Post-Operative Cardiac Care.

The extraordinary advances in cardiac surgery have widened the possibility of improvement for an ever increasing number of patients. The purpose of this volume is to inform those responsible for the postoperative management of these patients of the special problems that must be identified and treated to achieve a successful outcome. The 143 pages comprise 12 chapters that include the following subjects: design and management of an intensive care unit, blood balance, water and electrolyte balance, blood gas and acid base changes, and hematological disorders. Separate chapters deal with the postoperative problems of the cardiovascular system, respiratory failure, cerebral damage, cardiac arrest, and the special problems of infancy. The book does not deal with the postoperative management of cardiac patients undergoing noncardiac operations. Some aspects of the relevant special pathologic physiology underlying each problem are discussed very briefly in each chapter. Primarily, "the book is designed as a practical