Review of “Clinical Anesthesia by Paul G Barash” South Asian Adaptation. 1^st ed. In: Gupta N, Gupta A, SAE editors. Wolters Kluwer; 2021. p. 2056. ISBN: 9789389859911

The field of anesthesia is ever expanding and it is difficult to find a single source of knowledge for practicing anesthesiologists. Moreover, the postgraduate (PG) students are always in need of a comprehensive textbook in anesthesia to help them learn the subject and pass their exit and competitive examinations. The Clinical Anesthesia by Barash was first published in the year 1990 and since then its popularity has grown many folds because it provides comprehensive updated knowledge on each and every relevant topic. However, some of the contents are less suited in resource-limited settings due to variation in prevailing health conditions, practices and therapeutics. The first South Asian (SA) edition of Clinical Anesthesia by Barash is an excellent effort by the editors (Dr Nishkarsh Gupta and Dr Anju Gupta) to bridge this gap. Capable SA editors have significantly enriched the book while retaining the rich legacy of ‘Clinical Anesthesia by Barash” by retaining its original format and approach. The editors have included two new chapters namely “Anesthesia for Cancer Surgeries” and “Palliative Medicine” to help the practicing anesthesiologists in managing rising oncology cases more avidly. There have been additions in practically all the chapters notably in commonly used monitoring techniques; anesthesia for thoracic surgery; anesthesia for cardiac surgery; anesthesia for vascular and endovascular surgery; chronic pain, critical care, neonatal anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and peripheral nerve blockade. Newer concepts like enhanced recovery after surgery and anesthesia, opioid-free anesthesia and cancer recurrence are also well covered. For better comprehension, several illustrations, such as images, tables, and algorithms, have been provided. The SA edition also comes with a bundled library of online videos.

The addition of key points in the form of must know” and “desirable to know” at the beginning and multiple-choice questions at the end of the chapter can help students in competitive examinations.

We are confident that the Barash’s Clinical Anesthesia, SA edition, will prove to be very valuable for both budding and practicing anesthesiologists.