Physics for Anesthesiologists (e-book) (used book) | bookbook.eu

Description

Physics is everywhere. This is not surprising, really, given that its field of interest is
the description of how the matter around us behaves, from the “little” world of
atoms and subatomic particles to the entire Universe, passing for the objects and
situations of daily life.
Moreover, it is not a mystery that there are specific laws of physics at the basis of
a lot of things we everyday do as anesthesiologists: most university training courses in
anesthesiology, indeed, include the study of physics, and it is not uncommon to find
more or less complex physics equations strewn among the pages of landmark anesthe-
sia textbooks. These equations, however, are often skipped or soon forgotten.
Unfortunately, in fact, most people consider physics as an abstract and difficult
matter (sometimes incomprehensible), if not even of little practical use. Conversely,
there is no modern technological device (including smartphones) which does not
rely on some conquest of physics. Furthermore, if you are an inquisitive person,
physics can answer many interesting questions, sometimes in a surprisingly clear
and illuminating way. For example: the ideal gas law tells us how to make a good
coffee (with the “moka” pot); Henry’s law explains the behavior of carbonated
drinks and Champagne corks; Laplace’s law reveals some secrets of bubbles;
Bernoulli’s theorem teaches us how an airplane can fly; thermodynamics shows the
direction in which time flows; the study of heat and state changes of matter has
many implications in everyday life, from our kitchens to the building of bridges.
Moreover, there is a law of physics which accounts for the blue color of oceans, and
a different one which explains why also the sky is blue; also, there is the physics that
allows you to enjoy a concert, bats to avoid obstacles, and police to make you a
speeding fine.
If, apart from being an inquisitive person, you are an anesthesiologist or an inten-
sive care practitioner, you might take advantage (and, probably, some fun) in discov-
ering, or rediscovering, the important implications (and applications) of physics in
your daily clinical practice: for example, the abovementioned laws have something
to do, approximately in the same order, with oxygen cylinders, blood gas analysis,
airway management, hemodynamic monitoring, anesthetic vaporizers, pulse oxime-
ters, near-infrared spectroscopy, and ultrasounds. And there is much more.
This book is intended for all who are interested in anesthesiology and intensive
care medicine, from medical students to experienced clinicians, and can be read at
different levels: to fully understand, in the training stage, the basic science that liesbehind many aspects of anesthesia and intensive care medicine, and which is often
only hinted elsewhere; to have a higher awareness about why we do what we do, as
anesthesiologists, how the devices we commonly use work, and why we should not
always blindly trust them; finally, just for curiosity, culture, or fun (maybe skipping
some equation).
Although of varying difficulty, all topics are discussed through many examples
from daily life and are accompanied by a lot of color illustrations for extra clarity.
Moreover, the topic selection reflects both the interests and the basic mathematical
knowledge of a clinician (such as the author himself is): accordingly, each aspect of
physics discussed is strictly related to the clinical practice of anesthesia (and/or
intensive care medicine), can be easily understood according to the recollections of
high school (often refreshed within the text or in practical “boxes”), and allows to
make interesting and enlightening comparisons with everyday life.
I would like to thank my wife Marcella and my son Matteo, to whom this book
is dedicated, for their patience during the exciting but heavy commitment of writing
a book. I would also like to thank Dr. Viviana Carillo and Dr. Pietro Castellone, two
brilliant medical physicists (and friends), for their advices and their support.