Going under | |
All about anaesthesia. Jan Davies and Rod Westhorpe. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000 (xi + 201 pp). ISBN 0 19 551089 5. |
What does an anaesthetist actually do? Does he or she stay with me after I go to sleep? What can I do to help avoid complications after my operation? What is my risk of dying during anaesthesia? Will I wake up during my operation? An anaesthetist is a person who takes responsibility for monitoring and controlling vital functions such as ventilation, oxygenation, tissue perfusion and pain management during surgery. Despite more than 150 years of "painless surgery", anaesthesia remains a mystery to many doctors and to the general public. For most patients undergoing surgery their attention has been directed towards the surgery itself (and the surgeon). Many feel a loss of control when they are admitted to hospital and this feeling can be dramatically accentuated by the visit of the anaesthetist — ignorance, anxiety and fear are common. There can also be a fascination with the process and conduct of anaesthesia. These issues are often magnified for the parents of children needing surgery. This book has been written for the general public. It addresses many issues of concern to patients about to undergo anaesthesia for their surgery. The authors are Jan Davies, Professor of Anaesthesia at the University of Calgary (Canada), and Rod Westhorpe, Deputy Director of Anaesthesia at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne both Fhave an international reputation for promoting patient safety and professional standards in anaesthetic practice. The book has chapters devoted to a patient's preparation for the anaesthetic, a description of the different types of anaesthesia and what actually happens in the operating theatre. It also outlines common fears and complications, and how these are usually managed. There is an emphasis on anaesthesia for children and what role the parent(s) can expect to play. This simple, honest guide for patients who want to know more about anaesthesia is a welcome addition to the literature. This book should be available in general practice libraries and hospital pre-admission clinics so that it is available for patients dealing with the knowledge that they require an operation. Paul Myles
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