BOOK, MULTIMEDIA, AND MEETING REVIEWS
Section Editor: Marie E. Csete
Essential Anesthesia: From Science
to Practice, 2nd ed.
Euliano TY, Gravenstein JS, Gravenstein N, Gravenstein
D. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011. ISBN-
13: 978-0521149457. 199 pages, $49.00 (USD).
ssential Anesthesia proves a concise and honest little read
E that, as the title reflects, adeptly concentrates anesthesia
practice down to its fundamental principles. Following a
“very short history” and overview of anesthesiology, the
book is divided into thirds, each of which can be easily
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digested in a single comfortable sitting.
The first third covers Clinical Management and basics of
perioperative care, general and regional anesthesia, vascu-
lar access, monitoring, airway management, and a brief
look at the anesthesia machine. Applied Physiology and
Pharmacology insights follow this first informative section.
Eleven clinical cases close Essential Anesthesia with mean-
ingful, relevant insights.
The Physiology and Pharmacology section reviews pre-
eminent principles of cardiac and respiratory physiology,
with a more limited presentation of neural and renal
physiology. Pharmacology discussions are appropriately
limited to those medications most often used in modern
anesthesia practice. The Clinical Cases review provides an
appreciated addendum for readers at any level. These
well-chosen cases demonstrate the utility of simple remind-
ers that can provide guidance for cases that diverge from
our customary practice.
The reader will immediately notice the pleasant flow
and congenial writing style. As the authors state in the
preface, they desire to keep the book “contemporary and
reflective of modern anesthesia.” The text does not aspire to
be comprehensive, and is more concise than a traditional
review book. Any material lost by forgoing the scope of a
broader perspective finds compensation several times over
in readability and focus. Essential Anesthesia receives high
marks for clarity, depth, and portability.
Although Essential Anesthesia is not well referenced, this
small deficiency is handily offset by its accuracy and
occasional end notes, which include further explanations,
interesting historical trivia, sporadic web links, and even a
comment on linguistic theory! More links would further
enhance the reader experience, particularly for a book this
size, which can easily be read as an electronic version.
There are certainly places where the inquisitive reader will
desire more information on a particular topic, and expand-
ing the web links in future editions will make this outstand-
ing book even more useful.
As we collectively continue to transition toward wire-
less connectivity, with a deluge of information at our
fingertips, the volume of information becomes an im-
pediment for everyone, from a young physician to an
institution. With this digestible, concise, and accurate
book, also available as an e-book, Essential Anesthesia
214 www.anesthesia-analgesia.org
proves an excellent introduction for any medical student
or new anesthesia scholar.
Nathaniel W. Parker, MD
Department of Anesthesiology
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, California
nathaniel.parker@cshs.org
Essentials of Pain Medicine, 3rd ed.
H. T. Benzon, S. N. Raja, S. S. Liu, S. M. Fishman, and
S. P. Cohen Philadelphia: Elsevier/Saunders, 2011.
ISBN: 978-1-4377-2242-0. 688 pages, $89.10 (US).
iven the complexity and dynamic nature of pain medi-
G cine, revising and assembling a practical, quick, yet
thorough reference guide to this emerging field is no easy
task. Benzon et al. have taken on this challenge and created
an up-to-date and easy-to-use reference guide in Essentials
of Pain Medicine (3rd ed.).
Evidence of the changes that are occurring in pain
medicine appears throughout the text. Change extends all
the way to the cover, on which the shortened name of the
book itself appears, now minus “Regional Anesthesia” to
emphasize the narrowed focus on pain medicine. Chapters
from the second edition relating to regional anesthesia,
local anesthetics, spinal and epidural anesthesia, and com-
plications of neuraxial and peripheral nerve blockade have
been replaced with content more applicable and practical to
the chronic pain practitioner. New chapters include discus-
sions of joint injections, chronic pain after surgery,
ultrasound-guided interventional techniques, and diagnos-
tic categorization in psychiatry.
The 3rd edition is composed of 9 sections: basic consid-
erations, clinical evaluation and diagnostic examinations,
pharmacology, therapeutic interventions, perioperative
pain management, chronic pain syndromes, interventional
techniques, cancer pain, and nerve blockade. The sections
are organized into an abridged, cohesive format. As in the
previous edition, this version of Essentials includes an
introduction of basic considerations thorough enough for
the practitioner who would like to review anatomy, physi-
ology, and pain processing in a concise summary. Sections
covering evaluation and diagnostic examinations, pharma-
cology, pain syndrome presentations, and therapeutic in-
terventions are easy to read, and provide pain medicine
physicians in training a useful initial source to introduce
these topics. Sections covering cancer pain, management of
pain at end of life, and perioperative pain management are
nicely presented, but limited in their scope, even for a text
of this type; while they provide a broad overview of these
topics, the chapters are not detailed enough to serve the
pain medicine consultant.
Some of the updates in the 3rd edition are particularly
worthy of discussion. The peripheral nerve stimulation
chapter introduces new techniques using percutaneous
ultrasound-guided electrode placement. Although brief, a
July 2012 • Volume 115 • Number 1