Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome is the most lethal form of acute respiratory failure and presents one of the greatest challenges in critical care medicine. Yet despite its severity and complexity, few texts exist that are devoted to its diagnosis and management. After presenting the history and epidemiology of ARDS, clinicians will learn the basic science underlying its causes, and how to manage patients in the acute and later stages. Drs. Russell and Walley, along with a team of expert contributors, clearly explain such clinical issues as mechanical ventilation, pneumonia, multiple system organ failure, and cardiovascular and pulmonary physiology and monitoring. An extensive chapter on clinical assessment demonstrates the importance of total patient care. Thoroughly referenced, superbly illustrated, and up-to-date, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Comprehensive Clinical Approach is an indispensable source of information for intensivists, pulmonologists, internists, anesthesiologists, surgeons, and any physician or nurse who rotates through the critical care unit.