Book excerpt: This is the Sixth Edition of a compendium of acute care protocols and disease management guides created for the Nurse Practitioner. Over 290 concise, fast-reading protocols and disease management sections for Nurse Practitioners working in family practice, urgent care, and emergency medicine. Covers cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, toxicology, neurology, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, genitourinary disorders, electrolyte and acid/base disturbances, HEENT, trauma, pediatrics, geriatrics, gynecology, infectious disease, dermatology, hematology, psychiatric and social, environmental, medications, and disease management, among others. Also includes an Acute Care Ultrasound Chapter. The book provides differential diagnosis, pertinent central clinical facts, and practice guidance in a bulleted outline, double column format, for the purpose of furthering the relationship between the Nurse Practitioner and the Physician and for improving patient care and safety. The author Donald Correll, M.D. is a former Emergency Department Medical Director of Jackson-Madison County General Hospital (Tennessee), which treats 100,000 acute care patients annually.