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DNB Broad Specialty · Book Guide

Books for DNB Anaesthesiology.

The official NBE curriculum list, reproduced exactly, plus the editions residents actually read in 2026 — with recommended journals, a year-wise reading plan, and the references you'll need for your thesis and practical.

16Titles in the NBE list
10Current-edition picks
13Journals listed
3 yearsReading plan included
Official list

Books NBE lists in the DNB Anaesthesiology curriculum

These 16 titles are reproduced as they appear in the National Board of Examinations curriculum document for Anaesthesiology — spelling and abbreviations included. Treat this as the syllabus anchor.

  1. Miller RD, ed. Anesthesia
  2. Clinical Anesthesia Barash
  3. Wylie Churchill Davidson, 7th edn.
  4. Stoelting RK, Miller RD, eds. Basics of Anesthesia & co-existing diseases & Pharmacology
  5. JA Kaplan: Cardiac Anesthesia
  6. Lee's Synopsis of Anesthesia
  7. ICU Book, Paul Marino
  8. ECG by Shamroth/Goldman
  9. Physics for Anesthesia by Sir Robert Macintosh
  10. Physics applied to Anesthesia by Hill
  11. Pediatric Anesthesia by Gregory
  12. Medicine for Anesthetists by Vickers
  13. The Management of Pain, Bonica
  14. Pediatric Anesthesia, Smiths
  15. Textbook of Obstetric Anesthesia, Chestnut
  16. Neuro Anesthesia, Cottrill
Read this before you buy. NBE curriculum documents are revised infrequently, so several entries name editions that are now years out of date, and a few titles are out of print. Use this list to know what NBE expects you to have read, then buy the current edition listed in the next section.

Source: NBE DNB Anaesthesiology curriculum

What residents actually use

Current editions, and what each one is for

The books most residents actually buy. These are the editions in circulation now, with a note on whether each is something you read cover to cover, keep as a reference, or open only for the viva.

  1. Miller's AnesthesiaGropper MA (ed) · 10th edition · core referenceThe encyclopaedic reference residents consult topic-by-topic rather than read cover-to-cover; the source of truth for final theory answers.
  2. Clinical AnesthesiaBarash, Cullen, Cahalan et al · 9th edition · primary readable textThe main cover-to-cover text most Indian residents actually read through in years 1-2.
  3. Stoelting's Anesthesia and Co-Existing DiseaseHines RL, Jones SB · 8th edition · core clinicalDrives pre-anaesthetic evaluation and is heavily mined for viva questions on comorbid patients.
  4. Stoelting's Pharmacology and Physiology in Anesthetic PracticeFlood, Rathmell, Urman · 6th edition · core basic scienceStandard pharmacology reference for paper 1 and for drug-related viva grilling.
  5. Morgan & Mikhail's Clinical AnesthesiologyButterworth, Mackey, Wasnick · 7th edition · starter textThe usual first-year entry text - concise enough to finish before the first postings begin.
  6. Marino's The ICU BookMarino PL · 4th edition · critical careStandard for the ICU rotation and for critical care questions in theory and viva.
  7. Understanding Anesthesia EquipmentDorsch & Dorsch · 6th edition · equipment/vivaThe definitive equipment text; nearly every DNB practical has an equipment spotter station drawn from it.
  8. Chestnut's Obstetric Anesthesia: Principles and PracticeChestnut DH et al · 7th edition · subspecialtyUsed during the obstetric posting and for the obligatory obstetric anaesthesia case.
  9. Kaplan's Cardiac AnesthesiaKaplan JA et al · 8th edition · subspecialtyRead selectively during the cardiac/thoracic rotation rather than in full.
  10. Hadzic's Textbook of Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain ManagementHadzic A · 2nd edition · regional/USGNow the practical standard for ultrasound-guided blocks, supplemented by NYSORA online content.
Printed in our shop

Anaesthesiology books we print most often

These are the anaesthesiology titles residents send us to print most often — the books that actually come through the shop, alongside the official list above.

We print files you send us. We do not host, sell or supply book PDFs — send us a file you are entitled to print and we print and bind it.

Journals

Journals NBE lists for Anaesthesiology

Journal club and the “recent advances” parts of the theory paper come from here. You do not need to read all of them — pick the two Indian journals and one international one and follow them properly.

Indian Journal of AnesthesiaJournal of Anesthesiology and Clinical PharmacologyBritish Journal of AnesthesiaAnesthesia and AnalgesiaAnesthesiologyCanadian Journal of AnesthesiaActa Anesthesia ScandanaviaRegional Anesthesia and Pain MedicineAnesthesia Clinic of North AmericaInternational Anesthesiology ClinicsYearbook of AnesthesiaRecent Advances in AnesthesiaAnesthesia Review
Reading plan

What to read, and when

Three years is less time than it sounds. The order below is what works for most DNB Anaesthesiology residents — broad and readable first, reference-level later, revision and drilling last.

Year 1

Build the base

Finish Morgan & Mikhail cover to cover alongside Stoelting Pharmacology & Physiology; build the equipment base with Dorsch & Dorsch during the OT posting. Register the thesis protocol and read the ICMR ethics guidelines. Start a daily ECG/ABG habit.

Year 2

Go deep, collect thesis data

Move to Barash as the main read-through text and use Miller as a topic reference. Cover the subspecialty texts with their rotations - Chestnut (obstetrics), Kaplan (cardiac), Gregory/Cote (paediatrics), Cottrell (neuro), Marino (ICU). Begin regional anaesthesia with Hadzic/NYSORA. Complete thesis data collection.

Year 3

Revise, drill, submit

Consolidate with Stoelting's Co-Existing Disease and targeted Miller chapters; work through previous DNB theory papers and write timed answers. Do structured viva practice on Ajay Yadav short cases and equipment spotters, revise guidelines (AIDAA, DAS, ACLS), and submit the thesis well before the deadline.

Thesis

References for your thesis

Protocol, methodology and reporting standards examiners expect you to have followed.

  • Indian Journal of Anaesthesia - statistics and study-design series (open access)
  • Journal of Anaesthesiology Clinical Pharmacology
  • ICMR National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research (2017)
  • Methods in Biostatistics - B.K. Mahajan
  • Basic and Clinical Biostatistics - Dawson & Trapp
  • CONSORT / STROBE reporting checklists (equator-network.org)
  • Sample size software: G*Power or OpenEpi
Practical & viva

What the practical actually tests

Books and material specifically useful for the clinical, spotter and viva stations.

  • Understanding Anesthesia Equipment - Dorsch & Dorsch (spotters)
  • Anaesthesia Viva / Short Cases - Ajay Yadav (Indian DNB/MD favourite)
  • Clinical Anaesthesia Viva - S. Ahanatha Pillai
  • Objective Anaesthesia Review / Anesthesia Review
  • ECG interpretation: Goldberger or Schamroth
  • Arterial blood gas: Marino's ICU Book chapters
  • Difficult Airway Society and All India Difficult Airway Association (AIDAA) guidelines
Frequently asked

DNB Anaesthesiology books — questions

Which books should I read for DNB Anaesthesiology?

The titles on this page are the ones residents and departments actually use, each with the edition in circulation now. Start with the first one listed and add the references as your reading deepens.

Which single book should I start with in first year of DNB Anaesthesiology?

Miller's Anesthesia by Gropper MA (ed) is the usual anchor. The encyclopaedic reference residents consult topic-by-topic rather than read cover-to-cover; the source of truth for final theory answers.

Are the editions listed here current?

Yes — we list the edition in circulation now for each title. Editions move quickly, so confirm the current one before you buy or print.

Do I need to buy every book on the list?

No. Most residents own three or four and use the department or library copy for the rest. That is exactly why printing selected chapters from a PDF works out cheaper than buying volumes you will open twice.

Can you print these books for me?

We print from the PDF you send us. Send the file on WhatsApp with your page count and whether you want colour, black and white or mixed, and we print, bind and deliver anywhere in India. We do not supply copyrighted book files.

How much does it cost to print a set of notes?

Black and white is 50 paise per page, colour is Rs 1 per page, and binding is Rs 40 per copy. A 400-page mixed set with binding usually works out around Rs 300 plus delivery.

Printing your DNB Anaesthesiology reading?

Send the PDF on WhatsApp — colour Rs 1/page, B&W 50p/page, binding Rs 40. Printed, bound and delivered anywhere in India.

Other specialties

Book guides for all 30 DNB broad specialties