Artificial Ventilation: A Basic Clinical Guide is a comprehensive text that explores ventilatory support of respiratory failure with a focus toward the clinical application of all modalities available in both the out-of-hospital and in-hospital environments. The author, David J. Baker, of the Hospital Necker Enfants Malades and SAMU de Paris (Paris, France), provides a unique approach to the subject based on his extensive clinical experience and scholarly background. Of interest to the journal, Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, is the author’s exploration of ventilatory support in austere and disaster settings.
The book begins with a history of artificial ventilation and the development of resuscitation. This history explores artificial ventilation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) beginning in the period before the procedure became formalized in various international training programs. Detailed discussion of the early development of mechanical ventilation is presented along with illustrations that add understanding the impact of development of the bag-valve-mask device in the out-of-hospital setting and early ventilators in intensive care units in hospitals
Following the exploration of the history of artificial ventilation, there are three chapters that detail the physiology of ventilation. These chapters provide an understandable and complete discussion of airway, lung, and blood-tissue metabolism relative to ventilation. Included is a detailed exploration of the early recognition of respiratory failure. The discussion of capnography is particularly well presented with illustrations provided that apply directly to clinical interpretation of this important modality.
Following the detailed physiology discussion is a complete and well-illustrated chapter on the manual management of respiratory failure. Included in this section are clinical protocols for the use and application of various manual airway management techniques. Following the exploration of manual ventilation techniques, the basic principles of mechanical ventilation are covered with a clinical emphasis. For both manual and mechanical ventilation support discussions, the clinical approach used by the author is carefully developed to assure understanding by both inexperienced and experienced clinicians. In addition, there is a chapter that provides recommendations and principles regarding pediatric ventilation for non-specialist.
Of interest to the readers of Prehospital and Disaster Medicine are detailed descriptions and exploration of portable transport ventilators that are used in critical care transport. Building on the discussions of physiology and the basics of mechanical ventilation, safe and effective portable ventilation techniques with the use of portable ventilators is extensively covered.
In closing, there are chapters addressing artificial ventilation in extreme environments and ventilation during mass emergency situations. These chapters provide innovative and important information that is rarely available in the general emergency and critical care literature. For medical providers that may be called upon to respond to disaster settings or emergencies with need for innovative ventilation techniques, the closing chapters of the book are an important resource.
Artificial Ventilation: A Basic Clinical Guide is recommended for those clinically active in the emergency and critical care areas. The book provides detailed overviews and protocols that are of interest to experienced health care providers. It is particularly useful for those who are in the early stages of their education in emergency and critical care medicine.
