Essential Reading & Landmark Literature
Reference Guide

Essential Reading & Landmark Literature

Foundational textbooks, society guidelines, and landmark trials every cardiac intensivist must know

Core Reading List

  • Manual of Perioperative Care in Adult Cardiac Surgery (Robert M. Bojar) — The definitive practical guide to pre-, intra-, and post-operative management; bedside essential
  • Cardiac Intensive Care (David L. Brown) — Deep dives into specific intensive care pathologies relevant to the cardiac patient
  • Textbook of Critical Care (Vincent JL, et al.) — Comprehensive general critical care physiology and management; foundational reference
  • Irwin and Rippe's Intensive Care Medicine — Procedural and medical reference spanning all critical care domains
  • The ICU Book (Paul Marino) — Excellent for fundamentals of critical care physiology and practical management
  • Kaplan's Cardiac Anesthesia — Essential for understanding cardiopulmonary bypass, myocardial protection, and perioperative transesophageal echocardiography

Guidelines & Statements

  • ACCF/AHA/STS Guidelines: Management of CABG surgery, valvular heart disease, and stable ischemic heart disease
  • ISHLT Guidelines (2010, 2024): Evaluation and care of cardiac transplant candidates and recipients; listing criteria, immunosuppression, rejection management
  • AHA Scientific Statements on Critical Care Cardiology: Evolution of critical care training, structure, and cardiogenic shock algorithms
  • ESC/EACTS Guidelines: Acute cardiovascular care, mechanical circulatory support, valvular heart disease, and lipid/thrombosis management
  • AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC: Including Cardiac Surgery Advanced Life Support (CALS) protocols
  • ELSO Guidelines: ECMO indications, management, and weaning; anticoagulation protocols
  • STS/AATS Practice Guidelines: Blood conservation, surgical infection prevention, enhanced recovery (ERAS Cardiac)
  • KDIGO AKI Guidelines: Staging, prevention, and management of acute kidney injury
  • AARC Clinical Practice Guidelines (2024): Liberation from mechanical ventilation, SBT protocols

Must-Know Trials

  • SHOCK Trial (1999): Early revascularization improves survival in cardiogenic shock complicating MI
  • ESCAPE Trial (2005): PAC-guided therapy did not reduce mortality in advanced HF; reappraisal supports use in cardiogenic shock
  • ARDSNet/ARMA (2000): Low tidal volume ventilation (6 mL/kg PBW) reduces mortality in ARDS
  • PROSEVA (2013): Prone positioning ≥16h/day reduces mortality in severe ARDS (P/F <150)
  • TTM/TTM2 (2013, 2021): Targeted temperature management 33°C vs 36°C; TTM2 showed no benefit of hypothermia over normothermia
  • MOMENTUM 3 (2019): HeartMate 3 LVAD superior to HeartMate II with fewer adverse events
  • PARTNER Trials (2010–): Landmark TAVR trials establishing transcatheter aortic valve replacement across risk groups
  • ATACAS (2017): Tranexamic acid reduces bleeding after coronary artery surgery without increasing thrombosis
  • LEVO-CTS (2016): Levosimendan perioperatively in cardiac surgery — mixed results; institutional dependent
  • DanGer Shock (2024): Impella CP in AMI cardiogenic shock showed mortality benefit — practice-changing
  • ECLS-SHOCK (2023): ECMO in infarct-related cardiogenic shock did not reduce 30-day mortality vs standard care
  • RECOVERY (2024): Dexamethasone in cardiac surgery reduced complications — paradigm shift in steroid use perioperatively

S.K.

The World-Class Cardiac Intensivist

This content is for educational reference only. Always follow institutional protocols and exercise clinical judgment.