The practice of anaesthesia, including intensive care medicine and pain management, requires a considerable understanding of normal and abnormal physiology. This is reflected in postgraduate examinations in anaesthesia where candidates are questioned in depth about many aspects of physiology.

The second edition of this well-received textbook continues to provide candidates with a ‘tailor-made’ alternative to more general physiology textbooks, delivering information designed and written specifically with the trainee anaesthetist in mind. The authors bring their extensive experience of teaching physiology to the book in order to improve the understanding of the fundamentals of human physiology in relation to the work of the anaesthetist. The content covers the physiology of all the major organ systems, with specific emphasis on the nervous,
respiratory and cardiovascular systems. In addition, there are special sections on the physiology of pain, the physiology of ageing and the physiological effects of specific environments, all highly relevant to anaesthetic practice. Diagrams throughout, praised in reviews of the first edition, are used to support the text and to aid understanding of difficult concepts. The second edition also incorporates a number of new features – learning objectives, areas for reflection and a handy summary of physiological equations. It will remain an invaluable reference throughout anaesthetic training and beyond, and a useful revision aid.