Book excerpt: Emergencies of the Head and Neck provides the most comprehensive, practical information on ear, nose and throat emergencies. Written from a multi-specialty perspective, its organised by anatomic region along with general topics on Evaluation of the Emergency Patient, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, and Medical Emergencies. Emergencies covered include primary emergencies such as upper airway obstruction, infections and trauma, as well as emergencies during and after head and neck surgery. Special topics include chapters in Emergencies in Facial Plastic Surgery and Ophthalmologic Emergencies. Each chapter is organised by introduction, presentation, evaluation, priorities, outcome and selected references, providing immediate access to the information needed to diagnose and treat patients who need immediate attention. Focuses specifically on emergencies of the head and neck, providing complete coverage of this part of otolaryngology Includes thorough coverage of general topics, and topics organised by anatomic region Features a multispecialty perspective, with authors selected for their expertise in different specialties Provides a uniform organisation of chapters: introduction, presentation, evaluation, priorities, outcome and selected references. Includes 375 detailed illustrations accompanying and explaining the text Features a practical approach to problems, for quick assimilation of material