Primum non nocere... The fact that a surgical procedure can leave any kind of pain casts a shadow over this tenet, which is seen as the basis of medical practice and anchor of its principle ethic... It is all the more surprising in that medicine has only paid attention to this paradoxical chronic pain situation for the past few years. Clarifying the knowledge acquired in this field has become all the more urgent for any care-giver today confronted by a legitimate request from patients: Why and how can a surgical procedure, which is supposed to bring relief, leave behind an unacceptable sequela? This is the approach which the contributors to this new subject of major clinical interest invite you to follow as you work your way through this book.

This new edition reflects the evolution of the field including new topics for historical relevance regarding the changing attitudes towards opioid prescription and use. The book points out that the realization of liberalizing use is almost uncontrollably linked to unnecessary patient death. Similarly, the evidence is increasingly confirming that interventional pain procedures work. New evidence presents, for example, that Percutaneous Lysis of Adhesions is an effective therapeutic modality that has advantages over other options due to its cost effective nature and long term outcomes reducing the need for additional procedures including surgeries and more and more expensive medications. Awareness about the consequences of bad outcomes leads to medicolegal complications. The inevitable trigger is bad outcome which is often related to knowledge, training, experience, as well as equipment design. Some of the examples and lessons learned from the medicolegal arena may soon prevent such occurrences.

This book offers an essential guide to managing the most-debated hot topics of practical interest in anesthesia and intensive care. It reviews the state of the art in issues concerning both intensive care medicine and anesthesia, such as perioperative coagulation management, neuroaxial blockade and complications, postoperative pain management, pediatric airway management, septic shock and hemodynamic management, diagnosis and management of acute respiratory distress syndrome, and antifungal treatments for critically ill patients. Written by leading experts and including updated references, it provides a comprehensive, easy-to-follow update on anesthesia and intensive care. The book clearly explains complex topics, offering practicing clinicians valuable insights into the latest recommendations and evidence in the field while, at the same time, making it a vital resource for students new to the fields of anesthesia and intensive care.

CD-ROM includes illustrated case studies and approx. 300 self assessment questions.

This textbook provides an overview of pain management useful to specialists as well as non-specialists, surgeons, and nursing staff.

The clinical practice of anesthesia has undergone many advances in the past few years, making this the perfect time for a new state-of-the-art anesthesia textbook for practitioners and trainees. The goal of this book is to provide a modern, clinically focused textbook giving rapid access to comprehensive, succinct knowledge from experts in the field. All clinical topics of relevance to anesthesiology are organized into 29 sections consisting of more than 180 chapters. The print version contains 166 chapters that cover all of the essential clinical topics, while an additional 17 chapters on subjects of interest to the more advanced practitioner can be freely accessed at www.cambridge.org/vacanti. Newer techniques such as ultrasound nerve blocks, robotic surgery and transesophageal echocardiography are included, and numerous illustrations and tables assist the reader in rapidly assimilating key information. This authoritative text is edited by distinguished Harvard Medical School faculty, with contributors from many of the leading academic anesthesiology departments in the United States and an introduction from Dr S. R. Mallampati. This book is your essential companion when preparing for board review and recertification exams and in your daily clinical practice.