Anaesthetic and perioperative complications / edited by Kamen Valchanov, Stephen T. Webb, Jane Sturgess.

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Generic aspects of complications -- Preventing complications -- Managing complications -- Risk management -- Clinical aspects of complications -- Airway complications during anaesthesia -- Respiratory complications -- Cardiovascular complications -- Complications of blood products and fluid infusions -- Complications during obstetric anaesthesia -- Perioperative neurological complications -- Hepatic, renal and endocrine complications -- Injury during anaesthesia -- Regional anaesthesia complications -- Body temperature complications -- Equipment malfunction -- Drug reactions -- Management of post-operative complications -- Ethical and medico-legal complications -- Before complications occur: assessing, balancing and explaining risk -- After complications occur: explaining complications and outcome, allocating blame, implications for the hospital and the anaesthetist -- Risk factors for litigation -- Management of complaints and litigation in the UK -- The role of the expert witness.

Anaesthetic and Perioperative Complications dissects the nature of complications and helps anaesthetists and anaesthetic practitioners understand, avoid and manage them efficiently. Leading experts combine the detailed clinical management of common and important anaesthetic and perioperative complications with discussion of the key philosophical, ethical and medico-legal issues that arise with assessing a medical complication. Initial chapters discuss how and why complications occur, the prevention of complications and risk management. The main body of the text reviews the clinical management of airway, respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, psychological, endocrine, hepatic, renal and transfusion-related complications, as well as injury during anaesthesia, complications related to regional and obstetric anaesthesia, drug reactions, equipment malfunction and post-operative management of complications. Each chapter contains sample cases of complications and medical errors, giving clinical scenario, outcomes and recommendations for improved management. This is an important practical and clinical text for all anaesthetists and anaesthetic practitioners, both trained and trainees.