This is a list of important pharmacology and toxicology reading resources for the time-poor exam candidiate preparing for the CICM Part II exam. The following resources can be considered essential:

  • Toxicology Handbook (3rd ed) by Murray et al is probably ALL you need.
  • LITFL toxicology library is probably more than you need.

In addition to the above, there are two excellent articles from 2002 by L.I. Worthley, which together cover the majority of the important issues, and should be viewed as essential reading:

Oh's Intensive Care manual contains a large volume of vaguely pharm/tox information; small scale cohort studies (n= 2) have demonstrated that it is possible to pass the exam without reading any of these chapters, but they are included here because Oh's. 

  • Chapter 66 (pp. 699)  Anaphylaxis  by Malcolm  M  Fisher
  • Chapter 84  (pp. 851)  Envenomation by James  Tibballs
  • Chapter 86  (pp. 871)  Background  information  on  ‘biochemical  terrorism’ by Munita  Grover  and  Michael  Pelly
  • Chapter 87 (pp. 881)  Pharmacokinetics,  pharmacodynamics  and  drug  monitoring  in  critical  illness   by Christine  Chung
  •  Chapter 88 (pp. 892)  Management  of  acute  poisoning   by David  M  Wood  and  Duncan  LA  Wyncoll
  •  Chapter 89   (pp. 903) Sedation  and  pain  management  in  intensive  care  by Luke  E  Torre
  • Chapter 90   (pp. 912) Inotropes  and  vasopressors by John  A  Myburgh
  • Chapter   91 (pp. 923)  Vasodilators  and  antihypertensives  by Anthony  C  Gordon  and  John  A  Myburgh
  • Chapter     112 (pp. 1148)  Paediatric  poisoning  by James  Tibballs