alejandro A. Rabinstein - Neurological Emergencies: A Practical Approach

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I have dedicated my professional life to the care of patients with neurological emergencies, the research of ways to improve the diagnosis and management of these patients, and the training of residents and fellows of various medical disciplines on the recognition and treatment of acute and severe neurological problems. This book is a reflection of all those years of experience distilled in a practical format.

The book includes chapters on most of the acute neurological diagnoses encountered in the emergency department. Some may be found in the hospital, most commonly in the intensive care units. The list of topics covered cannot be complete, but it is quite comprehensive. It includes acute coma, dangerous causes of headache, seizures and status epilepticus, various acute cerebrovascular disorders, trauma to the brain and the spinal cord, tumors, severe central nervous system infections, and intoxications from prescription and recreational drugs. Neuro-ophthalmological and neuro-otological emergencies, always very challenging for nonspecialists, are specifically covered. The book also includes discussions on less common conditions, such as fulminant presentations of demyelinating diseases and severe presentations of movement disorders. Lastly, it incorporates chapters dedicated to neurological emergencies in specific populations, such as pregnant women and transplant patients.

Each chapter provides an updated overview of the topic while maintaining an eminently practical approach. A common pattern runs through the chapters by starting with short lists of diagnostic keys, treatment priorities, and crucial prognostic facts and concluding with cardinal messages to reinforce the most important concepts. Tables, figures, and algorithms are liberally used for illustration. By design, references are not overly abundant; only key articles are cited with a predilection for the most recent published information. My hope is that this book will serve its readers by increasing their understanding of the art and the science of caring for patients with acute neurological disease, not by explicating everything there is to know about each diagnosis, but actually by simplifying the approach to each condition.

It is a great pleasure for me that many of the authors of this book are some of my favorite former trainees. They have gone on to develop splendid academic careers and to become experts on their respective fields. I consider it a distinct privilege to have had them participate in this project. Their achievements make me truly proud for whatever degree of learning they may have acquired from me at some point in their training. Other authors are esteemed colleagues and established scholars without whose help this book would have never come to fruition. I thank every single one of the contributing authors for their diligence and generosity.

I also want to acknowledge and thank Barbara Lopez-Lucio for her invaluable editorial support throughout this process. Working with her made everything much easier.

Lastly, thanking the patients for allowing us to learn from them has become a bit trite. Yet, my gratitude to patients is genuine. Without practicing and teaching Medicine, my life would be much less fulfilling. And Medicine for me is about patients. Without them, it would be an abstraction.