are haemodynamic monitoring, haemodynamic optimisation and physiology of the critically ill patient. He has published extensively and has specific interest in haemodynamic monitoring and fluid management of the critically ill.

Prof. Daniel De Backer is Professor of Intensive Care at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium Head of Intensive Care Departments of CHIREC Hospitals (Brussels and Braine l'Alleud-Waterloo). His main fields of investigation are severe sepsis, organ dysfunction, acute circulatory failure and its treatment (in particular vasoactive agents), haemodynamic monitoring, hepato-splanchnic circulation and microcirculatory disorders.

Volume editors

Frantisek Duska is a head of Intensive Care and associate professor of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at Charles University, Third Medical Faculty and FNKV University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic.

Mo Al-Haddad is a consultant in Anaesthesia and Critical Care and Honorary Professor of School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing, University of Glasgow. Mo has been an editor in chief of the ESICM Academy.

Maurizio Ceccioni is the director of the Residency School of Anaesthesia at Humanitas University in Rozzano, Italy and Head of the Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Department at Humanitas Research Hospital. He is also the President of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (2020-2022).

Foreword.- Preface.- Part I. Introduction.- Part II. Key Concepts in Intensive Care Medicine.- Identification and Initial Stabilisation of Acutely Deteriorated Patients.- ICU Routines and Bundles of Care.- Intra-hospital Transport.- Human Factors and Non-technical Skills.- Approach to Difficult Decisions and End-of-life Care.- Part III. Organ Dysfunction and Support.- Respiratory Failure and Respiratory Support.- Shock and Haemodynamic Monitoring.- Disorders of Consciousness.- Interpreting Blood Gas Analysis.- Acute Kidney Injury.- Sepsis and Septic Shock.- Part IV. Common Challenges and Troubleshooting in the ICU.- Hypoxia and Ventilator Asynchronies.- Arrhythmias.- An Approach to the Critically Ill Bleeding Patient.- Analgesia and Sedation.- Agitation and Delirium.- Common Electrolyte Disturbances.- Weaning from Mechanical Ventilation.- BM.- Supplementary Information.- Appendix A. Common ICU Drugs.- Appendix B. Useful Checklists and Algorithms.- Appendix C. Trainee Survival Guide.