This worthwhile volume ably addresses the mutual concern of orthopaedists and anesthesiologists, namely, the optimal anesthetic management of the orthopaedic surgical patient. Fundamental concepts of the two specialties are explored to promote common understanding.
The extensive bibliographies included in each chapter introduce pivotal work in each specialty. All too often in the clinical setting, objective data and lessons of past studies are obscured in heated argument. When the surgeon declares, "This patient needs an operation," and the anesthesiologist states just as categorically, "This patient is too sick for anesthesia," the patient's welfare is not well served by either specialist. This volume provides useful guidelines for perioperative care in the elderly individual. Excellent chapters on "Evaluation of the Patient With Multiple Injuries," "Early Mobilization of the Severely Injured Patient," and "Anesthetic Considerations for the Patient With a Fractured Hip" each shed considerable light on questions of morbidity and mortality in the