Anesthesia: A Very Short Introduction

by Aidan O'Donnell

Overview

How does anesthesia work? What are the risks? And how does the anesthetist know if you are really asleep? In this brisk survey, Aidan O'Donnell takes the reader on a tour of modern anesthetic practice. He begins by explaining general anesthesia: what it is, how it is produced, and how it differs from natural sleep and other forms of unconsciousness. He goes on to consider the main categories of anesthetic drugs, including anesthetic vapors, intravenous agents, muscle relaxants, and analgesics, together with explanations of how they work and what their purpose is. O'Donnell also examines the large role anesthetists play in specialized areas such as intensive care medicine, pain medicine, and childbirth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199584543
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	06/18/2012
Series:	Very Short Introductions
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	4.40(w) x 6.70(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Aidan O'Donnell is a consultant anesthetist and medical writer with a special interest in anesthesia. He lives in New Zealand.

Table of Contents

1. Suspended animation: concepts of anaesthesia2. Historical perspective3. Nuts and bolts4. Bells and whistles5. Anaesthetic drugs and fluids6. Local and regional anaesthesia7. Subspecialties of anaesthesia8. Side effects, complications and risks of anaesthesia9. Anaesthesia tomorrow