Code Blue: A Writer's Guide to Hospitals, Including the ER, OR and ICU (Behind the Scenes) (Paperback)

~ Keith Wilson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Scrub in and go behind the scenes with Dr. Keith Wilson and Dr. David Page. Here they show you what day-to-day life is really like in the modern hospital, so you can inject your novels and scripts with action and accuracy. Viewing the hospital from a writer's perspective, Drs. Wilson and Page provide the information you need, including the sights, sounds and smells associated with every medical department. You'll hear the rapid dialogue of ER staff trying to save a gun shot victim. You'll feel what it's like to be a doctor prepping for surgery. You'll witness the painstaking measures taken to save a patient in ICU, and much more.

Information is broken down into easy-to-reference chapters, featuring bulleted charts of medical jargon, terminology and facts. Topics include: - The Emergency Department from preparation to procedures
- Surgery including the surgical team, how they work together and what can go wrong
- Medications, Instruments and Equipment from hemostats to ventilators
- Personnel including orderlies, APNs, MDs, CEOs and everyone in between
- Exams, Tests and Procedures such as chem sevens and CTs
- Hospital Admissions from dealing with "dumping" to dealing with paperwork
- Patient Wards and ICUs including types of illnesses treated
- Complications and Mistakes such as drug reactions and wrong site surgery
- Records and Patient Information including patient charts and right to privacy issues

- History of the Modern Hospital and common practices such as bleeding and leeching

About the Author

Dr. Keith Wilson is the author of Cause of Death, A Writer's Guide to Death, Murder and Forensic Medicine and the medical thriller, Life Form. He is a board-certified internist specializing in diagnostic radiology and runs a private practice in Toledo, Ohio. Dr. David Page is the author of Body Trauma, A Writer's Guide to Wounds and Injuries, and has published dozens of scientific papers. He is a board certified surgeon, as well as Director of Undergraduate Programs in Surgery and Service Chief at Baystate Medical Center, Tufts University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books; 1 edition (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898799376
• ISBN-13: 978-0898799378
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,391,502 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but Misses the Mark, April 30, 2000

By A Customer

I found this book to be very interesting and well-written, but I think it misses the mark as "A Writer's Guide to Hospitals." Maybe it was a bit too ambitious (that's a very broad topic) or maybe the two authors had a different idea of the book's purpose, but I found it vacillated between a soapbox for one author's disenchantment with the medical system in America today (a disenchantment I share) and a good survey of how a hospital works for hospital workers. Here and there I found the type of information I expected to find (what the mood is in certain areas of the hospital, where the power lies, a sample of dialog, and so on), but that was unfortunately the smallest part of the book. The glossaries are helpful and well-written (but not complete -- "Stat" is missing). Though the history section is interesting (I love history), maybe it should have been left out so they could devote more time to what writers need. I'm glad I read it, but didn't really provide me with the info I need for two medical scenes in my novel.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and informative guide, November 3, 2000

By	Kevin Pezzi, MD (Thompsonville, MI United States) - See all my reviews

"Code Blue" is a great introduction to hospitals for anyone interested in this topic. While the book's title suggests that it is intended as a tool for writers, I think that many other people would like to have a more comprehensive understanding of the practice of medicine in this venue. This book has been criticized by other readers, and the common thread in their dissatisfactions seems to stem from the fact that this book doesn't offer a detailed explanation of everything that might possibly occur in a hospital. If such a book were to exist, it would be infinitely long and comparably expensive. Working within the bounds of practicality, I think that Drs. Wilson and Page have done a superb job of providing an overview of this subject. If you're looking for highly detailed knowledge on a specific subject you will likely need to perform further research, but that should not be construed as being a criticism of this book. Bottom line: A well-written and informative guide that will give you an insider's view of hospitals. (Review by Kevin Pezzi, MD [...], author of "Believe It or Not! True Emergency Room Stories" and "Fascinating Health Secrets".)

4.0 out of 5 stars Very informative, May 4, 2009

By	Shepherd Mommy "Bonnie R." (Southern NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This book is very informative for those writing about the ER, especially if you want to know what goes on behind the scenes. It is written so that a person with little to no medical knowledge can easily follow and understand and there is even a bit of humor.

If you are looking for more specific details on diagnosis or different treatment options for certain ailments, you will need to have an actual medical contact person.