Publications
APS Bulletin • Volume 11, Number 2, March/April 2001
Resource Reviews
John D. Loeser, MD, Department Editor
Textbook of Obstetrical Anesthesia
Reviewed by Brian K. Ross, MD PhD
David J. Birnback, Stephen P. Gatt, & Sanjay Datta (Eds.) Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, 2000, 830 pages, $135 (hardcover), ISBN 0443065608
This textbook brings an international perspective to the delivery of obstetrical anesthesia with its 56 chapters and 45 appendixes written by clinicians and scientists from six continents. Contemporary parturients in the developed world have more than the desire to be anesthetized for delivery; some want to be awake, alert, and ambulating during labor. The obstetrical anesthesiologist must bring to his or her practice a thorough grounding in the neurobiology of pain if the needs and wishes of the parturient are to be met. This text is outstanding because of its superb chapter on the pathways and mechanisms of pain as they apply to women in labor. Up-to-date pain management in the obstetrical setting is based on new knowledge of pain mechanisms and how pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic strategies can interrupt nociceptive processes. This chapter on pain management also should be read by clinicians involved in any type of pain management.
Another superb chapter is titled “Functional Anatomy of Central Blockade in Obstetrics.” Anyone who uses epidural or peridural blockade could benefit from reading this superbly written essay on a difficult topic. After reading it, one can at last understand the factors that influence the patterns and limits of the distribution of injected drugs. The remainder of the chapters in this text all do a wonderful job of presenting up-to-date information on the scientific basis of obstetrical anesthesia. The text is encyclopedic in scope and an excellent resource for trainees. Its greatest asset is the bridging of the many gaps between obstetrics and anesthesiology as they are practiced throughout the world. This text is a must for any clinician involved in the care of pregnant women.
Brian Ross is associate professor of anesthesiology at the University of Washington in Seattle.