The ESC Textbook of Intensive and Acute Cardiac Careis a key reference for training and accreditation in this specialty. It serves as a reference for experienced and trainee cardiologists and intensivists from all over Europe, establishing a common basis of knowledge in the field and a uniform and improved quality of care, and is fully consistent with guidelines specified in the ESC Core Curriculum for Acute Cardiac Care. The book comprises 76 chapters, each written by an international opinion leader. The chapters are augmented with numerous high quality colour images. The printed edition is complemented by an online version, which allows access to the full content of the textbook, provides links from all references through to primary research journal articles, allows full text searches and access to the many figures and tables that can be downloaded for PowerPoint presentations, and hosts video material and EBAC accredited multiple-choice questions.

1. Intensive and acute cardiac care: an introduction, Nicolas Danchin, Gerasimos Filippatos, and Marco Tubaro
Prehospital phase
2. Sudden cardiac death: epidemiology and prevention, Hans-Richard Arntz
3. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the postcardiac arrest syndrome, Andreas Schneider, Peter Teschendorf, and Bernd W. Bottiger
4. Comparison of prehospital emergency care systems in Europe and the United States, Frederic Adnet, Tomislav Petrovic, and Frederic Lapostolle
5. Telemedicine, Peter Clemmensen and Maria Sejersten Ripa
Emergency department
6. Chest pain and chest pain units, Eric Durand, Aures Chaib, and Nicolas Danchin
7. Acute dyspnoea, Nisha Arenja, Thenral Socrates, and Christian Mueller
8. Arrhythmias in the emergency department, G. Cayla, P. G. Claret, and J. E. de La Coussaye
The intensive cardiac care unit
9. Recommendations for the structure, organization, and operation of intensive cardiac care units, Menachem Nahir and Yonathan Hasin
10. The intensive cardiac care unit team, Tom Quinn and Eva Swahn
11. Clinical competence and accreditation in intensive and acute cardiac care, Alessandro Sionis, Pablo Loma-Osorio, and Magda Heras
12. Databases, registries, and quality of care, Eric Boersma, Anselm K. Gitt, and Bertil Lindahl
13. Ethical issues in cardiac arrest and acute cardiac care: a European perspective, Leo Bossaert and Jan Bahr
Monitoring and investigations in the intensive cardiac care unit
14. Pathophysiology and clinical assessment of the cardiovascular system (including pulmonary artery catheter), Etienne Gayat and Alexandre Mebazaa
15. The respiratory system, Antoine Vieillard-Baron
16. Monitoring of the neurological condition of the acute cardiac care patient, Cathy S . De Deyne
17. Monitoring of kidney, liver, and other vital organs, K. Werdan, M. Girndt, and H. Ebelt
18. Blood gas analysis: acid-base and fluid-electrolyte disorders, Pavlos M. Myrianthefs and George J. Baltopoulos
19. Clinical assessment and monitoring of chest radiographs, Alexander Parkhomenko and Olga Gurjeva
20. Echocardiography in cardiac intensive care, Frank A. Flachskampf and Ruxandra Beyer
21. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, J . Schwitter and J . Bremerich
22. CT angiography and other applications of CT, J. E . van Velzen , J. D . Schuijf, L. J . Kroft, and J. J . Bax
Procedures in the intensive cardiac care unit
23. Noninvasive ventilation, Josep Masip and Kenneth Planas
24. Mechanical ventilation, Andrew Rhodes and Gihan Abuella
25. Temporary pacing, Bulent Gorenek
26. Pericardiocentesis, Bernhard Maisch , Arsen Ristic , and Konstaninos Karatolios
27. Chest tubes, Karim Tazarourte, Christian Laplace, and Arthur Atchabahian
28. Renal support therapy, Piotr Rozentryt, Pawel Siwolowski, Marian Zembala, and Piotr Ponikowski
29. The intra-aortic balloon pump, K. Werdan, M. Russ, and M. Buerke
30. Left ventricular assist devices in acute heart failure, Susanna Price, Strueber, and Pascal Vranckx
31. Nutrition support in acute cardiac care, Pierre Singer and Ilya Kagan
32. Physiotherapy in critically ill patients, R. Gosselink and J. Roeseler
The laboratory in intensive and acute cardiac care
33. The use of biomarkers for acute cardiovascular disease, Allan S. Jaffe
34. Biomarkers in acute coronary syndromes, Evangelos Giannitsis and Hugo A. Katus
35. Biomarkers in acute heart failure, Kevin Shah, Pam R. Taub, and Alan Maisel
36. Coagulation and thrombosis, Anne-Mette Hvas, Erik Lerkevang Grove, and Steen Dalby Kristensen
37. Biomarkers for renal and hepatic failure, Martina Zaninotto, Monica Maria Mion, and Mario Plebani
Acute coronary syndrome
38. Atherosclerosis and thrombosis, Lina Badimon, Gemma Vilahur, and Teresa Padro
39. The universal defi nition of myocardial infarction, Kristian Thygesen, Joseph S. Alpert, Allan S. Jaffe, and Harvey D. White
40. Systems of care for patients with acute coronary syndrome, Kurt Huber, Keith A. A. Fox, Patrick Goldstein, and Nicolas Danchin
41. ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, Nicolas Danchin and Eric Durand
42. Fibrinolytic, antithrombotic, and antiplatelet drugs in acute coronary syndrome, Peter R. Sinnaeve and Frans J. Van de Werf
43. Mechanical complications of myocardial infarction, Alexander Shpektor and Elena Vasilieva
44. Non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes, Diego Ardissino, Daniela Lina, and Francesca Notarangelo
45. Percutaneous coronary interventions in patients with acute coronary syndromes, Viktor Kocka , Petr Tousek, and Petr Widimsky
46. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery, Ardawan J. Rastan, Omur Akhavuz, and Friedrich W. Mohr
47. Cardiogenic shock in patients with acute coronary syndromes, Zaza Iakobishvilli and David Hasdai
48. Gender and age considerations in acute coronary syndromes, Eva Swahn, Joakim Alfredsson, and Sofia Sederholm-Lawesson
Acute heart failure
49. Acute heart failure: epidemiology, classification, and pathophysiology, Marco Metra, Dirk Brutsaert, Livio Dei Cas, and Mihai Gheorghiade
50. Acute heart failure: early pharmacological treatment, John T. Parissis and Dionysia Birmpa
51. Non-pharmacologic therapy of acute heart failure: when drugs alone are not enough, Pascal Vranckx, Wilfried Mullens, and Johan Vijgen
52. Cardiac surgery and transplantation in acute heart failure, Antonis A. Pitsis and Aikaterini N. Visouli
Arrhythmias
53. Conduction disturbances and pacemaker, C. Lavalle , R. P. Ricci , and M. Santini
54. Atrial fi brillation and supraventricular arrhythmias, Panos E. Vardas, Emmanuel P. Koutalas, and Emmanuel N. Simantirakis
55. Ventricular tachyarrhythmias and implantable cardioverter/ defibrillator, Joachim R. Ehrlich and Stefan H. Hohnloser
Other acute cardiovascular conditions
56. Myocarditis, cardiac tamponade, and pericarditis, Michel Noutsias, Sabine Pankuweit, and Bernhard Maisch
57. Acute valve disease and endocarditis, Gregory Ducrocq, Franck Thuny, Bernard Iung, and Alec Vahanian
58. Congenital heart disease in adults, Susanna Price, Brian Keogh, and Lorna Swan
59. Aortic emergencies, Laurent de Kerchove, Manuel Pirotte, and Gebrine el Khoury
60. Cardiac complications in trauma, Demetrios Demetriades and Leslie Kobayashi
61. Cardiac emergencies in pregnancy, Patrizia Presbitero, Dennis Zavalloni, and Benedetta Agnoli
Concomitant acute conditions
62. Acute respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome, Luciano Gattinoni and Eleonora Carlesso
63. Pulmonary hypertension, Nazzareno Galie, Alessandra Manes, Massimiliano Palazzini, and Enri Leci
64. Pulmonary embolism, Stavros Konstantinides and Adam Torbicki
65. Stroke, Didier Leys, Charlotte Cordonnier, and Valeria Caso
66. Acute kidney injury, Sean M. Bagshaw, John Prowle, and Rinaldo Bellomo
67. Hyperglycaemia and diabetes, Marijke Gielen, Yoo-Mee Vanwijngaerden, Dieter Mesotten, Greet Van den Berghe
68. Endocrine emergencies, Yves Debaveye, Jeroen Vandenbrande, and Greet Van den Berghe
69. Bleeding and haemostasis disorders, Pier Mannuccio Mannucci
70. Anaemia and transfusion, Jean-Pierre Bassand, Francois Schiele, and Nicolas Meneveau
71. Infection, sepsis, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, Julian Arias Ortiz, Raphael Favory, and Jean-Louis Vincent
72. Acute pain in the intensive cardiac care unit, A. Ricard-Hibon, S. Curac, and V. Belpomme
73. Acute cognitive disorders: recognition and management of delirium in the intensive cardiac care unit, John A. McPherson, Chad E. Wagner, and E. Wesley Ely
74. Special considerations in immunosuppressed patients, Alain Durocher and Raphael Favory
75. Perioperative management of the high-risk noncardiac surgical patient, Don Poldermans and Sanne Hoeks
76. Perioperative management of the high-risk cardiac surgery patient, Marco Ranucci, Serenella Castelvecchio, and Andrea Ballotta