Complications in Anesthesiology

This excellent, up-to-date review covers the full range of complications in anesthesiology related to different systems, equipment, and anesthetic techniques. Key points at the end of each chapter are a distinguishing feature. The last edition was published in 1996, making this update long overdue. This book is intended to familiarize anesthesiologists with complications that happen despite their best efforts. Improvements have made the practice of anesthesia so safe that we do not often see complications. This makes this topic and this book all the more relevant. The authors have successfully tackled the issue with a very readable and concise book. The audience is everyone who practices anesthesia. It will be an asset for residents who will find many of the topics covered only in passing in standard anesthesia textbooks. It will also be helpful for physicians, especially surgeons, who want some insight into potential anesthetic complications as they ask their patients to provide informed consent. The four chapters in the first of the book's six sections covers risk assessment and the all-important subject of legal aspects of complications. The second section of 47 chapters covers complications in different organ systems, including respiratory, cardiovascular, neurologic, renal, blood, gastrointestinal, endocrine, thermoregulation, obstetric, and immunologic. The third section covers machine malfunction, fires, and explosion as well as invasive monitoring complications. Section four covers complications of different anesthesia techniques, nerve injuries, and positioning. The final two sections deal with pharmacologic issues and occupational hazards for anesthesiologists. The book is well written and the chapter outline uses a problem-focused approach. The chapters are focused and well illustrated, and each one ends with a summary of take home points. It's hard to find anything wrong with this book. As the authors note in the preface, they had to make choices about what to keep in and what to leave out. As a result, there is a bit less stress on the management of complications, such as what to do once one suspects a nerve injury. There is no discussion in the chapter on medicolegal issues about how to communicate with family members once a complication occurs. The significant topic of complications in laparoscopic surgery is missing. However, these shortcomings do not take anything away from the book.

Book details:
Author:Lobato, Emilio B.; Gravenstein, Nikolaus; Kirby, Robert R.
Publisher:Lippincott Williams & Wilkins(September 25, 2007)
Pages:845
Size:55,251 MB
Format: Compiled html help file

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