Foundations of Anesthesia: Basic and Clinical Science, 1e [Hardcover]

Hugh C. Hemmings BS MD PhD (Author), Phillip M. Hopkins MB BS MD FRCA (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0723427879 | ISBN-13: 978-0723427872

Foundations of Anesthesia: Integrated Basic and Clinical Sciencesemphasises the principles and clinical applications of the four major areas of basic science that are relevant to anaesthesia practice: molecular and cell biology, physiology, pharmacology, and physics and measurement. The approach is integrated and systems oriented, avoiding the artificial boundaries between the basic sciences. Recognising that no single author possesses the breadth and depth of understanding of all relevant subjects, each chapter is authored by an expert in that area. These authorities represent many of the finest institutions of North America and the United Kingdom. This allows an international presentation of current anaesthesia science presented by relevant experts at the cutting edge of anaesthesia research and education.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 640 pages
• Publisher: Mosby (December 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0723427879
• ISBN-13: 978-0723427872
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,503,501 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Brief key concepts for clinicians, January 24, 2005

By 

Jim (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Foundations of Anesthesia: Basic and Clinical Science, 1e (Hardcover)

I have been teaching these topics for several years to residents in the US and to registrars in the UK, and I have been perusing science-anesthesia texts for a long time. To keep the record straight, I contributed to this book a few years ago, but I have no financial interest in this book, so take my comments in that light. So much for the disclaimers, but some reviewers don't reveal their connections.

This book is directed to anesthesia trainees and practitioners, not scientists who want to know about anesthesia. This book explains classical and some more modern concepts in the basic sciences that are related to anesthesia. Hemmings and Hopkins don't attempt to make clinicians think like scientists, but instead they try to make them conversant in the background science on which their medical practice is based. This book has has almost no numerical examples. It has no information on techniques and is not a substitute for a basic science textbook for clinicians interested in research.

The book is a multi-author textbook and has that uneven quality that is fundamental to this kind of book. Most chapters have more depth than the average general textbook, but less depth than a dedicated textbook like "Nunn's Physiology of the Lung" or an anesthesia equipment text. Some chapters don't have related chapters in the basic texts and give a unique analysis, while some essentially transfer information from anesthesia specialty textbooks. The book is full of definitions and formulae which are hard to track down elsewhere, but it is hampered by the attempt to be inclusive, so that each key idea can only be addressed briefly and left. The topics are also too diverse to be able to bring out coherent principles between chapters in the way some molecular biology or physics texts can. I'd recommend looking at Davis and Parbrook, "Basic Physics and Measurement in Anaesthesia", which addresses some of the same areas and is softcover, though it covers less physiology and a narrower range of topics. Aside from these two, there isn't much which presents a collection of topics on science in anesthesia other than chapters in the general textbooks.

Like most hardcover medical books for small audiences, the book is expensive, especially since it has to compete with free online sources.

Overall, it is a targeted effort with clear intention of filling a training need. It is as easy to read as a general medical textbook and covers many key concepts briefly. It is best suited as an update or an introduction for the clinician or the trainee who wants an explanation of a scientific concept as it is related to anesthesia.