The book is written with the intention of providing Nurse Practitioners working in the field of Acute Medicine with an up to date, practical and comprehensive guide to the management of acute medical patients.  It is hoped that it will serve as a text from which the busy highly skilled nurse can obtain information on assessment, diagnosis and management of acute medical conditions.   It identifies priorities for treatment and guides the reader through the management of the patient. Wherever possible the latest published guidelines have been included. The final chapter of the book considers the legal, professional and ethical issues faced by nurses working at an advanced level. The issues of role development, the development of protocols and prescribing are considered.