Since the very beginning of critical care medicine, much attention has been paid to the risk of bleeding, but only recently the risk of thrombosis has been recognized in critical patients; in fact, current laboratory investigations aimed to monitor blood coagulation are more focused on the assessment of the hemorrhagic than of the thrombotic risk. Since mid-90s, many studies have detected powerful pro-thrombotic actions of endogenous mediators in sepsis and other inflammatory conditions, including trauma and postoperative status. Unfortunately, the related complication are both hard to detect and extremely harmful. The volume provides a full coverage of the hemocoagulative problems in anesthesia and intensive care, taking into consideration the physiology and monitoring of hemostasis, its relation with sepsis, and the specific aspects of the various critical conditions - from trauma to burns, to heart and transplant surgery or acute renal failure.
