Introduction The collective burden of critical neurologic illnesses is overwhelming. Stroke occurs in about 800,000 individuals each year in the United States, with case fatality rates from acute ischemic stroke…
Introduction Intensive care is one of the most expensive forms of care delivered by a hospital system. In 1993, intensive care represented 25% to 30% of acute hospital costs and…
Introduction Many patients in the neurocritical care unit (NCCU) are in coma, have altered consciousness, or have a disease process that may lead to altered consciousness. Coma and other disorders…
“Medical technology has effectively created a twilight zone of suspended animation where death commences while life, in some form, continues.” —Justice William Brennan, 1990, regarding the case of Nancy Cruzan…
Introduction Patient comfort in an intensive care unit (ICU), from both a mental and physical health perspective, is of utmost importance for patient safety and recovery. Proper management of analgesia…
Introduction The incidence of mortality and illness-related complications has long been documented in the medical literature. More recently, the measurement of outcomes has gained increasing attention because advanced medical procedures,…
Given the aggressive nature of glioblastoma, it is nearly a certainty that all patients will need to be evaluated for potential treatment of recurrent disease. There is currently no definitive…
Glioblastoma (GBM) remains the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults and accounts for 16% of all primary brain tumors and for 45% of malignant primary brain tumors. Despite…
Introduction The cost of cancer treatment has progressively increased over the past decade as newer chemotherapy and immunotherapy agents have been established. Glioblastoma, in particular, has a significant cost in…
Acknowledgments The authors acknowledge and thank Kisa Zhang for her artwork in Fig. 17.1 . Historical context of electric field treatment The application of physical energy from various parts of the…
