Includes References

The first edition of Emergencies in Neurology came in 2011. We acknowledge the
appreciation of many readers, especially younger colleagues and residents, who
found the book useful. This encouragement from readers, some inadvertent errors
that had crept into the first edition and needed correction and the intervening years
where research has led to further progress and availability of new evidence leading
to refinement of some treatments made us consider working on a second edition.
The basic format of the second edition remains the same as that of the first. Each
chapter includes a discussion outlining a systematic approach to a neurological
emergency. This is followed by a comprehensive description of the best management recommended for that emergency. In the second edition, an attempt has been
made to update management, keeping in mind the latest evidence that is currently
available. Substantive changes have been made in several chapters and minor
improvements in others.
The second edition is in two volumes. This has been done to accommodate five
new chapters, and one extra chapter created as a previous one became too voluminous and had to be divided into two. The extra new chapters cover important subjects that we were not able to include in the first edition. Distinguished authors have
contributed to each of these. We hope that the newly added chapters broaden the
scope of this edition and increase its value for the readers.
Neurological disorders may be visualized as forming a wide spectrum with
chronic illnesses at one end and acute emergencies at the other. Chronic neurological disorders have a relatively protracted temporal profile during which they provide
ample opportunity not just for clinical evaluation and anatomical localization but
also for performing numerous investigations at a relatively convenient pace. On the
other hand, neurological emergencies are very different in that they appear abruptly,
generally have a stormy course and necessitate a rushed and yet balanced approach.
While many voluminous and scholarly textbooks of neurology are available to
readers worldwide, having a small, sharp, evidence-based and updated account of
how to approach critically ill patients seemed like a good idea to us. Emergency
management can be a challenge as well as reap rich dividends if it is understood and
practised with maturity, skill and energy. The nihilism associated with neurological
emergencies in the past is increasingly being replaced by aggressive emergency
management leading to better outcomes. Additionally, in resource-crunched areas
of the globe, it may not always be a neurologist who attends to patients presenting with neurological emergencies. Therefore, it seems logical to have a handbook that
is comprehensive and yet not overwhelming in detail.
This book has been conceived and written, keeping in mind the needs felt by a
first-contact doctor who may be a neurology trainee, a seasoned or junior neurology
consultant, a physician or an intern. Special attention has been focused on the various aspects of management of patients in the emergency department from the point
of taking a good clinical history and performing a quick and targeted clinical examination to investigating and starting treatment. The relevant differential diagnoses
that should be thought of in various circumstances and how they can be excluded
have been dealt with in sufficient detail. A carefully selected list of citations at the
end of each chapter will be useful for the reader seeking more advanced and detailed
information.
In recognizing and expressing our gratitude to all those who contributed to this
endeavour, we must mention that it was a global effort. So while, on the one hand,
we had some of our revered teachers and mentors contribute chapters, we also had
distinguished international authors, each adding a unique perspective for the reader.
Most of the authors are experts in the areas of their contributions, and this reflects
in their balanced and valuable opinions. We would also like to concede that drawing
of experts from multiple sources does become a challenge in maintaining
timelines.
However, every effort has been made to keep the text as updated and contemporary up to the point that we handed over our manuscript to the publisher. We hope
that this book will be an asset for all of you who seek answers to questions that arise
while you manage neurological emergencies.