Principles of Physiology for the Anaesthetist, Third Edition

Book Preface

There is a growing need to apply basic science in clinical medicine as a result of the increasing demands and complexity of perioperative medicine. A major stimulus to bring out this edition has been the desire to ensure that this book would be a reliable, up-to-date and user-friendly text of fundamental and applied physiology for those providing patient care in the perioperative period. Each and every chapter has been updated to reflect the changes in concepts and the subtle shifts in clinical emphasis. These include the concepts of the endothelial glycocalyx, and in coagulation and immunology. The chapters end with a concise summary of material considered to be essential knowledge for trainees and those seeking to improve their understanding of clinical physiology.

I wish to thank the many students who have given me feedback on the book by asking me questions during the various courses I conducted.

I hope I can achieve my aim to provide a readable and comprehensible account of clinical physiology to all levels of readership.

Peter Kam