The second edition of Mechanical Ventilation is an excellent introductory text for students of critical care, particularly respiratory therapists, critical care nurses who wish to expand their understanding of mechanical ventilation, and the busy academic provider who needs a quick reference on the fundamentals of mechanical ventilation for board review or from which to generate core teaching materials for trainees. Its greatest strengths are its choice of material, its figures and tables, and its concise, understandable reviews of complex technical aspects of mechanical ventilation, pulmonary physiology, and the potentially confusing literature on clinical applications. This book will become part of our core reading for residency training, and I highly recommended it.Respiratory Care - February 2009

• Section I: Technical Aspects1.Classification of Mechanical Ventilators2.Modes of Ventilator Operation3.The Patient-Ventilator Interface: Ventilator Circuit, Airway Care, and Suctioning4.Humidification and Aerosol Therapy5.Ventilator Monitors and DisplaysSection II: Physiology6.Respiratory System Mechanics7.Alveolar-Capillary Gas Transport8.Patient-Ventilator Interactions9.Cardiopulmonary Interactions10.Ventilator Induced Lung InjurySection III: Adjunctive Therapy11.Nutrition12.Sedation, Analgesia, and Neuromuscular Blockade13.Patient Positioning14.Ventilator Associated PneumoniaSection IV: Clinical Applications15.Management of Parenchymal Lung Injury16.Management of Obstructive Airway Disease17.Unique Patient Populations NEW!18.Discontinuing Mechanical Support19.Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation20.Transport and Resuscitation21.Non-invasive VentilationSection V: Special Techniques and Future Therapies22.Modifications on Conventional Ventilation Techniques23.High-Frequency Ventilation24.Extracorporeal Techniques for Cardiopulmonary Support25.Heliox and Inhaled Nitric OxideAppendicesCase StudiesAssessment Question AnswersGlossary