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Every Deep-Drawn Breath: A Critical Care Doctor on Healing, Recovery, and Transforming Medicine in the ICU
Winner of a Christopher Award
“Perhaps one lesson to draw from the pandemic, with help from books like this one, is that the ICU experience can be changed for the better” ( The Washington Post ) for both patients and their families. You will learn how in this timely, urgent, and compassionate work by a world-renowned critical care doctor.
In this rich blend of science, medical history, profoundly humane patient stories, and personal reflection, Dr. Wes Ely describes his mission to prevent ICU patients from being harmed by the technology that is keeping them alive. Readers will experience the world of critical care through the eyes of a physician who drastically changed his clinical practice to offer person-centered health care and through cutting-edge research convinced others to do the same.
Dr. Ely’s groundbreaking investigations advanced the understanding of post– intensive care struggles and introduced crucial changes that reshaped minimizing sedation, maximizing mobility, and providing supportive aftercare. Dr. Ely shows that there are ways to bring humanity into the ICU and that “technology plus touch” is a proven path toward returning ICU patients to the lives they had before their hospital stays. An essential resource for anyone who will be affected by illness—which is all of us.
“Perhaps one lesson to draw from the pandemic, with help from books like this one, is that the ICU experience can be changed for the better” ( The Washington Post ) for both patients and their families. You will learn how in this timely, urgent, and compassionate work by a world-renowned critical care doctor.
In this rich blend of science, medical history, profoundly humane patient stories, and personal reflection, Dr. Wes Ely describes his mission to prevent ICU patients from being harmed by the technology that is keeping them alive. Readers will experience the world of critical care through the eyes of a physician who drastically changed his clinical practice to offer person-centered health care and through cutting-edge research convinced others to do the same.
Dr. Ely’s groundbreaking investigations advanced the understanding of post– intensive care struggles and introduced crucial changes that reshaped minimizing sedation, maximizing mobility, and providing supportive aftercare. Dr. Ely shows that there are ways to bring humanity into the ICU and that “technology plus touch” is a proven path toward returning ICU patients to the lives they had before their hospital stays. An essential resource for anyone who will be affected by illness—which is all of us.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published September 7, 2021
287 people are currently reading
4710 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
September 8, 2021
If you’re interested in the wild world of the ICU, in the interface between nature and human nature, in how medicine (at its best) learns from good intentions gone awry, in the difference between in vitro and in vivo, or in how a good doctor becomes great, here is the book for you.
Dr.Ely also provides a thoughtful exploration of the ICU treatment culture of sedation and immobilization and analyzes how it can be recentered around a core value of “humanity in doctoring.” Collectively, these anecdotes movingly exemplify the caregiver’s role in assuaging patient suffering through compassionate efforts to not only deliver quality clinical care, but to focus on “finding the person in the patient, using touch first and technology second,” and preparing and supporting patients back into life beyond the ICU setting. Ely promotes these protocols within the end-of-life spectrum, as well, where compassion, respect, and comfort are tantamount. A closing section offers practical tips and resources for further research on the care delivery process within an ICU setting, useful for both general readers and professionals. As Ely conveys through anecdotes and experience, physicians can maximize their knowledge by focusing on, listening to, and learning from their patients.
Meaningful, thought-provoking insight into the world of critical care.
Dr. Ely's groundbreaking investigations advanced the understanding of PICS and introduced crucial changes that reshaped intensive care: minimizing sedation, maximizing mobility, attending to the family, and providing supportive aftercare. Dr. Ely shows that this new way-technology plus touch-is the future of healthcare, and is a proven path toward reclaiming life. Full of wisdom and heart, Every Deep-Drawn Breath is an essential resource for anyone who will be affected by critical illness, which is all of us.
Dr.Ely also provides a thoughtful exploration of the ICU treatment culture of sedation and immobilization and analyzes how it can be recentered around a core value of “humanity in doctoring.” Collectively, these anecdotes movingly exemplify the caregiver’s role in assuaging patient suffering through compassionate efforts to not only deliver quality clinical care, but to focus on “finding the person in the patient, using touch first and technology second,” and preparing and supporting patients back into life beyond the ICU setting. Ely promotes these protocols within the end-of-life spectrum, as well, where compassion, respect, and comfort are tantamount. A closing section offers practical tips and resources for further research on the care delivery process within an ICU setting, useful for both general readers and professionals. As Ely conveys through anecdotes and experience, physicians can maximize their knowledge by focusing on, listening to, and learning from their patients.
Meaningful, thought-provoking insight into the world of critical care.
Dr. Ely's groundbreaking investigations advanced the understanding of PICS and introduced crucial changes that reshaped intensive care: minimizing sedation, maximizing mobility, attending to the family, and providing supportive aftercare. Dr. Ely shows that this new way-technology plus touch-is the future of healthcare, and is a proven path toward reclaiming life. Full of wisdom and heart, Every Deep-Drawn Breath is an essential resource for anyone who will be affected by critical illness, which is all of us.
September 21, 2023
I took a very long break in the middle of reading this book after caring for a couple of critically ill patients myself that left me shaken. Returning to Dr. Ely’s book after that break allowed me to better appreciate his life’s work; to not only better care for patients while they are in the ICU, but to direct their care in such a way as to mitigate the long term harm we sometimes unwittingly do as healthcare professionals after their stay in the ICU is over. I would have liked it if he had included more input and perspectives of ICU nurses in this book, as they play such an immense role in the care of these patients. The lack of their stories and impact in this field struck me as an odd oversight. Still, Dr. Ely is clearly passionate about humanizing patients throughout all stages of care, from admission to discharge, to the long term effects of an ICU stay, to the importance of end of life care and the difficult discussions that must be had. The resources he includes at the end are a nice touch for those dealing with, or trying to prevent PICS.
January 27, 2022
Dr Ely clearly has an impressive and inspirational career, and has had an impact on how HCPs view and deliver intensive care and beyond. A good book to remind those in the profession of the humanity in medicine and care.
Really pleased to read more on the advocacy to care about PICS-F and delirium in the ICU, as well as the effects of long covid - there may have been progress but there is still a lot to change, fund, and research. I also like how the author highlights the importance of continuous learning and sharing best updated practice - particularly in an environment of prolific "expert opinions" and "key findings" floating front, right, left, and centre.
The patient stories were the most powerful for me, and I commend their bravery for giving permission to be named. Whilst I had hoped for a bit more fluidity in the way their stories were shared and shaped, props to Dr Ely for shining a light on them and ensuring that they are humanised in the book and on his website - they are after all at the heart of what HCPs do.
I definitely got the impression that he genuinely cares for his patients and that he wants to push the envelope to do more and better. However, the prose sometimes read achingly flowery. I like the nod to other clinicians and healthcare visionaries, but that sometimes detracted from the point. I also wish more credit was given to ICU nurses.
Nice list for extra reading, books for the TBR pile, and notes for references.
While not necessarily groundbreaking for those in the profession, it's definitely a good reminder of the importance of patient-centric care. IMHO.
Really pleased to read more on the advocacy to care about PICS-F and delirium in the ICU, as well as the effects of long covid - there may have been progress but there is still a lot to change, fund, and research. I also like how the author highlights the importance of continuous learning and sharing best updated practice - particularly in an environment of prolific "expert opinions" and "key findings" floating front, right, left, and centre.
The patient stories were the most powerful for me, and I commend their bravery for giving permission to be named. Whilst I had hoped for a bit more fluidity in the way their stories were shared and shaped, props to Dr Ely for shining a light on them and ensuring that they are humanised in the book and on his website - they are after all at the heart of what HCPs do.
I definitely got the impression that he genuinely cares for his patients and that he wants to push the envelope to do more and better. However, the prose sometimes read achingly flowery. I like the nod to other clinicians and healthcare visionaries, but that sometimes detracted from the point. I also wish more credit was given to ICU nurses.
Nice list for extra reading, books for the TBR pile, and notes for references.
While not necessarily groundbreaking for those in the profession, it's definitely a good reminder of the importance of patient-centric care. IMHO.
January 13, 2024
A great read for anyone working in or interested in critical care or acute care in general. Great reminders and loved the patient stories. LOVED reading about the role of PT & OT involvement in the ICU.. but what about the role of the speech pathologist? Overall, excellent read for healthcare professionals.
November 6, 2025
At the time of this writing Ely is a young medical student. So far his adventures at the bedside may come at the price ditching the dignity of the patient yet gifting them with a life saved. He ponders the Hippocratic oath he took. Many of his experiences vary from the demise of his first patient, yet the process helped him orchestrate revolutionary lifesaving methods; to the assistance of delirious patients that he assisted well with a newly found revelation.
"The success of intensive care is not to be measured only by the statistics of survival, as though each death were a medical failure. It is to be measured by the quality of lives preserved or restored."
--Wes Ely
Ely also explores the then ICU microcosm of sedation and immobilization and seeks a way to impart “humanity in doctoring.”All this and he places compassion, respect, and comfort to be his "best tools" to impart healing with speed like a cadence that nature commonly uses. Technological advancements come at a cost of depersonalized care. Though Ely mentions aggressive interventions may save lives yet the patient is left with long-term physical and cognitive impairments. Read.
"The success of intensive care is not to be measured only by the statistics of survival, as though each death were a medical failure. It is to be measured by the quality of lives preserved or restored."
--Wes Ely
Ely also explores the then ICU microcosm of sedation and immobilization and seeks a way to impart “humanity in doctoring.”All this and he places compassion, respect, and comfort to be his "best tools" to impart healing with speed like a cadence that nature commonly uses. Technological advancements come at a cost of depersonalized care. Though Ely mentions aggressive interventions may save lives yet the patient is left with long-term physical and cognitive impairments. Read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2025
I found this to be a fascinating look at what can happen to patients who receive care in an ICU. Dr Ely discusses his changing clinical practice after observing damage done to patients who were on long term sedation, bedrest, and isolation from loved ones. He was instrumental in documenting the problems he saw and fought fearlessly for change in the U.S. and internationally. Very very interesting!
Read
October 7, 2021An intensely emotive journey through the science and history of the intensive care unit … Every Deep-Drawn Breath is a paragon of humanity that will have lasting positive effects.
The Lancet
A stunning, heartbreaking, and hopeful book, expressing Dr Ely's profound union of compassion and medical skill. Given that most of us will stay in an ICU, attend a loved one there, or even die in one, I hope that many readers demand treatment according to the humane practices Dr Ely has pioneered. I equally hope that every critical care doctor and hospital administrator reads this beautiful book, puts its protocols into practice, and makes their ICUs more humane and medically effective.
Katy Butler, author of Knocking on Heaven's Door
Every Deep-Drawn Breath is an enthralling journey through the ongoing evolution of critical care. In this richly illustrated book, with stories of people who teetered on the edge of death and survived to find their lives forever changed, Dr Ely, a thought leader in his field, reveals hard lessons he’s learned, innovations he’s led, and his compelling, bright vision for the future of medicine.
Dr Ira Byock, active emeritus professor at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, author of Dying Well and The Best Care Possible, founder and chief medical officer of the Institute for Human Caring
Through rich and remarkable accounts of caring for patients in the ICU, Dr Wes Ely places the humanistic mission of medicine front and centre, where it belongs, in this outstanding book.
Dr Eric Topol, professor at Scripps Research, author of Deep Medicine
A remarkable book from a legendary physician. Dr Ely revolutionised critical care and now, through stories that are intimate, honest, and brave, he reveals the failings and the great promise of the field. This could not be more timely — in the wake of a pandemic that challenged the humanity of our profession, Ely shows us the road forward. A must read.
Dr Daniela Lamas, author of You Can Stop Humming Now: a doctor's stories of life, death, and in between
Every Deep-Drawn Breath is a beautiful, honest gem. If you’re interested in the wild world of the ICU, in the interface between nature and human nature, in how medicine (at its best) learns from good intentions gone awry, in the difference between in vitro and in vivo, or in how a good doctor becomes great, here is the book for you. I'm grateful to Dr Ely for his candour and his storytelling.
Dr BJ Miller, author of A Beginner's Guide to the End
Thanks to Dr Wes Ely and his colleagues, help is on the way for ICU patients, as well as the healthcare professionals who care for them. Every Deep-Drawn Breath is a must read for anyone who may someday be impacted by an ICU, which means all of us.
Dr Jessica Zitter, MPH, author of Extreme Measures
The ICU is an important, mysterious character in the story of modern medicine, and Every Deep-Drawn Breath is its deeply felt, thoroughly researched biography. With compassion, grit and grace, Dr Ely takes us into this liminal space and shows us, through the stories of his patients and his life, what it means to mobilise technology to save lives while also confronting the unintended pain and suffering that ICU care can inflict. This book illuminates the humanism, heroism, and humility required to stand with people at life’s edge, and reminds us to seek meaning and purpose in the life we have, a life sustained by each breath we take.
Dr Sunita Puri, author of That Good Night: life and medicine in the eleventh hour
In this fascinating and eye-opening book, Wes Ely makes the radical argument that we should be helping critically ill patients stay awake and engaged, not routinely sedating them into unconsciousness. Combining dogged research, intense reflection, and page-turning stories, Dr Ely reminds us that we have to treat the patient, not just the disease.
Dr Danielle Ofri, PhD, Clinical Professor of Medicine at NYU School of Medicine, and author of When We Do Harm
With the storytelling sensibilities of Oliver Sacks and the surgical precision of Atul Gawande, Dr Wes Ely has given us an unforgettable journey of patients and doctors traveling in the disorienting world of intensive care, ultimately leading toward redemption for Dr Ely himself. Required reading for all mortals. If you liked When Breath Becomes Air, you will love this book.
Dr Angelo Volandes, author of The Conversation: a revolutionary plan for end-of-life care
A treasure trove of hard-won wisdom. Reading Every Deep-Drawn Breath is like getting a backstage pass to the cloistered world of medical science. A gifted storyteller, Wes Ely brings his humanity to every moment, inspiring us to reexamine our own beliefs and reimagine what is possible. He has seamlessly woven together the private stories behind the very public successes and failures of our well-intentioned ICU care. Illuminating and generous, he revisits with humility the pivotal moments of his career in this wise gift of a book.
Dr Rana Awdish, author of In Shock: my journey from death to recovery and the redemptive power of hope
Ely, a critical care doctor, debuts with a remarkable look at transformations in ICU care … This humble — and humbling — look at the limits and potential of medicine will stick with readers.
Publishers Weekly, starred review
In this dynamic, often touching debut, the author chronicles a personal, passionate return to the ethical heart of the Hippocratic oath. In addition to a timeline of the ICU and its history of medical innovations, Ely details a succession of individual bedside narratives … The author effectively illuminates the daily pressures placed on caregivers … Ely also provides a thoughtful exploration of the ICU treatment culture of sedation and immobilisation, and analyses how it can be recentred around a core value of “humanity in doctoring” … As Ely conveys through anecdotes and experience, physicians can maximise their knowledge by focusing on, listening to, and learning from their patients. Meaningful, thought-provoking insight into the world of critical care.
Kirkus Reviews
Critical care physician Ely draws on his own experience for this book about the role of humanity and compassion in the ICU … It includes sensitive analysis of the racialised history of critical care medicine and health care disparities that stem from gender, class, and disability. Ely discusses post-intensive care syndrome, which he believes is too-little discussed by patients and health-care professionals … Heightened media attention to intensive care medicine during the pandemic should make this of interest to both lay and professional readers. Ely writes with passion, clarity, and authority.
Library Journal
Timely.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
[A] powerful new book … provides true insight into what can be accomplished with humility, perseverance, dedication and above all else, love.
Intima: a journal of narrative medicine
With its vivid observations and heartfelt tone, Every Deep-Drawn Breath is a joy to read. Ely’s passion for his patients leaps from the pages, inspiring readers to channel Ely’s humility and love for life to brighten the future of medicine, and mankind.
The Federalist
The Lancet
A stunning, heartbreaking, and hopeful book, expressing Dr Ely's profound union of compassion and medical skill. Given that most of us will stay in an ICU, attend a loved one there, or even die in one, I hope that many readers demand treatment according to the humane practices Dr Ely has pioneered. I equally hope that every critical care doctor and hospital administrator reads this beautiful book, puts its protocols into practice, and makes their ICUs more humane and medically effective.
Katy Butler, author of Knocking on Heaven's Door
Every Deep-Drawn Breath is an enthralling journey through the ongoing evolution of critical care. In this richly illustrated book, with stories of people who teetered on the edge of death and survived to find their lives forever changed, Dr Ely, a thought leader in his field, reveals hard lessons he’s learned, innovations he’s led, and his compelling, bright vision for the future of medicine.
Dr Ira Byock, active emeritus professor at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, author of Dying Well and The Best Care Possible, founder and chief medical officer of the Institute for Human Caring
Through rich and remarkable accounts of caring for patients in the ICU, Dr Wes Ely places the humanistic mission of medicine front and centre, where it belongs, in this outstanding book.
Dr Eric Topol, professor at Scripps Research, author of Deep Medicine
A remarkable book from a legendary physician. Dr Ely revolutionised critical care and now, through stories that are intimate, honest, and brave, he reveals the failings and the great promise of the field. This could not be more timely — in the wake of a pandemic that challenged the humanity of our profession, Ely shows us the road forward. A must read.
Dr Daniela Lamas, author of You Can Stop Humming Now: a doctor's stories of life, death, and in between
Every Deep-Drawn Breath is a beautiful, honest gem. If you’re interested in the wild world of the ICU, in the interface between nature and human nature, in how medicine (at its best) learns from good intentions gone awry, in the difference between in vitro and in vivo, or in how a good doctor becomes great, here is the book for you. I'm grateful to Dr Ely for his candour and his storytelling.
Dr BJ Miller, author of A Beginner's Guide to the End
Thanks to Dr Wes Ely and his colleagues, help is on the way for ICU patients, as well as the healthcare professionals who care for them. Every Deep-Drawn Breath is a must read for anyone who may someday be impacted by an ICU, which means all of us.
Dr Jessica Zitter, MPH, author of Extreme Measures
The ICU is an important, mysterious character in the story of modern medicine, and Every Deep-Drawn Breath is its deeply felt, thoroughly researched biography. With compassion, grit and grace, Dr Ely takes us into this liminal space and shows us, through the stories of his patients and his life, what it means to mobilise technology to save lives while also confronting the unintended pain and suffering that ICU care can inflict. This book illuminates the humanism, heroism, and humility required to stand with people at life’s edge, and reminds us to seek meaning and purpose in the life we have, a life sustained by each breath we take.
Dr Sunita Puri, author of That Good Night: life and medicine in the eleventh hour
In this fascinating and eye-opening book, Wes Ely makes the radical argument that we should be helping critically ill patients stay awake and engaged, not routinely sedating them into unconsciousness. Combining dogged research, intense reflection, and page-turning stories, Dr Ely reminds us that we have to treat the patient, not just the disease.
Dr Danielle Ofri, PhD, Clinical Professor of Medicine at NYU School of Medicine, and author of When We Do Harm
With the storytelling sensibilities of Oliver Sacks and the surgical precision of Atul Gawande, Dr Wes Ely has given us an unforgettable journey of patients and doctors traveling in the disorienting world of intensive care, ultimately leading toward redemption for Dr Ely himself. Required reading for all mortals. If you liked When Breath Becomes Air, you will love this book.
Dr Angelo Volandes, author of The Conversation: a revolutionary plan for end-of-life care
A treasure trove of hard-won wisdom. Reading Every Deep-Drawn Breath is like getting a backstage pass to the cloistered world of medical science. A gifted storyteller, Wes Ely brings his humanity to every moment, inspiring us to reexamine our own beliefs and reimagine what is possible. He has seamlessly woven together the private stories behind the very public successes and failures of our well-intentioned ICU care. Illuminating and generous, he revisits with humility the pivotal moments of his career in this wise gift of a book.
Dr Rana Awdish, author of In Shock: my journey from death to recovery and the redemptive power of hope
Ely, a critical care doctor, debuts with a remarkable look at transformations in ICU care … This humble — and humbling — look at the limits and potential of medicine will stick with readers.
Publishers Weekly, starred review
In this dynamic, often touching debut, the author chronicles a personal, passionate return to the ethical heart of the Hippocratic oath. In addition to a timeline of the ICU and its history of medical innovations, Ely details a succession of individual bedside narratives … The author effectively illuminates the daily pressures placed on caregivers … Ely also provides a thoughtful exploration of the ICU treatment culture of sedation and immobilisation, and analyses how it can be recentred around a core value of “humanity in doctoring” … As Ely conveys through anecdotes and experience, physicians can maximise their knowledge by focusing on, listening to, and learning from their patients. Meaningful, thought-provoking insight into the world of critical care.
Kirkus Reviews
Critical care physician Ely draws on his own experience for this book about the role of humanity and compassion in the ICU … It includes sensitive analysis of the racialised history of critical care medicine and health care disparities that stem from gender, class, and disability. Ely discusses post-intensive care syndrome, which he believes is too-little discussed by patients and health-care professionals … Heightened media attention to intensive care medicine during the pandemic should make this of interest to both lay and professional readers. Ely writes with passion, clarity, and authority.
Library Journal
Timely.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
[A] powerful new book … provides true insight into what can be accomplished with humility, perseverance, dedication and above all else, love.
Intima: a journal of narrative medicine
With its vivid observations and heartfelt tone, Every Deep-Drawn Breath is a joy to read. Ely’s passion for his patients leaps from the pages, inspiring readers to channel Ely’s humility and love for life to brighten the future of medicine, and mankind.
The Federalist
June 26, 2024
Really insightful, learned a ton, and I truly feel like anyone who practices in critical care must read!
March 27, 2025
Okay wow!! Dr. Ely’s focus on treating the whole person and what compassion can look like as a physician gives me so much hope. Medicine is more than science and logic and doctors do a lot of harm when they ignore the humanistic side!!! The writing is digestible and kept my attention (which is impressive for my first nonfiction in a whileeee lol). Shout out to the Ologies podcast for the book rec this guy is just dope ☺️ a must read for anyone honestly
January 7, 2022
This book had all the makings of a would-be five star review: historical perspective on the evolution of ICUs, compelling stories warning we were missing patient voices below the technologic noise, and high-quality evidence confirming this intuition. This is the story of one doctor’s work rectifying how the old model of ICU care, while effective in resuscitation, was causing long-term neurocognitive harm and hindering patients from reintegrating into their lives.
I really admire the humility it takes to admit your profession is causing harm and the willingness to combat it. I could easily see myself brushing it off as a necessary evil of achieving the main goal of keeping patients alive. However a few things detracted from the work enough to knock off a star. Many patient anecdotes felt forced and out of place with the overall narrative. The story felt choppy, frequently interrupted to introduce collaborators who should have been relegated to the acknowledgements section. Maybe the editor could have helped with this.
Simultaneous to addressing post-intensive care syndrome, the author describes his arc of patient care. Initially focused on technical expertise, he transitions to include the emotional experience and socioeconomic background of patients in caring for them. I can’t imagine any recent graduates of medical school who would disagree that whole-person care is important. But as someone who has yet to master the medical knowledge expected of me, I’m frustrated that so much of my cognitive capacity goes to executing treatment plans correctly. I look forward to the day this is not the case, when the infusion pump alerts and ventilator chimes become a little less distracting, and I can see more of the patient in front of me.
I find myself constantly wondering how to learn both medicine and my patients. What’s more important right now, their home life or that swelling in their leg that I can’t differentiate between an infection, blood clot, or IV gone awry? It brings to mind one of my favorite articles that emphasizes both (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056...), and I expect I’ll just stumble my way across the finish line. I can’t tell if the author appreciates the work in progress this requires, or if he feels he’d get it right had he only realized this conclusion in his younger years. The cool part is that we work in the same building so I might just get to ask him!
I really admire the humility it takes to admit your profession is causing harm and the willingness to combat it. I could easily see myself brushing it off as a necessary evil of achieving the main goal of keeping patients alive. However a few things detracted from the work enough to knock off a star. Many patient anecdotes felt forced and out of place with the overall narrative. The story felt choppy, frequently interrupted to introduce collaborators who should have been relegated to the acknowledgements section. Maybe the editor could have helped with this.
Simultaneous to addressing post-intensive care syndrome, the author describes his arc of patient care. Initially focused on technical expertise, he transitions to include the emotional experience and socioeconomic background of patients in caring for them. I can’t imagine any recent graduates of medical school who would disagree that whole-person care is important. But as someone who has yet to master the medical knowledge expected of me, I’m frustrated that so much of my cognitive capacity goes to executing treatment plans correctly. I look forward to the day this is not the case, when the infusion pump alerts and ventilator chimes become a little less distracting, and I can see more of the patient in front of me.
I find myself constantly wondering how to learn both medicine and my patients. What’s more important right now, their home life or that swelling in their leg that I can’t differentiate between an infection, blood clot, or IV gone awry? It brings to mind one of my favorite articles that emphasizes both (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056...), and I expect I’ll just stumble my way across the finish line. I can’t tell if the author appreciates the work in progress this requires, or if he feels he’d get it right had he only realized this conclusion in his younger years. The cool part is that we work in the same building so I might just get to ask him!
March 5, 2022
Two important things to note about this book: 1. ALL net author proceeds go to a fund to help ICU survivors and their families. 2. Most of us and most of our loved ones will one day be in an ICU.
I got EVERY DEEP-DRAWN BREATH because I have a job in the healthcare industry. I was expecting something interesting but extremely clinical with textbook blandness. While it does discuss clinical issues, it is the furthest thing from a text book and the furthest thing from bland. The book creatively begins each chapter with a poetic passage from literature relevant to the true life story about to unfold. The aforementioned clinical component is far overshadowed by heart wrenching accounts of PICS (Post ICU Syndrome) and Dr. Ely’s crusade to combat it. This innovative crusade yields documented quantifiable results but is still not universally adopted. The book very much parallels life - at times filled with tragedy and suffering; and filled with hope.
I got EVERY DEEP-DRAWN BREATH because I have a job in the healthcare industry. I was expecting something interesting but extremely clinical with textbook blandness. While it does discuss clinical issues, it is the furthest thing from a text book and the furthest thing from bland. The book creatively begins each chapter with a poetic passage from literature relevant to the true life story about to unfold. The aforementioned clinical component is far overshadowed by heart wrenching accounts of PICS (Post ICU Syndrome) and Dr. Ely’s crusade to combat it. This innovative crusade yields documented quantifiable results but is still not universally adopted. The book very much parallels life - at times filled with tragedy and suffering; and filled with hope.
June 23, 2022
A great read which invites the reader to question whether:
1. The things you’re doing with the intention to help is actually causing harm
2. How complacency with the status quo can be dangerous
3. Showing compassion is a necessary part of patient care instead of a weakness to avoid
1. The things you’re doing with the intention to help is actually causing harm
2. How complacency with the status quo can be dangerous
3. Showing compassion is a necessary part of patient care instead of a weakness to avoid
May 15, 2025
so full of knowledge. this is an amazing book. great for anyone who loves to geek out on medical information. as a medical mom i appreciate the honesty of this doctor and how it moved him to keep doing better for patients in the icu. realizing that saving a person's life doesn't stop at the initial interventions or getting them off the vent but instead it flows into making sure they can return as close as possible to life as it was before.
they mentioned a drug in this book used to sedate patients on a vent and i know this drug all to well. what a relief to know it is part of the big improvements in the icu!
big thank you to Dr Wes Ely and his team and all the ones he learned or sought help from!
they mentioned a drug in this book used to sedate patients on a vent and i know this drug all to well. what a relief to know it is part of the big improvements in the icu!
big thank you to Dr Wes Ely and his team and all the ones he learned or sought help from!
February 18, 2022
The author explains how ICU care has changed over the years to the benefit of everyone involved. I appreciated the stories he told and the glimpse of how entrenched medical practices change. It is a hopeful book and recommended for anyone interested in critical care medicine and end of life care.
April 30, 2025
Took me a while to get through this, not exactly something I was reaching towards when I got home from work. However, I did really enjoy Dr. Ely’s words. Sometimes my job in the ICU seems meaningless and this book helped me understand just how important my role is. There is still a lot of work to be done in the critical care world but I’m so happy to see how far it’s come!
October 10, 2024
Had to read this quickly for work, but full of information, compassion, and stellar storytelling. Heck it makes me want to be a doctor
February 8, 2025
3.5 rounded down. As an ICU nurse, I found Every Deep Drawn Breath inspiring and urgently important. I found myself thinking of every reason why what we do (ex. sedating ventilated patients near-automatically, or keeping them mildly sedated) is necessary: “But.. they’ll remove their tube”, “they’ll be uncomfortable”, “won’t they fall?” “I wouldn’t want to be awake” “they’re not getting their breaths when they’re awake!” “Her heart rate is too fast and unstable!” Ely focuses on the bigger picture - would you still sedate (as the profession has for many years,) at the expense of the patient’s cognitive and emotional future?
I’ve known that delirium can be long-lasting, but was most shocked by its effect on brain scans even years later. This is what stuck with me the most - the price these patients and their families pay can truly be debilitating and life-long. It often is. Can we do better as a profession?
We hear about early mobilization, wean trails with half sedation restarted, and minimizing sedation overall, and do our best but sometimes, true implementation feels like walking through thick mud. The medical field really needs a mind shift. Ely, for instance, gives an example of an awake patient on 75% fio2 and 12 of PEEP and I couldn’t stop thinking about how that would work. I appreciated that he recommends starting with more stable pulm. Patients. Okay. Maybe I could really test this out. I know research supports it too, so why has change across the world been so slow?
Ely has a unique heart for the profession that I find very nurse-like, actually (and that’s a compliment). His patients are so fortunate for his enthusiasm and research.
Despite it being a complex topic, I wanted more details on implementation. It’s almost like I’d need to hear Ely speak, or have him at our hospital for a few weeks of training. I’m inspired and saddened by the data, but something was missing, still, for me. The beginning of the book also felt a little introductory (for perhaps the PICS community?)
I agree with many, though, that all ICU nurses would benefit and feel inspired by this book. I want to be better every day.
I’ve known that delirium can be long-lasting, but was most shocked by its effect on brain scans even years later. This is what stuck with me the most - the price these patients and their families pay can truly be debilitating and life-long. It often is. Can we do better as a profession?
We hear about early mobilization, wean trails with half sedation restarted, and minimizing sedation overall, and do our best but sometimes, true implementation feels like walking through thick mud. The medical field really needs a mind shift. Ely, for instance, gives an example of an awake patient on 75% fio2 and 12 of PEEP and I couldn’t stop thinking about how that would work. I appreciated that he recommends starting with more stable pulm. Patients. Okay. Maybe I could really test this out. I know research supports it too, so why has change across the world been so slow?
Ely has a unique heart for the profession that I find very nurse-like, actually (and that’s a compliment). His patients are so fortunate for his enthusiasm and research.
Despite it being a complex topic, I wanted more details on implementation. It’s almost like I’d need to hear Ely speak, or have him at our hospital for a few weeks of training. I’m inspired and saddened by the data, but something was missing, still, for me. The beginning of the book also felt a little introductory (for perhaps the PICS community?)
I agree with many, though, that all ICU nurses would benefit and feel inspired by this book. I want to be better every day.
August 28, 2023
First off, the majority of this book felt like reading a long bunch of long ass research papers/literature reviews that were overlaid with some prose and could then, therefore, accordingly be dubbed a book. I personally found that to be extremely boring and I felt like I was back in school.
Second off, call me a Debby downer or a negative Nelly or whatever, but many of the realizations Dr. Ely writes about in his book just seem so obvious as a healthcare professional that I wanted to smash my head into a wall. Of course it’s easy to say now that all the delirium research that Dr. Ely did seems so obvious as it’s standard practice today, but the parts where he talks about realizing treating a patient is more than just treating their medical problem (as in you should care about the social and environmental contexts that affect people too), which is about 95% of the book, confirmed the lack of awareness and big headedness that so many doctors seem to possess. Granted, this is being said as someone in the nursing field who works in an ICU and was taught that care for patients is holistic and goes beyond just their medical diagnoses. I suppose that means this unawareness is maybe more a failure of medical school curricula to teach physicians anything related to bedside manner and actually interacting with patients when it comes down to things, but I still found these “profound” realizations to be…exasperating in a sense.
Anyway, most of the shortcomings I had with this book are probably just me being jaded and feeling unrecognized and under appreciated as nursing staff so take it all with a big grain of salt!! That being said, though the majority of the book did just feel like reading the results, discussion, and conclusion sections of a research paper to me, I think the prose was pretty good and I enjoyed the patient stories a lot. I think this book is much better suited for someone not in the medical field, or at least someone who does not work in an ICU, especially a medical ICU with critical care pulmonologists, as you will get a bit of a behind-the-scenes look into critical care and and be educated on some basic, yet important aspects of care in an ICU and life after if you or a family member or friend are to ever end up in an ICU.
Okay. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk everyone!!
Second off, call me a Debby downer or a negative Nelly or whatever, but many of the realizations Dr. Ely writes about in his book just seem so obvious as a healthcare professional that I wanted to smash my head into a wall. Of course it’s easy to say now that all the delirium research that Dr. Ely did seems so obvious as it’s standard practice today, but the parts where he talks about realizing treating a patient is more than just treating their medical problem (as in you should care about the social and environmental contexts that affect people too), which is about 95% of the book, confirmed the lack of awareness and big headedness that so many doctors seem to possess. Granted, this is being said as someone in the nursing field who works in an ICU and was taught that care for patients is holistic and goes beyond just their medical diagnoses. I suppose that means this unawareness is maybe more a failure of medical school curricula to teach physicians anything related to bedside manner and actually interacting with patients when it comes down to things, but I still found these “profound” realizations to be…exasperating in a sense.
Anyway, most of the shortcomings I had with this book are probably just me being jaded and feeling unrecognized and under appreciated as nursing staff so take it all with a big grain of salt!! That being said, though the majority of the book did just feel like reading the results, discussion, and conclusion sections of a research paper to me, I think the prose was pretty good and I enjoyed the patient stories a lot. I think this book is much better suited for someone not in the medical field, or at least someone who does not work in an ICU, especially a medical ICU with critical care pulmonologists, as you will get a bit of a behind-the-scenes look into critical care and and be educated on some basic, yet important aspects of care in an ICU and life after if you or a family member or friend are to ever end up in an ICU.
Okay. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk everyone!!
November 10, 2021
What makes up a human life? What are health and healing at their core? What is the role of a doctor, a nurse, or any other medical professional in the care of their patients? And how are our bodies, minds, and souls connected?
While Dr. Ely does not -- and cannot -- answer all these questions, asking them is a good start. Every Deep-Drawn Breath is an in-depth, narrative-propelled exploration of how intensive care should truly treat people as PEOPLE even and especially at their sickest. When we are at our most frail and vulnerable, that is when we need especial compassion and love and care that transcends just our physical needs, important as those are.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone, especially those who want to think about what it means to truly love and care and have compassion on others. Deaconesses, pastors, doctors, social workers, and everyone else would benefit from reading Dr. Ely's book--as long as they don't assume that he has all the answers.
While Dr. Ely does not -- and cannot -- answer all these questions, asking them is a good start. Every Deep-Drawn Breath is an in-depth, narrative-propelled exploration of how intensive care should truly treat people as PEOPLE even and especially at their sickest. When we are at our most frail and vulnerable, that is when we need especial compassion and love and care that transcends just our physical needs, important as those are.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone, especially those who want to think about what it means to truly love and care and have compassion on others. Deaconesses, pastors, doctors, social workers, and everyone else would benefit from reading Dr. Ely's book--as long as they don't assume that he has all the answers.
September 28, 2024
Just because you can write a book doesn’t mean you should. This book had minimal organization. You never knew what was going to happen next in all the worst ways. This man’s ego is just ….wow I wouldn’t want to work anywhere near him. Majority of the book the impression I got was that he saw nurses as people that worked “for him” rather than “with him” and then in the epilogue when he talks about the ICU during the pandemic suddenly the nurses are the best ever!! It’s giving healthcare heroes (again, in all the worst ways). Finally, he mentions multiple times how the nurses are so resistant to decreasing sedation citing the reasons being uncertainty in a new practice and concern for harm to self or others. Also suggesting removing restrains and citing the same reasons for nursing resistance. It’s weird he forgets to mention just how often self extubations happen in these scenarios or just how much violence happens at the bedside related to these interventions. Each time he mentions this topic he makes it seem as though the nurses are unreasonable. That makes me concerned he really has no idea what’s going on at the bedside as many physicians don’t actually realize how often we’re ducking and weaving through our shifts.
July 24, 2024
A beautifully written marriage of the history of critical care medicine, stories of being human, and hope for the future. Though I felt it was at times a bit contrived and egocentric, I quite enjoyed this read and am happy to have read it.
December 20, 2022
Finished this book after a rotation in pulmonary and critical care medicine. It's made me think about human nature, about the justification for standard practices, and the importance of evidence-based medical progress. I think reading this book came at the perfect time. Dr. Ely touched on the aspects of this field that I love, and his writing about the historical standard practices and teachings in medicine made me appreciate how vastly far we have come. Much of what he tells us he first learned in practice as a physician in the last 30 years, I have now briefly learned at my stage in medical school - such as cultural empathy, importance of translation, patient-centered care, anti-racism in medicine, recognizing social determinants of health, and even methods to minimize inpatient delirium.
As he tells the story of his ground-breaking research, you come to see that Dr. Ely is a compassionate and sincere physician. He is highly intelligent and known internationally, but uses that authority in a humanistic way - which he displays by telling moving patient stories in each chapter. Chapter 11 was my favorite, titled "Finding the Person in the Patient - Hope through Humanization", Dr. Ely recounts paragraph by paragraph so many patient stories. And this is in stark contrast to earlier in his training where he describes a stack of notecards for his patient that were discharged alive vs did not survive, admitting that he felt like losing a patient was a failure. He really changed his view of dying as a process of dignity, respect, autonomy, and compassion. This is how I've understood the process of dying should be like for patients and their loved ones, ever since experiencing "the left side of the bed" as Dr. Ely describes the family-of-the-patient's perspective. This was a great read. Educational and inspiring. I think reading this will help me do better for my patients. Highly relevant read as we emerge from the COVID storm and start picking up the pieces dealing with the aftermath.
Noteworthy quotes:
As he tells the story of his ground-breaking research, you come to see that Dr. Ely is a compassionate and sincere physician. He is highly intelligent and known internationally, but uses that authority in a humanistic way - which he displays by telling moving patient stories in each chapter. Chapter 11 was my favorite, titled "Finding the Person in the Patient - Hope through Humanization", Dr. Ely recounts paragraph by paragraph so many patient stories. And this is in stark contrast to earlier in his training where he describes a stack of notecards for his patient that were discharged alive vs did not survive, admitting that he felt like losing a patient was a failure. He really changed his view of dying as a process of dignity, respect, autonomy, and compassion. This is how I've understood the process of dying should be like for patients and their loved ones, ever since experiencing "the left side of the bed" as Dr. Ely describes the family-of-the-patient's perspective. This was a great read. Educational and inspiring. I think reading this will help me do better for my patients. Highly relevant read as we emerge from the COVID storm and start picking up the pieces dealing with the aftermath.
Noteworthy quotes:
Cada persona es un mundo.
Never be so focused on what you're looking for that you that you overlook the thing you actually find
either answer must matter... study what you have a lot of
may your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears - Nelson Mandela
October 23, 2024
There is so much that resonated with me while listening to this book. I can honestly say that this book has impacted how I as an ICU nurse view all my patients, especially my sedated and intubated patients. It has made me stop and think more about not only their ICU stay but how what we are doing in the ICU will impact them once they leave.
Dr. Ely starts by going through the early days of ICU care and how deep sedation and immobilization were standard practice. The author breaks down how this negatively affected patients and caused severe delirium. While patients were surviving their ICU stay they were having severe health problems particularly mentally to the point that they were unable to go back to work or return to even a somewhat normal life. Dr. Ely walks the reader through how even the best intentions of providers in the ICU were causing harm. Effectively the book thoroughly goes through the ABCDEF ICU bundle and promotes helping critically ill patients to stay awake and engaged.
The most eye-opening part of the book was the author's research on delirium and the impacts it has on the brain, particularly the long-term effects. While we have gotten better at preventing delirium in the ICU compared to when Dr. Ely started working in the ICU it still occurs.
I would highly recommend the book to anyone working in the ICU no matter what capacity you work in. Also, anyone who is interested in the ICU would find this book interesting. The author is very engaging and good at storytelling.
Dr. Ely starts by going through the early days of ICU care and how deep sedation and immobilization were standard practice. The author breaks down how this negatively affected patients and caused severe delirium. While patients were surviving their ICU stay they were having severe health problems particularly mentally to the point that they were unable to go back to work or return to even a somewhat normal life. Dr. Ely walks the reader through how even the best intentions of providers in the ICU were causing harm. Effectively the book thoroughly goes through the ABCDEF ICU bundle and promotes helping critically ill patients to stay awake and engaged.
The most eye-opening part of the book was the author's research on delirium and the impacts it has on the brain, particularly the long-term effects. While we have gotten better at preventing delirium in the ICU compared to when Dr. Ely started working in the ICU it still occurs.
I would highly recommend the book to anyone working in the ICU no matter what capacity you work in. Also, anyone who is interested in the ICU would find this book interesting. The author is very engaging and good at storytelling.
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September 14, 2024Compelling reminder to see patients as people to whom you are only a smart part of their life journey. Getting me excited about the idea of pursuing a career taking care of the critically ill. I know a few physicians like Ely who can often come off as a little strange because they truly care about the folks in front of them rather than focusing on doing their job well as defined by the status quo. This book was a good example of how physicians (especially in an environment with 10-30% mortality like the ICU) must fill a role more than providers of a product. Finally, it's heartening to see someone change the healthcare system from the inside, rather than just indict it and leave.
Simply from a practical standpoint, sometimes the pace was a bit jagged and it missed some of the seamless mix of biography, history, and patient story telling of a Gawande or Mukherjee.
Simply from a practical standpoint, sometimes the pace was a bit jagged and it missed some of the seamless mix of biography, history, and patient story telling of a Gawande or Mukherjee.
October 18, 2021
This is a must read for everyone who has ever walked through the door of an Intensive Care Unit, either as a care provider, family member or patient. Dr. Ely brings the reader from the heart of Delirium as an occurrence in the ICU to the reality that ICU Delirium is a potentially life altering event that damages the lives that healthcare providers work so hard to save. Dr. Ely's reflective narrative and use of real patient stories illustrates the human side to both the patient and provider relationship, making a case for real human care being the essence of cure despite all of the technology that is deployed to save life.
Thank you Dr. Ely... you help to restore my faith that all is not lost in the cause for more human care in healthcare.
Thank you Dr. Ely... you help to restore my faith that all is not lost in the cause for more human care in healthcare.
January 27, 2025
يحكي الدكتور ويس إيلي بشفافية عن تجربته مع المرضى في العناية المركزة وكيف أن سباق الأولويات بين حفظ حياة المريض وتأثير الأدوية التي تعطى له وأثرها بعد تعافيه وكيف ممكن أن تستمر أثارها الجانبية لنهاية حياته.
تحدث بإنسانية عن أوائل المرضى الذين كانوا تحت إشرافه وكيف أن سمحت له الظروف بلقاء أسرهم والتأسف لهم عن ما مضى من بروتوكلات طبية متبعة أثرت في حياتهم بشكل سلبي. عمل إنساني بطولي يهم لمن يعمل في مجال به إنسانية وتواصل مع البشر.
نسأل الله أن يعافينا جميعاً ويكفينا شر المرض.
" أفضل دواء يمكن أن نقدمه للمريض هو وجود أسرة بجواره، إنه أمر بالغ الأهمية في مساعدة الدماغ على الصفاء والتعافي ".
تحدث بإنسانية عن أوائل المرضى الذين كانوا تحت إشرافه وكيف أن سمحت له الظروف بلقاء أسرهم والتأسف لهم عن ما مضى من بروتوكلات طبية متبعة أثرت في حياتهم بشكل سلبي. عمل إنساني بطولي يهم لمن يعمل في مجال به إنسانية وتواصل مع البشر.
نسأل الله أن يعافينا جميعاً ويكفينا شر المرض.
" أفضل دواء يمكن أن نقدمه للمريض هو وجود أسرة بجواره، إنه أمر بالغ الأهمية في مساعدة الدماغ على الصفاء والتعافي ".
September 27, 2022
This book was amazing. It makes me think of the COVID ICU patients I treated in the beginning of the pandemic. ICU delirium is real, especially when family members cannot be present. It is comforting to know that experts like Dr. Ely are striving towards changing the accepted norms to ensure better outcomes for patients
Id recommend to anyone, even those without a medical background!
Id recommend to anyone, even those without a medical background!
August 2, 2022
Little slow in places but overall a very thought provoking read on the importance of empathy, family, research, and humanity in critical care
August 13, 2022
INCREDIBLE!! As I’m about to begin my journey as a PA in critical care, this book will always be in my toolbox. Plan to recommend this one to all my friends in medicine 🙏🏼 Also - all of the proceeds for this book go to an ICU survivorship clinic !!
March 17, 2023
Wonderful. Inspires me to be curious about patient’s perspective of their ICU stay.
“For my sickest patients, those who have stopped being able to eat, I offer a touch of honey on a spoon. They can’t aspirate on it, it tastes sweet, and it’s a simple gesture of care and affection from one human to another.”
“For my sickest patients, those who have stopped being able to eat, I offer a touch of honey on a spoon. They can’t aspirate on it, it tastes sweet, and it’s a simple gesture of care and affection from one human to another.”
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