Principles and Practice of Mechanical Ventilation

New England Journal of Medicine

Twelve years have elapsed since the publication of the first edition of this reference book. The recently released second edition maintains the reputation of the first as the most comprehensive single source on mechanical ventilation. Its breadth and its up-to-date discussions of the topic make it an ideal reference for the busy clinician.

Editor Martin Tobin should be commended for his work on this new edition, which is a considerable improvement on the first — so much so that it bears little resemblance to its predecessor. There are 24 new chapters, bringing the total to 70, a testament to the major changes in mechanical ventilation that have occurred during the past decade. Contributions from prominent authorities add an international perspective, yet Tobin has been able to establish a relatively uniform style from chapter to chapter, making the book consistent and easy to read. The first chapter, a historical perspective on mechanical ventilation, makes the enormous advances in this field readily apparent. One example is the shift from negative-pressure iron-lung ventilation, in use for polio victims as recently as the 1960s in the United States, to positive-pressure bag ventilation, pioneered during the 1952 polio outbreak in Copenhagen.

One of the great strengths of the book is its wealth of information on the physiology, mechanics, and machinery of mechanical ventilation. It also takes a problem-based approach to treatment, which will appeal to clinicians. There are extensive chapters on acute lung injury, obstructive lung disease, neuromuscular weakness, alternative ventilatory modes, noninvasive ventilation, airway management, home ventilation, and weaning. The authors deal with such topics as agitation, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and even transport of a patient who is being ventilated. The book is well illustrated, with technical ventilator circuit diagrams, clinical radiographs, photographs of a wide array of respiratory therapy equipment, and many ventilator waveform tracings.

We checked the thoroughness of the book by searching through it for solutions to uncommon clinical problems we have confronted in our experience in an intensive care unit and a specialized post–intensive care rehabilitation unit. The book provides helpful advice on complex airway problems, diaphragmatic pacing, and ventilator-supported speech. It reinforces the idea that the era of the comprehensive reference book is not over, especially in the field of critical care.—New England Journal of Medicine

From The Critics

Reviewer: David J. Dries, MD(University of Minnesota Medical School)
Description: This is the second edition of the leading textbook on mechanical ventilation. The first edition was published in 1994 by the same editor.
Purpose: A comprehensive and contemporary discussion of mechanical ventilation with recent research is provided.
Audience: Fellows and practitioners in multidisciplinary critical care are an appropriate audience for this work. The editor and authors represent a group of international experts in various aspects of mechanical ventilation.
Features: After a brief history of mechanical ventilation, modes of ventilation are discussed followed by "unconventional methods" of ventilator support. A series of 10 chapters then reviews specific applications of mechanical ventilation including needs of the pediatric patient, mechanical ventilation during resuscitation, ventilation of ARDS, and the management of ventilatory support in chronic care facilities. The remainder of the 70 chapters covers airway management, complications of mechanical ventilation, adjunctive medical therapies, and problems common to the management of any ventilated patient with particular emphasis on patient-ventilator dyssynchrony. Presentations include significant detail and each chapter contains an exhaustive reference list with an emphasis on original work dating to two years prior to publication. Black-and-white photographs and line drawings reproduce with acceptable but not outstanding quality. The table of contents groups chapters by type of content and lists authorship while an extensive subject index of approximately 70 pages includes separate citations for figures and tables.
Assessment: This second edition continues the role established by its predecessor as the leading work in the field. Mechanical ventilation, as a defining event of critical care, has seen an explosion of physiologic and outcomes research in the past decade. Our thinking about management of ARDS, ventilator-induced lung injury, patient-ventilator interaction, and infectious complications has changed dramatically. All of this recent work is summarized here.

New England Journal of Medicine

"Twelve years have elapsed since the publication of the first edition of this reference book. The recently released second edition maintains the reputation of the first as the most comprehensive single source on mechanical ventilation. Its breadth and its up-to-date discussions of the topic make it an ideal reference for the busy clinician.

"Editor Martin Tobin should be commended for his work on this new edition, which is a considerable improvement on the first — so much so that it bears little resemblance to its predecessor. There are 24 new chapters, bringing the total to 70, a testament to the major changes in mechanical ventilation that have occurred during the past decade. Contributions from prominent authorities add an international perspective, yet Tobin has been able to establish a relatively uniform style from chapter to chapter, making the book consistent and easy to read. The first chapter, a historical perspective on mechanical ventilation, makes the enormous advances in this field readily apparent. One example is the shift from negative-pressure iron-lung ventilation, in use for polio victims as recently as the 1960s in the United States, to positive-pressure bag ventilation, pioneered during the 1952 polio outbreak in Copenhagen.

"One of the great strengths of the book is its wealth of information on the physiology, mechanics, and machinery of mechanical ventilation. It also takes a problem-based approach to treatment, which will appeal to clinicians. There are extensive chapters on acute lung injury, obstructive lung disease, neuromuscular weakness, alternative ventilatory modes, noninvasive ventilation, airway management, home ventilation, and weaning. The authors deal with such topics as agitation, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and even transport of a patient who is being ventilated. The book is well illustrated, with technical ventilator circuit diagrams, clinical radiographs, photographs of a wide array of respiratory therapy equipment, and many ventilator waveform tracings.

"We checked the thoroughness of the book by searching through it for solutions to uncommon clinical problems we have confronted in our experience in an intensive care unit and a specialized post–intensive care rehabilitation unit. The book provides helpful advice on complex airway problems, diaphragmatic pacing, and ventilator-supported speech. It reinforces the idea that the era of the comprehensive reference book is not over, especially in the field of critical care."--New England Journal of Medicine