Cardiogenic shock continues to be a very difficult entity to treat and still carries a very poor prognosis. The clinician faces a bewildering array of presentations and of treatment options, this last due to recent medical and surgical advances in cardiac care. Cardiogenic Shock: Diagnosis and Treatment attempts to present a comprehensive overview of the subject.
The book discusses cardiogenic shock as a complication of acute myocardial infarction and other acute coronary syndromes, valvular heart disease, and such cardiac conditions as myocarditis, postpartum cardiomyopathy, pericardial disease, and congenital heart disease in both children and adults. In each instance, the authors cover, as appropriate, the diagnosis, pathophysiology, complications, medical management, angioplasty, and surgical management of the condition. They even include a discussion on the use of percutaneous devices for closure of ventricular septal defects that are secondary to myocardial infarction.
The section on valvular heart disease covers native-valve disease and prosthetic-valve disease, from diagnosis to definitive management. A full chapter is dedicated to balloon valvuloplasty. The chapter on congenital heart disease in the adult contains a good discussion of the physiology and management of patients who have undergone the Fontan procedure.
The final section, concerning patient transport, assist devices, and future directions, is up-to-date in its presentation of the latest percutaneous assist devices and surgically implanted artificial hearts.
Although the breadth of the book's discussion of cardiogenic shock is good, some of the subjects could benefit from greater depth: perhaps the best example of this is the slight discussion of the pathophysiology and medical management of shock in the context of right heart failure. Overall, this is an outstanding book that should be read by anyone who manages patients with cardiogenic shock.