This text:

• Is aimed primarily at trainees working in intensive care. Hopefully will appeal to multidisciplinary trainees being exposed to ICU for the first time under joint college guidelines for ICU training. May also be of interest to ICU nurses looking for information on modern medical (in the strictest sense) approaches to ICU therapy. A basic knowledge of physiology and pharmacology is assumed as well as either a medical background or advanced nursing experience in intensive care.

• May also be a useful “aide memoire” for ICU examinations especially for the FRCA and diplomas in intensive care.

• The First Edition arose out of a series of ICU study days organised by the editor in the North West region since 1992. Many of the authors have been lecturers on these courses.

• The authors are all either experienced ICU practitioners or invited experts on specialist issues. Being involved in ICU research was not a prerequisite although many of the authors have been or are involved in ICU research — a clinical commitment at the bedside was thought to be more important for this text.

• Aims to provide practical information on the management of common and/or important problems in the critically ill patient as well as sufficient background information to enable understanding of the principles and rationale behind their therapy. We hope it will prove useful at the bedside but we would like to emphasise that this, or any other book, is no substitute for experienced supervision, support and training.

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