Wes Ely - Every Deep-Drawn Breath: A Critical Care Doctor on Healing, Recovery, and Transforming Medicine in the ICU

A Critical Care Doctor on Healing, Recovery, and Transforming Medicine in the ICU

Every Deep-Drawn Breath

Wes Ely, MD

A tresure trove of hard-won Wisdom.

Rana Awdish, MD, author of In Shock

The ICU is an important, mysterious character in the story of modern medicine, and Every Deep-Drawn Breath is its deeply felt, thoroughly researched biography. With compassion, grit, and grace, Dr. Ely takes us into this liminal space and shows us, through the stories of his patients and his life, what it means to mobilize technology to save lives while also confronting the unintended pain and suffering that ICU care can inflict. This book illuminates the humanism, heroism, and humility required to stand with people at lifes edge, and reminds us to seek meaning and purpose in the life we have, a life sustained by each breath we take.

Sunita Puri, MD, author of That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour

In this fascinating and eye-opening book, Wes Ely makes the radical argument that we should be helping critically ill patients stay awake and engaged, not routinely sedating them into unconsciousness. Combining dogged research, intense reflection, and page-turning stories, Dr. Ely reminds us that we have to treat the patient, not just the disease.

Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD, clinical professor of medicine, NYU School of Medicine, and author of When We Do Harm: A Doctor Confronts Medical Error

With the storytelling sensibilities of Oliver Sacks and the surgical precision of Atul Gawande, Dr. Wes Ely has given us an unforgettable journey of patients and doctors traveling in the disorienting world of intensive care, ultimately leading toward redemption for Dr. Ely himself. Required reading for all mortals. If you liked When Breath Becomes Air, you will love this book.

Angelo Volandes, MD, author of The Conversation: A Revolutionary Plan for End-of-Life Care

Every Deep-Drawn Breath is a beautiful, honest gem. If youre interested in the wild world of the ICU, in the interface between nature and human nature, in how medicine (at its best) learns from good intentions gone awry, in the difference between in vitro and in vivo, or in how a good doctor becomes great, here is the book for you. Im grateful to Dr. Ely for his candor and his storytelling.

BJ Miller, MD, coauthor of A Beginners Guide to the End

A remarkable book from a legendary physician. Dr. Ely revolutionized critical care and now, through stories that are intimate, honest, and brave, he reveals the failings and the great promise of the field. This could not be more timelyin the wake of a pandemic that challenged the humanity of our profession, Ely shows us the road forward. A must-read.

Daniela Lamas, MD, author of You Can Stop Humming Now: A Doctors Stories of Life, Death, and in Between

Every Deep-Drawn Breath is an enthralling journey through the ongoing evolution of critical care. In this richly illustrated book, with stories of people who teetered on the edge of death and survived to find their lives forever changed, Dr. Ely, a thought leader in his field, reveals hard lessons hes learned, innovations hes led, and his compelling, bright vision for the future of medicine.

Ira Byock, MD, active emeritus professor, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, author of Dying Well and The Best Care Possible, and founder and chief medical officer of the Institute for Human Caring

A stunning, heartbreaking, and hopeful book, expressing Dr. Elys profound union of compassion and medical skill. Given that most of us will stay in an ICU, attend a loved one there, or even die in one, I hope that many readers demand treatment according to the humane practices Dr. Ely has pioneered. I equally hope that every critical care doctor and hospital administrator reads this beautiful book, puts its protocols into practice, and makes their ICUs more humane and medically effective.

Katy Butler, author of Knocking on Heavens Door and The Art of Dying Well

A treasure trove of hard-won wisdom. Reading Every Deep-Drawn Breath is like getting a backstage pass to the cloistered world of medical science. A gifted storyteller, Wes Ely brings his humanity to every moment, inspiring us to reexamine our own beliefs and reimagine what is possible. He has seamlessly woven together the private stories behind the very public successes and failures of our well-intentioned ICU care. Illuminating and generous, he revisits with humility the pivotal moments of his career in this wise gift of a book.

Rana Awdish, MD, author of In Shock: My Journey from Death to Recovery and the Redemptive Power of Hope

While the author has attempted to provide helpful tips and accurate internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assume responsibility for errors or changes that occur after publication. Further, please realize that these resources are not intended as a substitute for a physicians medical advice. The reader should consult a physician in matters relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. Neither the publisher nor author have any control over and do not assume any responsibility for third-party content.

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Copyright 2021 by Dr. Wes Ely

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First Scribner hardcover edition September 2021

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Interior design by Wendy Blum

Jacket design by Tristan Offit

Jacket artwork by Tatiana Maksimova/Getty Images

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Ely, E. Wesley, author. Title: Every deep-drawn breath : a critical care doctor on healing, recovery, and transforming medicine in the ICU / Wes Ely. Description: First Scribner hardcover edition. | New York : Scribner, 2021. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2021020531 (print) | LCCN 2021020532 (ebook) | ISBN 9781982171148 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781982171179 (ebook) Subjects: MESH: Critical Care | Intensive Care Units | Treatment Outcome | Critical Illness | Aftercare | Personal Narrative Classification: LCC RA975.5.I56 (print) | LCC RA975.5.I56 (ebook) | NLM WX 218 | DDC 616.02/8dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021020531

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021020532

ISBN 978-1-9821-7114-8