Edited by Carlos Castellano, Miguel. A. Pérez de Juan, Fause Attie. Madrid: Ediciones Hartcourt, S.A., 2002; 544 pages, 33 chapters, 46 coauthors. ISBN 84-8174-394-1.
Cardiovascular emergencies was edited by 3 professionals, apparently geographically separated, from Grand Canary Island, Orense, and Mexico who have a common link: the Instituto de Cardiología de México, where the first 2 studied, and Dr. Attie being one of the directors of the Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez. The 544-page book consists of 33 chapters written by a total of 46 co-authors, all of them Spanish or Mexican and is about not only classic aspects of cardiovascular emergencies, but also general topics that are not generally discussed in similar texts.
The first section contains general information about critically ill patients and their general care; the first subjects discussed are topics specifically related to the medico-legal aspects of care of critically ill patients. The second part of the book includes chapters dedicated to specific adult and pediatric cardiovascular pathology. All the chapters are practical and instructional, with numerous illustrations and drawings that make understanding the book easier. The index is also well organized and allows rapid access to various topics in which the reader may be interested.
In summary, this is an up-to-date and practical book that would be of interest to all professionals who deal with the diagnosis and treatment of patients with acute cardiac problems, whether they are adults or children.