Just a Little Scratch! Anaesthesia - a straightforward guide for patients D. Raitt David Raitt, ISBN 9780957541405, 122 pp., Price £6.90

Abstract

Dr David Raitt is a recently retired Consultant Anaesthetist who has written a 122-page book, principally for the general public, which he believes could be of help to busy anaesthetists whose patients demand more information about anaesthesia than they have time to give. The layout is well planned and the book easy to read with many short chapters and headings explaining the anaesthesia procedure, drugs, associated risks and the anaesthetists’ medical background, all in plain English for the non-medical reader. A minor quibble would be that some of the line spacing is inconsistent and there are a number of typographical errors, for example analgesic is repeatedly misspelt as “analgaesic.” The trouble is that I am not entirely sure who this book is aimed at. It is a little too long and in too much detail for the average patient about to undergo surgery and yet not sufficiently technical for the medical student who also has access to a wealth of information on the internet. However, it may be of great help to a school sixth former who is considering a medical career but is unaware of the different medical specialties on offer. Dr Raitt writes with passion about a subject clearly dear to his heart and it could well influence the student's career choice. I particularly enjoyed the brief historical vignettes which were told in a light-hearted manner throughout. I am not convinced that providing a wealth of information on a highly technical and specialised medical subject is any more reassuring than to remain ignorant and I suspect that the majority of nervous patients, like myself, would rather not know too much! Dr Raitt has successfully managed to write interestingly about a technical subject that many readers might otherwise have found boring and I am grateful to him for the considerable time and energy he has spent preparing this book.