Critical Care Assessment Handbook

Designed for use in the clinical setting, this resource provides realistic guidelines for the bedside application of physical assessment skills to critically ill adults, including geriatric patients. It focuses on when and why to use specific techniques in the care of the critically ill person and provides useful guidelines for initial and focused assessments of adults in critical care with disorders involving one or more body system. It features helpful rationales for the use of specific techniques.Summarisesthe contents of an initial, baseline, and focused assessment of the critically ill patient in easy-to-read tables.Presents general physiologic/psychosocial considerations in the assessment of the geriatric patient and family, emphasising their specific assessment needs.
Reviews the basic anatomy, physiology, and Pathophysiology of each body system, including normal changes associated with ageing.Covers the essential elements of a focused assessment along with highlighted performance tips, illustrations, and rationales.
Emphasises the variationthat must be taken into account when assessing the geriatric patient.Integrates physical assessment findings with laboratory and bedside monitoring findings for each disorder, and provides rationales for abnormal results.