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The Abraham Dilemma: A Divine Delusion focuses on the topic of religious delusion - on the disorder's causes, contents, consequences, diagnosis and treatment. The title argues that we cannot understand a religious delusion without appreciating three facts. One is that religiosity or spirituality is a part of human nature, whether it takes theistic or non-theistic forms. Another is that religious delusion is something to which we are all vulnerable. The third is that the delusion is not best understood by reducing it to brain chemistry, or by insisting that it is empirically false. It is best understood by examining its harmful personal and moral consequences - consequences that nearly unfolded when the biblical patriarch Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac in response to a command, he thought, from God.Less

Is free will just an illusion? What is it in the brain that allows us to pursue our own actions and objectives? What is it about this organ that permits seemingly purposeful behaviour, giving us the impression we are free? This resource takes a journey into the brain to examine what is about known voluntary behaviour, and why it can go wrong. Less

This is a comprehensive practical guide to the practice of the new subspecialty of critical care echocardiography. The text covers all aspects of clinical practice and describes how to use transthoracic echocardiography to approach and manage common clinical questions. Specific emphasis is placed on the appropriate use of clinical echocardiographic data in the context of the patient’s critical illness; this is illustrated by the frequent use of case studies including both still and moving echocardiographic images. The text covers assessment of, and disorders affecting, the left and right heart, including shock and sepsis. It also looks at how to interpret diastolic information during critical illness and the effect of that illness on valve disease and function. The important subject of fluid responsiveness is explored in detail, as is the influence of organ support and illness on the diagnosis of cardiac tamponade. The information given in the text is summarized using algorithms in a field guide for the critical care echocardiographer, which also provides a rapid guide to assessing time-critical patient presentations.Less

This resource provides information for the management of disorders occurring during sleep and brings greater awareness to the treatment of sleep disorders, as well as treatments of neurological, medical, and psychiatric disorders.Less

Acute Care Casebook provides a case-based approach to the broad practice of acute care medicine, covering a variety of common patient presentations and clinical environments. This book features over 70 illustrated cases, including presentations of trauma and medical illness in wilderness medicine, military and prehospital environments, pediatrics, emergency medicine, and intensive care unit and floor emergencies. Designed for students and trainees in medicine, nursing, emergency medical services, and other acute care specialties, this text guides readers through not only symptom evaluation and treatment but also the thought process and priorities of experienced clinicians. Each chapter features key diagnoses and management pearls from leading experts that will help prepare readers for any event, from stabilizing and transporting a trauma patient in the field, to managing postoperative complications in the intensive care unit.Less

This essential guide to the management of the acutely ill patient features expanded material on practical procedures and new information on common presentations.

This title covers the fundamentals of pain, the pharmacology of drugs used, and summarises the current evidence base for the management of acute pain.

This resource is a concise companion for health care professionals who manage patients with acute lung infections.

Diagnosis and treatment of acute stroke has advanced considerably in the past 2 decades. Most notably, in cases of ischemic stroke, intravenous alteplase has become the standard of medical treatment despite its multiple contraindications and limited time window. More recently, trials have proven that endovascular thrombectomy is superior to medical therapy alone, advancing the standard of care for patients who present with acute ischemic stroke from a large vessel occlusion and salvageable brain tissue. The treatment of hemorrhagic stroke now involves the use of novel pharmacological agents and advanced minimally invasive technology. Important changes have also occurred at the levels of hospital organization and treatment decision-making. Such changes in organization and designation of hospitals with distinct levels of stroke care and the variety of stroke protocols now requires team work of emergency medical services (EMS), Emergency Department, stroke neurologists, neurosurgeons, and neurointerventionalists. This book provides an overview of the modern medical and surgical options for the treatment of patients with acute ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. The pivotal role of EMS in prehospital evaluation and triage of a stroke patient and the levels of stroke systems of care are discussed. In addition, the current guidelines on the management of acute stroke, with the focus on early care of acute stroke patients at the Emergency Department and the first 24 hours of hospital admission, are reviewed. Each chapter contains a discussion of common clinical scenarios including initial management steps, practical points, and common pitfalls.Less

Part of the Oxford Psychiatry Library series, this resource is a clear and comprehensive overview of the brain science underpinning addiction that helps explain the current and future therapeutics for the range of addictions, using full colour images to enhance understanding. It focuses on the nature of addiction as a brain disorder that includes a range of different behavioural traits such as impulsivity and reward dependence, and discusses the critical role of kinetic and pharmacological factors. The also explains how the primary pharmacological targets of drugs of abuse are now understood, the relation to the variable nature of addiction to different substances, and how this may lead to new approaches to treatment.Less

Part of the Oxford Psychiatry Library series, this resource is a clear and comprehensive overview of the brain science underpinning addiction that helps explain the current and future therapeutics for the range of addictions, using full colour images to enhance understanding. It focuses on the nature of addiction as a brain disorder that includes a range of different behavioural traits such as impulsivity and reward dependence, and discusses the critical role of kinetic and pharmacological factors. The also explains how the primary pharmacological targets of drugs of abuse are now understood, the relation to the variable nature of addiction to different substances, and how this may lead to new approaches to treatment.Less

This thought-provoking resource presents an original philosophical analysis bringing together addiction and weakness of will. The author develops an integrated account of these two phenomena, rooted in a classical conception of akrasia as valuing without intending and at the same time intending without valuing. This fascinating and suggestive account addresses a number of paradoxes faced by current thinking about addiction and weakness of will, in particular the significance of control and intention for responsible action. Addiction and Weakness of Will makes an original contribution to central issues in moral psychology and philosophy of action, including the relationship between responsibility and intentional agency, and the nature and scope of moral appraisal. Less

Addictive disorders in older adults are underdiagnosed and undertreated. An important reason for this lack of recognition of a serious health problem is a paucity of clinical knowledge about how such disorders present in this population. The presentation for alcohol and substance use disorders in the elderly can be confusing, given the metabolic changes and concurrent conditions associated with aging, together with interactions between alcohol and prescribed psychoactive drugs. Further, screening instruments have not been validated for this population. Brief interventions may be effective but should take into account contextual needs such as medical conditions, cognitive decline, and mobility limitations. Treatment strategies, including detoxification regimens, need to be modified for older patients and - in the case of opioid dependence - must address the management of chronic pain in this population. Ironically, benzodiazepines are the most frequently prescribed psychoactive medication in the elderly, despite older individuals' greater sensitivity to side effects and toxicity. Older women are at particularly heightened vulnerability for iatrogenic dependence on sedatives and hypnotics. More clinical research data are needed to inform screening and referral strategies, behavioral therapies, and pharmacological treatment. At the same time, emerging technologies such as communication tools and monitoring devices offer important opportunities to advance addiction treatment and recovery management in older adults. Although research to date has been limited in this population, recent data suggest that treatment outcomes are equal or better to those seen in younger cohorts.Less

Addiction Medicine is a concise and practical guide for students and practitioners of medicine, nursing, and other health professions. It provides practical information and clinical management advice for all who are involved in the care of persons with alcohol and other substance use disorders, and also behavioural and electronic addictions such as gambling and Internet use. The second edition of Addiction Medicine comprises 27 chapters and is in easy-to-read handbook form. The first three chapters cover the nature of addictive disorders, the epidemiology of psychoactive substance use, and the pharmacology of the major substance groups. Principles of diagnosis and management (including emergency situations) are then described. There follow chapters on the major substance groups, which present a comprehensive account of the clinical features, diagnosis, and management of disorders related to specific substances. The chapters cover tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, opioids, sedative-hypnotics, psychostimulants, hallucinogens and dissociative drugs, miscellaneous forms of substance use, and polydrug and injecting drug use. New chapters in the second edition cover the electronic and behavioural addictions, with specific chapters for gambling and on-line/electronic gaming. The remainder of the book covers the management of addictive disorders experienced by specific groups and in specific circumstances and settings, together with a summary of ethical and legal issues. The final chapter comprises a series of resources which cover diagnostic criteria for addictive disorders and practical tools to aid management, including screening and assessment questionnaires and withdrawal scales.Less

This online resource serves as a concise and practical guide to the management of ADHD and Hyperkinetic disorder. It provides a user-friendly introduction to the clinical understanding, evaluation, and treatment of ADHD. This edition has been updated to include new DSM-5 diagnostic criteria as of May 2013, and to reflect more published studies on ADHD in the adult population, along with new data on the CNS stimulant drug LDX (Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate).Less

This book on ADHD is a first in that it is aimed both at clinicians across the board of medicine — child psychiatrists, pediatricians, child neurologists, adult and forensic psychiatrists, GPs and clinical psychologists and other specialists working with individuals with behavior or cognitive problemsLess

This resource provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date information regarding assessment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents, including information about the diagnostic interview, neuropsychological testing, comorbidity and differential diagnosis, sleep problems, and treatment interventions (including psychosocial, pharmacological and complementary and alternative treatments). All the chapters have a clinical focus and practical case examples are used to increase competency in clinical settings.Less

Adjustment disorder has been included in the psychiatric classifications for half a century, but despite its age, this is the first book devoted exclusively to the condition. The starting point is to delineate its origins and how it differs from normal distress. The philosophical and clinical dilemmas raised by this diagnosis are considered in the early chapters of this book. The development of new screening and diagnostic tools will assist in epidemiological studies. The radical proposal to have specific criteria for AD in ICD-11 is reviewed critically as this would lead to significant differences between DSM-5 and ICD-11. Psychobiology, treatment, and prognosis are discussed in the middle sections of this work, and specialists in a number of areas—including child and adolescent psychiatry, learning disability, occupational health, and forensic psychiatry—have made invaluable contributions. This book will fill the vacuum for doctors and other mental health professionals working with those who have AD. The generous use of case vignettes invigorates the theory behind the practice.Less

The nexus between the digital revolution and adolescent sexual behavior has posed significant challenges to mental health practitioners, attorneys, and educators. These digital technologies may facilitate dangerous behaviors and serious consequences for some youth. This online resource considers adolescent sexual behavior in both clinical and legal contexts and provides a basis for clinicians, legal professionals, educators, policy makers, parents and the general public to understand the impact that technology has on human growth and development. It fosters an interdisciplinary dialogue within the text, and subjects covered include "sexting," social networking, cyber-sexual harassment, commercial exploitation of children, and child pornography. Less

To the adult cardiologist, the language of congenital heart disease (CHD) can be confusing and the spectrum of disease bewildering. This book aims to dispel confusion and equip cardiology trainees, general cardiologists, and acute medicine physicians with a sound understanding of the principles of the physiology and management of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD), so that they can treat emergencies and recognize the need for referral to a specialist unit. This handbook provides both rapid reference for use when the clinical need arises and also an insight into the basic principles of congenital heart disease, giving the reader a good grounding in the care of the adult with congenital heart disease. It presents an introduction to ACHD. It describes specific lesions and general management issues of adult congenital heart disease.Less