Atlas of Pain Management Injection Techniques, Fourth Edition
Can J Anesth/J Can Anesth
Atlas of Pain Management Injection Techniques, Fourth Edition
Yaroslava Chtompel 0
0 Y. Chtompel, MD (&) Department of Anesthesia, McGill University , Montreal, QC , Canada
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In the fourth edition of Atlas of Pain Management Injection
Techniques, Dr. Waldman has created a focused reference
text that reads shorter than its 712 pages. The text is
divided into eight sections that are conveniently centered
on a specific anatomical location of the body. Each section
is further broken down into chapters, the total of which is
182. The book is easy to navigate and contains numerous
images, including anatomical drawings. An electronic
version is also available on and offline, for use on
multiple devices.
The text is precisely crafted to provide the information
required to perform various injection techniques. Lengthy
introductory sections about the use of regional anesthesia
or the mechanisms of action of local anesthetics, typically
found in many other such texts, are avoided. The author
gets straight to the point, clearly presenting each injection
in a step-by-step manner. The necessary equipment and
medications required are also detailed in the text.
Each chapter is but a few pages long and is focused on a
specific pain syndrome, including its symptomatology,
targeted physical examination, and associated treatment.
The injection techniques presented include both a
landmark-based approach as well as one that is
performed under ultrasound guidance. Indeed, one major
improvement from the previous edition of the book is the
inclusion of ultrasound-based techniques for all blocks
suited for this approach. This information is a welcome
addition, as ultrasound has become a mainstay in an
increasing number of pain management procedures. Along
with the textual description, original ultrasound images are
included to facilitate and guide application of the
technique. In select cases, fluoroscopy-guided approaches
are presented as well.
A major strength of the book is the vast array of
techniques that are presented. They include
musculoskeletal infiltration, such as intra-articular and
bursal injections, and peripheral neural blockade. The
inclusion of techniques infrequently encountered in daily
practice renders this atlas a particularly useful memory aid.
A notable shortcoming, however, is that the descriptions of
ultrasound-guided techniques are somewhat abridged when
compared with other textbooks covering similar material.
Thus, the level of detail is inadequate for instructing a
novice or a practitioner not already familiar with the
technique in question. Another area for improvement
would be to offer additional online content in the form of
videos and images for the more complex injections.
Finally, although the book contains a section on chest
wall and trunk injections, no neuraxial or sympathetic
blocks are described. For details on those techniques,
however, a complementary text, Atlas of Interventional
Pain Management, is available by the same author.
In conclusion, Atlas of Pain Management Injection
Techniques is a valuable tool for any student or physician
involved in pain treatment. The book’s excellent
organization, use of visual aids, and the author’s
compact, clear style result in an excellent compendium.
Conflicts of interest No conflicts of interest to disclose.
responsibility This submission was handled by
Backman, Associate Editor, Canadian Journal of (...truncated)