Book excerpt: The Washington Manual of Critical Care is a concise pocket manual for physicians and nurses. It is distinguished from the multitude of other critical care handbooks on the market by its consistent presentation of algorithms displaying the decision-making pathways used in evaluating and treating disorders in the ICU. The new edition transitions to a full color format and will include coverage of Deep Venous Thrombosis/Pulmonary Embolism, fetal-maternal critical care, C difficile infection, and alternative hemodynamic monitoring.