The Anesthesia Machine

Abstract

This is the premier edition of a book about anesthesia equipment. It must be compared with the current standard in the field, Understanding Anesthesia Equipment , by Susan and Jerry Dorsch. The strengths of the newer book are that it is three years more recent, possesses superior illustrations, and covers topics not addressed by Dorsch and Dorsch. Since 1984, the copyright year of the second edition of Understanding Anesthesia Equipment , liability and quality of care concerns, the passing of the effective date of the recommendations of the American National Standards Institute for anesthesia machines, 1 and the publication of the Harvard monitoring standards 2 have all focused the attention of anesthesia departments and purchasers of medical equipment on monitoring practices and devices, both freestanding and incorporated into the anesthesia machine. I was surprised that Dr Petty did not focus more on some of the new and exciting additions to the anesthesia