Clinical Manual and Review of Transesophageal Echocardiography, Second Edition

Abstract

will likely perform a limited number of described techniques; the physician who inserts continuous nerve catheters, for example, may not perform elbow steroid injections for chronic pain. Nevertheless, the text is a useful addition to the library of any physician who uses, or aims to use, ultrasound to perform pain-management related procedures. Admirably, the text acknowledges the real limitations of sonography, including limited resolution and artifacts, and it effectively compares ultrasound use with current imaging modalities for each technique. It urges physicians who use these techniques to seek formal mentorship so ultrasound enhances safety and so the recipients of these approaches are helped-and are not harmed-by the ever-expanding application of this technology. Both patients and providers would benefit from a more rigorous examination of the education and training required to demonstrate competency in these techniques. To that end, a useful addition to the text would be an interactive media component to facilitate learning the complex multidimensional anatomy at hand. Inclusion of such would only enhance the 'atlas' designation of the text.