Publications

The following is a selection of my other publications. In most cases the full text can be read by clicking on the link. If you want to leave a comment on anything you have read, please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

The Oxford Handbook of Anaesthesia

Freedman R, Herbert L, O’Donnell A, Ross N, eds. (2022). I have been closely involved with the Oxford Handbook of Anaesthesia since the second edition. I was the Assistant Editor of the 3rd and 4th editions, and am now full editor (with Rachel, Lara and Nicki of the 5th edition. The OHA is one of the most popular and widely-read anaesthetic handbooks in the English-speaking world, and has been translated into several other languages. The 4th edition was Highly Commended in the 2016 BMA Book Awards. This edition is a ground-up rewrite of the entire text, with many brand-new sections. It was published in February 2022 and is widely available.

Casebook

Casebook is the journal of the Medical Protection Society. I have been commissioned to write several articles for it, including anonymised case reports dealing with anaesthesia-related mishaps, book reviews, and articles of a wider medical interest.

Wrong drug, no negligence Casebook 2014; 22; 2, 19.
Cutting Corners Casebook 2014; 22; 1, 20.
Stumbling Block Casebook 2013; 21: 3, 18.
A Dangerous Cough Casebook 2012; 20: 2, 16.
Look Before You Intubate Casebook 2011; 19: 2, 19.
A Bloody Epidural Casebook 2010; 18: 3, 15.
Fatal Inaction Casebook 2010; 18: 3, 22.

Book Review: Taking the Medicine. Casebook 2011; 19: 3, 26.
A review of Druin Burch’s compelling and brilliant account of evidence-based medicine.

I made a small contribution to the article “On the Defensive”, published in the January 2011 edition.

Blog and Web Articles

These articles can only be read online.

Lethal Injection: Time for the Chop (2014)
Co-authored with ethicist Daniel Sokol, this is an article critical of lethal injection, prompted by the recent botched execution of Clayton Lockett in Oklahoma. It was published on the Practical Ethics blog at the University of Oxford.

Faith Over Reason (2012)
I was invited to contribute this article to the newly-formed Live and Learn Blog from the British Medical Association.

Doing it With Sensitivity (2016)
Killing Me Softly: Rethinking Lethal Injection (2014)
What Patients Really Want (2013)
Propofol and the Death of Michael Jackson (2012)
I wrote these four articles for the OUP Blog. The OUP Blog is the largest academic blog in the world, with over 10,000 subscribers and 110,000 hits per month.

Review Articles

The Implications of Vaping for the Anaesthetist.
Cutts TG, O’Donnell AM (2021). BJA Education 2021; 7: 243-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bjae.2021.02.001
There is a lot of vaping about, but little to inform good practice. This review article surveys the literature and makes recommendations.

The Meninges and Common Pathology.
Woolley KFC, O’Donnell AM (2011). Student BMJ 2011; 19: d7130.
This short review article aimed at medical students has been published in the Student BMJ, my first publication there since 1996.

The Autonomic Nervous System.
O’Donnell AM, Glasgow B (2011). NZMSJ 2011; 13, 11-13.
A short review of the autonomic nervous system for medical students, published in the New Zealand Medical Students’ Journal.

Anaesthesia for Transurethral Resection of the Prostate
O’Donnell AM, Foo ITH (2009). Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain, 2009; 9: 92-96. doi: 10.1093/bjeceaccp/mkp012
A review article about TURP published in the BJA’s CEPD journal.
This article is reproduced here with permission from the British Journal of Anaesthesia.

Other Books

Acute Pain

Clinical Pharmacology: traditional NSAIDs and selective COX-2 inhibitors
Jones SF, O’Donnell AM (2009). In MacIntyre PE, Walker SM, Rowbotham DJ (eds). Acute Pain. London, Hodder Arnold.
A review of the main classes of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; their uses and side-effects, in a volume one of a four-volume textbook of pain medicine. Details, extracts and a list of contributors are available at the publisher’s website.

Emergencies in Anaesthesia, 1st edition.
Allman KG, McIndoe AK, Wilson IH, eds. (2005). Oxford University Press.
I was invited to contribute to this commissioned book from OUP. I contributed Appendix 1: Drugs (p.443-463), and proof-read the entire text.

Medical Classics

Medical Classics is an ongoing series of reviews of classical medical texts, published in the British Medical Journal.

Medical Classics: A Doctor’s Occupation BMJ, 2009; 339: 53.
Medical Classics: The Faeces of Children and Adults BMJ, 2009; 338: 721.
Medical Classics: Essays on the First Hundred Years of Anaesthesia BMJ, 2008; 337: 179.

BMA News

The BMA News is a weekly magazine sent to members of the British Medical Association. Vital Signs is a regular column consisting of reflective articles about all aspects of medical practice. See One, Do One is a regular column about training and medical education. All these articles describe incidents in my medical life which have had significant learning points or emotional impact on me personally.

See One, Do One BMA News, 31st Jan 2009.
See One, Do One BMA News, 9th Aug 2008.
Vital signs BMA News, 2nd Aug 2008.
Vital signs BMA News, 1st Dec 2007.
See One, Do One BMA News, 10th Nov 2007.
Vital signs BMA News, 20th Oct 2007.
See One, Do One BMA News, 1st Sep 2007.
Vital signs BMA News, 25th Aug 2007.

Other Articles

Finding the Answers to Casey Nathan’s Death in Childbirth. O’Donnell AM (2015). Sunday Star Times, June 7th 2015, p. A9. This article concerns one of the most painful and difficult cases of my whole career, the death of a woman shortly after childbirth. Australia released a report of maternal deaths since 2008, which can be read here.

Inadequate analgesia during caesarean section and Failures of communication. O’Donnell AM (2015). ANZCA Bulletin; March 2015, p 43. Two short articles summarising recent, anaesthesia-relevant reports from the Health and Disability Commissioner.

Sugammadex used to successfully reverse vecuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade in a 7 month old infant. (letter)
Buchanan CR, O’Donnell AM (2011). Pediatric Anesthesia 2011; 21: 10, 1077-78.
A short case report published in the form of a letter in Pediatric Anesthesia. Full text reproduced by kind permission of Wiley-Blackwell.

A response to the article ‘Pain and epidural use in normal childbirth‘. (letter by O’Donnell AM, Clark V (2010).)
The original article by Dr. Denis Walsh was published in the journal Evidence Based Midwifery. It advocated a reduction in epidural use in labouring women. Correspondence is not printed in the journal but our response, in the form of a letter challenging Dr. Walsh’s points, was published online by The Royal College of Midwives.

How to Work in Anaesthetics
O’Donnell AM, MacDonald CJ (2011). New Doctor 2011; 4: 1, 10-11.
A commissioned article in New Doctor magazine, describing the pros and cons of a career in anaesthetics to newly-qualified doctors. This article was reprinted in the booklets Preparing for your F1 Post: An MPS Guide, and Preparing for your Intern Post: An MPS Guide, published by the Medical Protection Society in July 2011 and June 2012 respectively. It was reprinted here on the MPS website in April 2015.

Little White Lies: a discussion of the Placebo Effect.
O’Donnell AM (2010). The Annals of the Scottish Society of Anaesthetists 2010: 19-24.
This article is based on the Keynote Address which I was invited to deliver at the 2009 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Scottish Society of Anaesthetists in Peebles.

A Trip to the Vet
O’Donnell AM (2004). Royal College of Anaesthetists Bulletin 25; 1262-4.
An account of my day spent with the anaesthetists of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies Field Centre, Edinburgh.
This article is reprinted here with permission of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

An Anaesthetic Nightmare
O’Donnell AM (2000). Anaesthesia News, July 2000, p8.
A light-hearted look at a fictitious late-night critical incident.

Learning by humiliation
O’Donnell AM (1996). Student BMJ, 1996; 4: 255.
A letter discussing teaching by humiliation.