Metabolic Disorders and Critically Ill Patients

The purpose of this book is to bring together the latest findings on metabolic disorders that are strongly implicated in various critically ill patients. Since the beginning of the 20th century, maintaining the "milieu intrieur" has been a major challenge for intensivists. In addition to considerable technological developments in intensive care units, important advances in our understanding of metabolic disorders observed in critically ill patients have been made during the 10 last years. Today, the intensivit cant ignore these disorders when selecting the most appropriate treatment for an illness. Cellular metabolic abnormalities are responsible for systems and organ failures, so the modern approach of organ dysfunctions now includes prevention or treatment of such disorders. This book is a comprehensive tool, allowing the physician to understand, diagnose and treat these metabolic disorders. Water, electrolyte, acid-base, glycemic and endocrinologic problems, as well as metabolic abnormalities observed in renal, cerebral and hepatic failure are presented in different chapters. The last part of the book is devoted to modern nutritional concepts, the consequences of energy modifications, mitochondrial dysfunction, hypothermia, oxidative stress and ischemia reperfusion, which open the way for new therapies.