Reviewer: Jay P. Goldsmith, MD (Tulane University School of Medicine)
Description: This is the seventh edition of an iconic textbook of neonatal resuscitation, published jointly by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association. The book is reissued every five years based on the Consensus on Science and Treatment Recommendations (CoSTaR) of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR). Dr. Gary Weiner has assumed the role of editor of this edition, taking over for Dr. John Kattwinkel, who edited the first six editions.
Purpose: This is an instructional manual on how to perform neonatal resuscitation in a standardized fashion. It is taught to over 250,000 healthcare providers each year by a dedicated group of over 25,000 volunteer instructors. Virtually every hospital that has obstetric services uses this book to teach their staff how to do neonatal resuscitation. The book is clear, concise, and easy to follow with excellent illustrations. The editors and contributors intend this to be a standardized approach to resuscitation and they have succeeded in making the information readily accessible and understandable.
Audience: The audience is anyone who may be involved in neonatal resuscitation. This includes physicians (pediatricians, obstetricians, emergency room physicians, and anesthesiologists), nurses (both obstetric and pediatric), midwives, respiratory therapists, and even prehospital providers. The authors are members of the Neonatal Resuscitation Steering Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics, known authorities in the field. Moreover, their recommendations are based on the CoSTaR document, which is one of the most evidence-based documents in medicine.
Features: The book's 11 lessons (or chapters) cover the origins of neonatal resuscitation and physiology to the steps necessary to carry out a successful resuscitation. Lessons are devoted to positive pressure ventilation, use of endotracheal tubes and alternative airways, chest compressions, and medications. Also covered are techniques for premature infants, management of special circumstances such as pneumothorax, and a very thoughtful discussion of ethical aspects of resuscitation. Although there are no references in the book, CoSTaR document is appended at the back of the book and has 231 up-to-date references which form the basis of the recommendations. The illustrations, key points, and review at the end of each lesson emphasize the educational aspect of this manual.
Assessment: This is an essential book for every person who regularly cares for, or who may care for, (emergently) a neonate who requires resuscitation. This program of lessons has become a standard of neonatal care in this country, and this book is used to teach the program. Although standard neonatal textbooks may devote a chapter to neonatal resuscitation, the content is based on this book and the chapter can only be a brief summary of the techniques necessary to conduct a successful resuscitation.
**Description**This eighth edition on neonatal resuscitation updates the last edition (2016) with new educational methodologies to help train providers who care for newborns in the delivery room. In this new edition, there are now two curriculum levels and two methods of delivering the content. This edition updates previous guidance based on the most recent CoSTaR document (Consensus on Science and Treatment Recommendations) published by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), which is appended at the back of the book. **Purpose**The purpose of this book is to train all providers of various levels to master the cognitive, technical, and behavioral skills to conduct a successful delivery room resuscitation. Virtually every hospital in the United States requires this training, but the AAP Neonatal Resuscitation Steering Committee continues to try to make this more effective since completion of the course does not ensure competency. This latest edition, with the supplementation of the NRP Learning Platform, makes this goal more attainable. **Audience**The book is directed at all neonatal providers, from nurses to medical students and physician providers at every level. Each successive edition of this text has advanced the goal of providing skillful care to babies in need of resuscitation. The authors and contributors are members of the NRP Steering Committee and many have participated in the ILCOR deliberations on the science.Educational experts help to make this program effective at all levels. **Features**The new text is divided into two levels: NRP Essentials and NRP Advanced. Each organization will decide who needs to take each course. The essentials program is limited to four chapters and includes the initial steps of resuscitation up to delivery of positive pressure ventilation. The advanced curriculum is 11 chapters and includes all aspects of neonatal resuscitation including intubation, alternative airways, chest compressions, vascular access, and the administration of medications. There are also three supplemental chapters on human factors, resuscitation outside the delivery room, and quality improvement programs. Also new to this edition is a link to a resuscitation quality improvement (RQI) program for self-directed simulation-based learning. There are no references except for those included with the CoSTaR document appended at the end of the book.This is THE text for learning neonatal resuscitation in the United States. It is updated according to the latest science every five years by a very knowledgeable and committed steering committee of the AAP and is the training manual for virtually every provider who enters a delivery room. Every hospital that delivers babies will need many copies of this text to train theirpersonnel. —————————————————————————————- Weighted Numerical Score: 99 - 5 Stars!Jay P. Goldsmith, MDTulane University School of MedicineDoody's Book Reviews
