Obstetric Anesthesia Handbook

Sanjay Datta, Bhavani Shankar Kodali, Scott Segal Obstetric Anesthesia Handbook Fifth Edition 2010 Springer, New York The field of obstetric anesthesia is constantly evolving. As highlighted in the 5th edition of Obstetric Anesthesia Handbook , advances in medicine have lead to a dramatic transformation in the demographics of obstetric patients. With recent improvements in assisted reproduction, anesthesiologists are encountering older parturients with significant coexisting disease. Similarly, surgical and medical innovations have increased the survival of women with life-threatening conditions, such as congenital heart disease, enabling them to reach childbearing age and become pregnant. In addition, obesity is rapidly approaching epidemic levels within the United States and frequently poses challenges for obstetric anesthesiologists (p. 399). Given the increasing complexity of the obstetric population, practitioners must be cognizant of recent developments and guidelines within the field of obstetric anesthesia. With numerous illustrations, graphs, and tables, the Obstetric Anesthesia Handbook provides an authoritative, succinct, and convenient reference for the busy practitioner encountering both conventional and challenging parturients. Sanjay Datta originally published his Obstetric Anesthesia Handbook almost 20 years ago. Since that time, his handbook has become a trusted …