Book release at GMCH-32: ‘Safe anaesthesia highly dependent on technology

Dr Khanna, in the book, has focused on practical aspects of the subject with specific chapters on the use of ultrasonography (USG) in critical care and anesthesia. The book is a collaborative effort of doctors from AIIMS, PGI, and GMCH 32. Dr Vikas Saini, Dr Sanjeev Palta, and Dr Richa Saroa have authored chapters on anesthesia machines, vaporizers, spinal and epidural needles, and patient-controlled analgesia.

Anesthesia and Critical Care Clinics-2 follows short cases and long cases in anesthesia that was released in 2020 and is a thoroughly updated and comprehensive textbook. According to Prof Khanna, in the modern era knowledge is dissipated by teaching, training, and technology and with advances in technology, it is imperative to get trained to utilise the available technology to the full extent for benefit of patients. USG training in modern-day medicine is of importance to patients.

Talking about the book, Dr Khanna, Additional Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine and Critical Care, AIIMS, said students in anesthesiology need in-depth knowledge of anesthesia workstation, monitoring, instruments, and equipment as well as pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs in order to give safe anesthesia to the patient. The art of giving safe anesthesia is highly dependent on the technology of advanced monitoring gadgets as well as an in-depth understanding of the physics involved in it. A major part of the practical examination focuses on evaluating the examinee’s knowledge of clinical case management, but a substantial part also consists of testing the knowledge of the students in various aspects of instruments, understanding and interpreting chest X-ray, ECG, ventilator waveform, and capnogram.

Very few books, he added, were available which could give students in-depth knowledge about drugs, instruments, monitoring, CPR, ICU equipment, PFT, ABG, ECG, X-Ray, POCUS. In addition, the judicious and liberal use of flowcharts, tables, boxes, and figures make the content of the book highly comprehensible. The contributing faculties have paid special attention to gathering the latest information about the subject and understanding the curriculum and have utilised their clinical experience and academic knowledge for writing chapters.