Intensive care is a multidisciplinary field of medicine where the most advanced medical technologies are combined with human effort, knowledge, skills, and foresight, in a race against time. In this challenging field, those who provide intensive care services—intensive care academicians, intensive care specialists, intensive care subspecialty fellows, physicians from other disciplines (such as Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Internal Medicine, Neurology, General Surgery, Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Pulmonology, and Emergency Medicine), nurses, and healthcare support personnel—play an indispensable role as the fundamental pillars of the intensive care unit in managing critically ill patients.

Intensive care education requires a strong foundation that includes core elements such as knowledge of physiology and anatomy, invasive procedures, mechanical ventilation, hemodynamic monitoring, and medication management. However, the complexity of clinical practice, the constantly evolving body of knowledge, and the diversity of patient profiles increase the need for up-todate and reliable resources in this field day by day.

This book has been prepared to provide a comprehensive perspective on the complex and challenging clinical situations frequently encountered in intensive care practice, to strengthen intensive care education and practice, and to keep healthcare professionals informed about current scientific developments. It is intended to support you—our esteemed colleagues who are devoted to the field of intensive care. The chapters cover a wide range of topics, from fundamental principles of intensive care to organ support therapies, from sepsis management to Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation applications. The content has been written with a focus on scientific accuracy and clinical applicability.

I would like to thank all my colleagues who contributed to the preparation of this work, the authors and editors who supported it with their scientific efforts, and all intensive care professionals who are devoted to this field, for their sense of responsibility and dedication to human life.

It should be remembered that sometimes, in intensive care, a correct decision made within seconds can be the key to a life’s new beginning.

Respectfully,

Prof. Dr. Sema Turan
Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Department of Intensive Care,
Ankara, Türkiye