Gabrielli (critical care medicine, U. of Florida College of Medicine), Layon (critical care medicine, U. of Florida College of Medicine), and Yu (surgery, U. of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine) have become the new editors for the fourth edition of this textbook on critical care medicine, but have been selected so as to retain the original editors' balance in the specialties of surgery, internal medicine, and anesthesiology. The 178 chapters of the textbook, produced by an international group of contributors, are presented in sections covering introductory matters and general concepts; monitoring; techniques, procedures, and treatments; essential physiological concerns; modulating the response to injury; shock states; pharmacology, nutrition, toxicology, and the environment; the surgical patient; organ transplantation; special patient populations; infectious disease; cardiovascular disease and dysfunction; respiratory disorders; neurologic disease and dysfunction; gastrointestinal disease and dysfunction; renal failure and renal replacement therapies; endocrine disease and dysfunction; skin and muscle disease and dysfunction; hematological and oncologic disease and dysfunction; and disaster management. Of the 178 chapters, about 25 are brand new to this edition. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)