- Email: [email protected]
Pharmacology for Anaesthesia and Intensive Care
British Journal of Anaesthesia 114 (3): 534–6 (2015)
BOOK REVIEWS Anesthesiologist’s Manual of Surgical Procedures. RA Jaffe, CA Schmiesing and B Golianu (editors). Published by Wolters Kluwer. Pp. 1720. Price: $199. ISBN 9781451176605.
P. J. Venn London, UK E-mail: [email protected] doi:10.1093/bja/aev003
Pharmacology for Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, 4th Edn. TE Peck and SA Hill (editors). Published by: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 361. Price: £45.00. ISBN: 10-1107657261. This is the 4th edition of a pharmacology book well known to anaesthetists, both consultants and trainees. It is designed as an update to the previous edition published in 2008. As with previous editions this book is well presented, with a logical structure, its text clear and concise with relative, helpful diagrams and tables. It continues to be divided into four individual sections; basic principles, core drugs in anaesthetic practice, cardiovascular drugs and finally other important drugs. Each section is about eighty pages in length and is further divided into concise chapters relative to each section. A reader may be forgiven in thinking that on initial inspection there have been no obvious changes with the publication of this 4th edition. Indeed the format and layout is essentially unchanged. Sitting down however to do a side by side comparison with the 3rd edition reveals a significant number of subtle changes, restructuring of some chapters, addition of new drugs and removal of those drugs no longer in use or only of historical interest. Section one now includes a rewrite relating to pharmacokinetics with an emphasis on clearer text. A new chapter is included looking at applied pharmacokinetic models focusing on the use of total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA). Throughout the remaining 3 sections there are numerous examples new inclusions and appropriate omissions. Methohexitone is out, emphasis is given to Sevoflurane and Desflurane rather than Halothane and Ether. Information about analgesic drugs
& The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: [email protected]
Downloaded from http://bja.oxfordjournals.org/ at North Dakota State University on May 19, 2015
The title of this book immediately alerts the reader to its origin in the USA. The book is a multi-author text encompassing a staggering 193 contributors! You will not be surprised to learn therefore, that it contains 1572 pages and 11 appendices, and weighs in at 3.5 kg, suggesting that it should remain in one place as a reference text. In the preface, the editor states that the book is not ‘either a textbook of anaesthesia or a textbook of surgery’. However, it is packed with an enormous quantity of information. The book contains 15 sections which attempt to cover all aspects of surgical intervention, from neurosurgery to obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics to paediatrics, and plastics and reconstructive to general. Each section is further subdivided into chapters, there being no less than 13 in the section on general surgery. The editor alludes in the preface to the use of abbreviations and medical symbols, stating: ‘Although we realise that it may be more aesthetically pleasing to read “hypoxia or hypercapnia can lead to the development of tachycardia and hypertension”, it takes up a lot less space to write: PaO2 or PCO2 HR + BP’. He is certainly right there – especially about the aesthetics. The whole book is written in this format. It reminded me of my days at medical school when I missed lectures (occasionally) and had to catch up from somebody else’s notes. That never worked very well, and other people’s note style format actually takes longer to read, because one is still mentally converting it to prose which makes it, in my personal opinion, less easy to remember. Each chapter follows a similar format, starting with ‘Surgical Considerations’ which contains diagrams of surgical techniques accompanied by text. ‘Anesthetic Considerations’ follows. Frequently, the ‘anesthetic considerations’ are lumped together at the end of the chapter. For example, chapter 8 on pancreatic surgery has 9 pages covering five different aspects of surgery, ranging from drainage of pancreatic pseudocyst to Whipple resection, each aspect ending with ‘Anesthetic Considerations’ which simply states: ‘See Anesthetic Considerations for Pancreatic Surgery, p. 634’. Indeed, page 634 does herald four pages on anaesthetic considerations, in table format, with no diagrams. This is repeated in several other chapters also, so that anaesthesia often comes across as the poor relation. The book tries to be all things to all people and, in its favour, it certainly leaves no stone unturned in the breadth of its content. However, I was left wondering at whom this book is aimed. Consultants don′ t need this breadth of knowledge because their practice tends to be more specialised, and students have moved away from reading enormous textbooks,
so I wonder if this is still the way that we chose to learn these days. Maybe the editors have considered this, because there is an accompanying interactive e-book, accessible by registering with an access code contained under a scratch sticker inside the front cover. I registered and received an email. I followed the instructions precisely and created a password but, when I attempted to log in, I received a message stating: ‘Unable to sign up. Please try again later’. There was no explanation as to what was wrong. I did try again later – there was still no explanation as to what was wrong. I don′ t think this is a useful text for personal study at home, but it could have a role as a reference book either in the anaesthetic department or theatre suite, where it will certainly be hard to steal! And at £134 a copy from Amazon, it needs to be!
BJA
Book reviews
rehabilitation. The variety of topics covered is very wide; with several chapters even examining how modifying interventions within critical care could alter later outcomes (for example, by improving sedation, nutrition, or weaning). Some of the most well known authors within critical care have contributed, giving an international appeal. Global differences in intensive care management are well addressed in this text, and the evidence presented is right up to date. There are also plenty of diagrams and tables to break up and illustrate the text. The net result is a book that is very accessible, and more importantly feels relevant to clinical practice. Two of the most striking chapters can be found early in the book, where a patient and her husband recount their experiences of survival after discharge from an ICU. These chapters eloquently highlight the trail of morbidity that critical illness leaves in its wake. And perhaps that is where critical care research must next go, on a voyage to improve the longer-term outcomes of our patients. If that is the case, then there can be no better guide than this book.
D. Doyle Sheffield, UK E-mail: [email protected]
doi:10.1093/bja/aev005
doi:10.1093/bja/aev004
Challenging Concepts in Anaesthesia. Cases with Expert Commentary. P Syme R Jackson and T Cook (editors). Published by Oxford University Press. Pp 228; indexed; illustrated. Price £44.99. ISBN 978-0199686278.
Textbook of Post-ICU Medicine, The Legacy of Critical Care. RD Stevens, N Hart and MS Herridge (editors). Published by Oxford University Press. Pp. 624. Price £65.00. ISBN 978-0-19965346-1. ‘Surviving critical illness is not the happy ending that we imagined for our patients’
Intensive care is an expensive discipline, consuming a lot of resources, all concentrated towards getting patients over their critical illness. But what happens once patients have been discharged home? That is what this book aims to answer; and as you can tell from the opening line of the book, quoted above, it has some salutary lessons. The book is more a series of structured essays than a regular textbook, and this format works well. Each of the fifty three chapters stands alone, with its own structure and references, pulling together evidence from across many disciplines in an attempt to describe what happens to intensive care patients in the months and years after discharge. This is quite an achievement, given that intensive care is a discipline that often measures success by short-term outcomes. Chapters are grouped together in sections that first outline the general problem, and then move on to more specific areas of organ dysfunction and pathophysiological deterioration. Later sections focus on organ repair, and the potential for
M. Beed Nottingham, UK E-mail: [email protected]
This is an excellent book that, for the practising anaesthetist, achieves the Reithian ideals of educating, informing, and entertaining. The structure of the book is succinctly summed up by the title. The reader will find description and discussion of the anaesthetic management of 18 challenging cases. For each case, the rationale for the clinical decisions is explained and particular learning points highlighted in text boxes. Each case is set about by further text boxes containing commentary from an expert in the field that add depth to the clinical discussion. The sense is one of discussing a challenging case with trusted colleagues, one of whom has valuable expert knowledge, with the added value that an extensive list of references is provided at the end of the discussion. The book is divided into nine chapters, as follows: airway management, perioperative care, laparoscopic and bariatric surgery, neuroanaesthesia, obstetric anaesthesia, paediatric anaesthesia, acute pain management, multiple trauma, and cardiac disease and anaesthesia. The majority of cases discussed deal with issues that may arise in the practice of almost all anaesthetists, such as the management of unanticipated failed intubation, prolonged laparoscopic surgery, and postoperative pain control. A few specialist topics, such as radiological coiling of cerebral aneurysm and postarrest
535
Downloaded from http://bja.oxfordjournals.org/ at North Dakota State University on May 19, 2015
reflects current clinical practice with up to date details on COX II inhibitors. Tubocurarine and Gallamine disappear, though I am surprised that Pancuronium still warrants inclusion. Sugammadex is well described. Ramapril is now the standard angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor rather than Captopril. Gabapentin and Pregabalin are now included in the text. Details regarding intravenous fluids are current and include new information about additives such as magnesium and calcium. There are significant changes and improvements in the layout of the chapter about antimicrobials. The chapter on drugs affecting coagulation now includes a large number of newer agents, antiplatelet drugs and oral anticoagulants. Overall I am impressed with this book. Sensibly the authors have chosen to continue with a well established format and layout. Changes from the previous edition are logical and appropriate, ensuring that this edition is topical and up to date. This is certainly a book which I would strongly recommend to those junior doctors starting a career in the specialty of anaesthesia. It will provide them with a clear and well structured overview of pharmacology relevant to our specialty. Equally I would have no hesitation in recommending this book as a core text to those trainees embarking on the primary FRCA.
BOOK REVIEWS Anesthesiologist’s Manual of Surgical Procedures. RA Jaffe, CA Schmiesing and B Golianu (editors). Published by Wolters Kluwer. Pp. 1720. Price: $199. ISBN 9781451176605.
P. J. Venn London, UK E-mail: [email protected] doi:10.1093/bja/aev003
Pharmacology for Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, 4th Edn. TE Peck and SA Hill (editors). Published by: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 361. Price: £45.00. ISBN: 10-1107657261. This is the 4th edition of a pharmacology book well known to anaesthetists, both consultants and trainees. It is designed as an update to the previous edition published in 2008. As with previous editions this book is well presented, with a logical structure, its text clear and concise with relative, helpful diagrams and tables. It continues to be divided into four individual sections; basic principles, core drugs in anaesthetic practice, cardiovascular drugs and finally other important drugs. Each section is about eighty pages in length and is further divided into concise chapters relative to each section. A reader may be forgiven in thinking that on initial inspection there have been no obvious changes with the publication of this 4th edition. Indeed the format and layout is essentially unchanged. Sitting down however to do a side by side comparison with the 3rd edition reveals a significant number of subtle changes, restructuring of some chapters, addition of new drugs and removal of those drugs no longer in use or only of historical interest. Section one now includes a rewrite relating to pharmacokinetics with an emphasis on clearer text. A new chapter is included looking at applied pharmacokinetic models focusing on the use of total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA). Throughout the remaining 3 sections there are numerous examples new inclusions and appropriate omissions. Methohexitone is out, emphasis is given to Sevoflurane and Desflurane rather than Halothane and Ether. Information about analgesic drugs
& The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: [email protected]
Downloaded from http://bja.oxfordjournals.org/ at North Dakota State University on May 19, 2015
The title of this book immediately alerts the reader to its origin in the USA. The book is a multi-author text encompassing a staggering 193 contributors! You will not be surprised to learn therefore, that it contains 1572 pages and 11 appendices, and weighs in at 3.5 kg, suggesting that it should remain in one place as a reference text. In the preface, the editor states that the book is not ‘either a textbook of anaesthesia or a textbook of surgery’. However, it is packed with an enormous quantity of information. The book contains 15 sections which attempt to cover all aspects of surgical intervention, from neurosurgery to obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics to paediatrics, and plastics and reconstructive to general. Each section is further subdivided into chapters, there being no less than 13 in the section on general surgery. The editor alludes in the preface to the use of abbreviations and medical symbols, stating: ‘Although we realise that it may be more aesthetically pleasing to read “hypoxia or hypercapnia can lead to the development of tachycardia and hypertension”, it takes up a lot less space to write: PaO2 or PCO2 HR + BP’. He is certainly right there – especially about the aesthetics. The whole book is written in this format. It reminded me of my days at medical school when I missed lectures (occasionally) and had to catch up from somebody else’s notes. That never worked very well, and other people’s note style format actually takes longer to read, because one is still mentally converting it to prose which makes it, in my personal opinion, less easy to remember. Each chapter follows a similar format, starting with ‘Surgical Considerations’ which contains diagrams of surgical techniques accompanied by text. ‘Anesthetic Considerations’ follows. Frequently, the ‘anesthetic considerations’ are lumped together at the end of the chapter. For example, chapter 8 on pancreatic surgery has 9 pages covering five different aspects of surgery, ranging from drainage of pancreatic pseudocyst to Whipple resection, each aspect ending with ‘Anesthetic Considerations’ which simply states: ‘See Anesthetic Considerations for Pancreatic Surgery, p. 634’. Indeed, page 634 does herald four pages on anaesthetic considerations, in table format, with no diagrams. This is repeated in several other chapters also, so that anaesthesia often comes across as the poor relation. The book tries to be all things to all people and, in its favour, it certainly leaves no stone unturned in the breadth of its content. However, I was left wondering at whom this book is aimed. Consultants don′ t need this breadth of knowledge because their practice tends to be more specialised, and students have moved away from reading enormous textbooks,
so I wonder if this is still the way that we chose to learn these days. Maybe the editors have considered this, because there is an accompanying interactive e-book, accessible by registering with an access code contained under a scratch sticker inside the front cover. I registered and received an email. I followed the instructions precisely and created a password but, when I attempted to log in, I received a message stating: ‘Unable to sign up. Please try again later’. There was no explanation as to what was wrong. I did try again later – there was still no explanation as to what was wrong. I don′ t think this is a useful text for personal study at home, but it could have a role as a reference book either in the anaesthetic department or theatre suite, where it will certainly be hard to steal! And at £134 a copy from Amazon, it needs to be!
BJA
Book reviews
rehabilitation. The variety of topics covered is very wide; with several chapters even examining how modifying interventions within critical care could alter later outcomes (for example, by improving sedation, nutrition, or weaning). Some of the most well known authors within critical care have contributed, giving an international appeal. Global differences in intensive care management are well addressed in this text, and the evidence presented is right up to date. There are also plenty of diagrams and tables to break up and illustrate the text. The net result is a book that is very accessible, and more importantly feels relevant to clinical practice. Two of the most striking chapters can be found early in the book, where a patient and her husband recount their experiences of survival after discharge from an ICU. These chapters eloquently highlight the trail of morbidity that critical illness leaves in its wake. And perhaps that is where critical care research must next go, on a voyage to improve the longer-term outcomes of our patients. If that is the case, then there can be no better guide than this book.
D. Doyle Sheffield, UK E-mail: [email protected]
doi:10.1093/bja/aev005
doi:10.1093/bja/aev004
Challenging Concepts in Anaesthesia. Cases with Expert Commentary. P Syme R Jackson and T Cook (editors). Published by Oxford University Press. Pp 228; indexed; illustrated. Price £44.99. ISBN 978-0199686278.
Textbook of Post-ICU Medicine, The Legacy of Critical Care. RD Stevens, N Hart and MS Herridge (editors). Published by Oxford University Press. Pp. 624. Price £65.00. ISBN 978-0-19965346-1. ‘Surviving critical illness is not the happy ending that we imagined for our patients’
Intensive care is an expensive discipline, consuming a lot of resources, all concentrated towards getting patients over their critical illness. But what happens once patients have been discharged home? That is what this book aims to answer; and as you can tell from the opening line of the book, quoted above, it has some salutary lessons. The book is more a series of structured essays than a regular textbook, and this format works well. Each of the fifty three chapters stands alone, with its own structure and references, pulling together evidence from across many disciplines in an attempt to describe what happens to intensive care patients in the months and years after discharge. This is quite an achievement, given that intensive care is a discipline that often measures success by short-term outcomes. Chapters are grouped together in sections that first outline the general problem, and then move on to more specific areas of organ dysfunction and pathophysiological deterioration. Later sections focus on organ repair, and the potential for
M. Beed Nottingham, UK E-mail: [email protected]
This is an excellent book that, for the practising anaesthetist, achieves the Reithian ideals of educating, informing, and entertaining. The structure of the book is succinctly summed up by the title. The reader will find description and discussion of the anaesthetic management of 18 challenging cases. For each case, the rationale for the clinical decisions is explained and particular learning points highlighted in text boxes. Each case is set about by further text boxes containing commentary from an expert in the field that add depth to the clinical discussion. The sense is one of discussing a challenging case with trusted colleagues, one of whom has valuable expert knowledge, with the added value that an extensive list of references is provided at the end of the discussion. The book is divided into nine chapters, as follows: airway management, perioperative care, laparoscopic and bariatric surgery, neuroanaesthesia, obstetric anaesthesia, paediatric anaesthesia, acute pain management, multiple trauma, and cardiac disease and anaesthesia. The majority of cases discussed deal with issues that may arise in the practice of almost all anaesthetists, such as the management of unanticipated failed intubation, prolonged laparoscopic surgery, and postoperative pain control. A few specialist topics, such as radiological coiling of cerebral aneurysm and postarrest
535
Downloaded from http://bja.oxfordjournals.org/ at North Dakota State University on May 19, 2015
reflects current clinical practice with up to date details on COX II inhibitors. Tubocurarine and Gallamine disappear, though I am surprised that Pancuronium still warrants inclusion. Sugammadex is well described. Ramapril is now the standard angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor rather than Captopril. Gabapentin and Pregabalin are now included in the text. Details regarding intravenous fluids are current and include new information about additives such as magnesium and calcium. There are significant changes and improvements in the layout of the chapter about antimicrobials. The chapter on drugs affecting coagulation now includes a large number of newer agents, antiplatelet drugs and oral anticoagulants. Overall I am impressed with this book. Sensibly the authors have chosen to continue with a well established format and layout. Changes from the previous edition are logical and appropriate, ensuring that this edition is topical and up to date. This is certainly a book which I would strongly recommend to those junior doctors starting a career in the specialty of anaesthesia. It will provide them with a clear and well structured overview of pharmacology relevant to our specialty. Equally I would have no hesitation in recommending this book as a core text to those trainees embarking on the primary FRCA.