Caring for the critically ill patient is the focus of the second book of the Pharmacotherapy Self-Assessment Program, seventh edition (PSAP-VII). Critical and Urgent Care provides evidence-based information on topics such as severe sepsis, toxicology, transplantation, fungal and bacterial infections, and commonly seen disorders, as well as medication errors and adverse drug reactions in the ICU.

The first module centers on caring for special patient populations seen in the ICU, including patients with obstetric emergencies and those who have had cardiovascular surgery or liver transplants. The second module takes up the challenging aspects of managing bacterial and fungal infections, as well as the clinical syndrome of severe sepsis and various thromboembolic disorders. The third module focuses on the medical management of patients admitted to the ICU with drug overdose or acute exacerbations of common conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, seizures, and diabetes mellitus. This module also contains chapters discussing commonly seen adverse drug reactions and medication errors in the ICU.

Each PSAP chapter has an extensive annotated bibliography that identifies key research articles, clinical practice guidelines, texts, and Web sites relevant to today’s practicing clinical pharmacist. The Critical and Urgent Care book is designed to assist pharmacists who want to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of common ICU complications occurring after liver transplants and develop strategies to prevent/treat them.
• Design treatment plans for managing right heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and coagulopathies after cardiac surgery.
• Devise a treatment strategy for women who are experiencing massive postpartum hemorrhage and severe preeclampsia.
• Evaluate benefits and risks associated with adjunctive sepsis therapies including corticosteroids and drotrecogin alfa (activated).
• Construct a reasonable prophylactic, preemptive, or empiric antifungal therapy regimen for a patient in the ICU.
• Design individualized or global strategies, by interpreting antibiotic susceptibility testing, to prevent further resistance and manage patient-specific infections.
• Design interventions for preventing and identifying heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in critically ill patients.
• Devise an appropriate pharmacotherapy plan for a patient with hypertensive emergency, diabetic ketoacidosis, status epilepticus, or exacerbation of chronic pulmonary obstructive disease.
• Analyze the use of general management strategies for acute poisoning.
• Construct a treatment and monitoring plan for a critically ill patient with an acute drug-induced disorder.
• Devise prevention strategies for medication error and adverse drug events.

Critical and Urgent Care will be released April 15 and is the second of 11 books in the PSAP-VII series. The book offers 19.0 continuing pharmacy education hours for those who successfully complete all three modules. All PSAP books are available in both print and online formats. All PSAP-VII books feature an updated, reader-friendly design; a Baseline Resources Box with suggested background information on the chapter topic; and shorter chapters focusing on only the most recent updates.

Other books in the PSAP-VII series include Cardiology; Women’s and Men’s Health; Pediatrics; Chronic Illnesses; Oncology; Geriatrics; Science and Practice of Pharmacotherapy; Infectious Diseases; Neurology/Psychiatry; and Gastroenterology/Nutrition.

PSAP offers the most up-to-date and comprehensive information available on recent drug therapy advances. Each book will expand your knowledge in the therapeutic area covered. PSAP-VII is priced as follows (shipping and handling charges will apply):

For specific information on the release dates, continuing education credits, and Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) program numbers for each book, visit www.accp.com/bookstore/psap7.aspx and place your order through the online bookstore. Please use code BR0707 when ordering PSAP-VII.

Prior editions of PSAP have been approved by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS) for use in Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) recertification; similar approval is being sought for PSAP-VII. ACCP is accredited by ACPE as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.