1;Table of Contents;5 2;List of Contributors;11 3;Common Abbreviations;27 4;I Genetic Factors;28 4.1;Are Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics Important for Critically Ill Patients?;29 4.1.1;Introduction;29 4.1.2;Pharmacogenetics or Pharmacogenomics?;29 4.1.3;Pharmacogenetics, Pharmacogenomics, and Drug Metabolism;30 4.1.4;Clinically Relevant Genetic Polymorphisms in Critical Care;31 4.1.5;Population Variations in Pharmacogenetics (Table 2);34 4.1.6;Challenges to Implementing Pharmacogenetics in Critically Ill Patients;35 4.1.7;Conclusion;36 4.1.8;References;36 4.2;Genetic Susceptibility in ALI/ARDS: What have we Learned?;39 4.2.1;Introduction;39 4.2.2;Basic Principles of Genomic Association Studies Related to Critical Care Syndromes;40 4.2.3;Limitations of Genomic Association Studies Related to Critical Care Syndromes;43 4.2.4;Future Considerations in Genomic Association Studies Related to Critical Care Syndromes;45 4.2.5;Conclusion;47 4.2.6;References;47 4.3;Racial Disparities in Infection and Sepsis: Does Biology Matter?;50 4.3.1;Introduction;50 4.3.2;What is Race?;50 4.3.3;Differences in Disease Susceptibility;51 4.3.4;Differences in Access to Health Care;51 4.3.5;Differences in Quality of Care;52 4.3.6;Could Differences in Underlying Biology Contribute to Racial Disparities?;53 4.3.7;Conceptual Model of Racial Disparities;54 4.3.8;Design Challenges for Further Studies;55 4.3.9;Conclusion;55 4.3.10;References;55 5;II Cardiac Issues;57 5.1;B-Type Natriuretic Peptide: An Emerging Biomarker in Pediatric Critical Care;58 5.1.1;Introduction;58 5.1.2;Natriuretic Hormone System;59 5.1.3;B-Type Natriuretic Peptide;59 5.1.4;BNP in Adult Cardiac Disease;60 5.1.5;BNP in Pediatric Cardiac Disease;61 5.1.6;BNP as a Biomarker Following Cardiac Surgery;62 5.1.7;Respiratory Distress: Differentiating between Potential Etiologies;63 5.1.8;Patent Ductus Arteriosus;64 5.1.9;BNP in Other Pediatric Illnesses;64 5.1.10;Exogenous Administration of BNP;64 5.1.11;Conclusion;65 5.1.12;References;65 5.2;Cardiac Dysfunction in Septic Shock;68 5.2.1;Introduction;68 5.2.2;Mechanisms Leading to Cardiac Dysfunction in Sepsis;68 5.2.3;Systolic and Diastolic Cardiac Dysfunction in Sepsis;72 5.2.4;Beta-adrenergic Hyporesponsiveness and Hibernation in Septic Shock;75 5.2.5;Lactate: the New Fuel;76 5.2.6;Conclusion;76 5.2.7;References;77 5.3;The Consequences of Cardiac Autonomic Dysfunction in Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome;80 5.3.1;Link between Autonomic Dysfunction and Inflammation: The 'Cholinergic Anti-inflammatory Pathway';80 5.3.2;Heart Rate 'Stiffness' as a Measure of Cardiac Autonomic Dysfunction in Patients with MODS: Possible Mechanisms;83 5.3.3;Can We Increase the Depressed Vagal Activity in Patients with MODS and, Thereby, Improve Prognosis?;85 5.3.4;Conclusion;88 5.3.5;References;88 5.4;Quantification of Improved Left Ventricular Performance during Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy;90 5.4.1;Introduction;90 5.4.2;Conceptual Framework;90 5.4.3;Clinical Applications of Left Ventricular Dyssynchrony Quantification;91 5.4.4;Modeling Contraction Dyssynchrony;94 5.4.5;Human Data;97 5.4.6;Conclusion;98 5.4.7;References;98 5.5;Diastolic Dysfunction and Cardiac Failure in the Intensive Care Unit;101 5.5.1;Introduction;101 5.5.2;Definitions;101 5.5.3;Diastolic Dysfunction;104 5.5.4;Conclusion;111 5.5.5;References;111 5.6;Pharmacological Support of the Failing Right Ventricle;113 5.6.1;Introduction;113 5.6.2;Pathophysiology of Right Ventricular Failure;113 5.6.3;Therapeutic Options;114 5.6.4;Conclusion;122 5.6.5;References;122 5.7;Perioperative Cardioprotection;126 5.7.1;Introduction;126 5.7.2;Preoperative Coronary Revascularization;126 5.7.3;Pharmacological Cardioprotection;128 5.7.4;Miscellaneous Preventive Measures;133 5.7.5;Conclusion;133 5.7.6;References;133 6;III Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation;136 6.1;Improving the Quality of Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation Care;137 6.1.1;Introduction;137 6.1.2;Improving Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation;138 6.1.