Obstetric Anesthesia: Principles and Practice

Edited by a leading author in obstetric anesthesiology, this comprehensive reference addresses all the issues pertinent to the practice of obstetric anesthesia today. It not only provides the details of anesthesia for labor and delivery, but it also contains in-depth discussions of anesthetic and obstetric complications and medical disorders during pregnancy. With its patient-oriented approach, the book focuses on the treatment of the fetus and the mother as separate patients with distinct needs.

* Includes thoroughly revised chapters filled with the most current information and references in obstetric anesthesia. * Contains pertinent topics for today's practitioners such as new local anesthetics; difficult airway; epidural and intrathecal opioid analgesia during labor; combined spinal-epidural analgesia; antepartum fetal assessment, therapy, and surgery; fetal and neonatal neurologic injury; in vitro fertilization; vaginal birth after cesarean section; postpartum tubal sterilization; postcesarean analgesia; the occurrence of maternal fever; and medicolegal issues. * Edited meticulously by the current leading academic obstetric anesthesiologist. * Offers clinical recommendations and standards of care from the voice of expert contributors from over 35 major institutions in the U.S. and Canada for practical guidance from reliable sources. * Includes two-color format, chapter outlines, highlighted boxes, boldfaced terms, and key features so the reader can obtain the key information quickly, almost at-a-glance. * Patient-oriented, treating the fetus and mother as separate patients with distinct needs, ideal for the clinical setting. * Includes latest information on pain management. * Provides comprehensive coverage of anesthetic and obstetric complications, a crucial factor in practicing both anesthesiology and obstetrics. * Features section on pregnant patient with systemic disease so the practitioner knows how to handle both the healthy patient and the special cases where the patient has a systemic disease. * Discusses total patient care, from fetal/neonatal assessment to delivery and complications for a one-stop resource for practitioners.

David H. Chestnut is Professor of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.

Lawrence C. Tsen is Associate Professor of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School; Director of Anesthesia, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Associate Director, Center for Professionalism and Peer Support Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

Cynthia A. Wong is Professor and Chair, Department of Anesthesia, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa.