Understanding the physiological sequelae of surgical and anesthetic intervention represents the most complex learning task in the surgical specialties. There has been an accelerating accumulation of knowledge, but it is difficult to collate because it appears in diverse sources with which the practitioner may be unfamiliar. This volume attempts to organize in one source a large portion of this complex material.
While there are omissions, especially with regard to the reticuloendothelial system and CNS, the editors acknowledge these to be time and source availability limitations. They have appropriately chosen experts in the fields discussed and have organized the text into four lucid parts. The flow, from a discussion of basic concepts to psychological factors, while at times a bit disjointed, is a welcome synopsis. The bibliography is extensive and provides a logical and complete extrapolation of chapter material for the serious student.
This volume is a welcome addition to the