Christine E. Whitten

Christine E. Whitten M.D. is the author of Whitten’s Step-By-Step Guides, a series of books teaching airway management, intubation, and respiratory care. The first book in the series is Anyone Can Intubate: A Step-By-Step Guide to Intubation and Airway Management. It is now in its 5th (revised) edition, and has been used in training programs for medical students and residents, nurses, Emergency Medical Technicians, respiratory therapists, and other first responders. Her newest book in the series is Pediatric Airway Management, A Step-By-Step Guide, with additional books in development. Dr. Whitten believes that education leads to better patient care. Her books, as well as her training videos on intubation and airway management, are used in training programs both nationally and internationally. With almost 40 years of experience, she is currently a practicing pediatric anesthesiologist at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Diego, California. She served as Chief of Anesthesia and Director of Perioperative Services at this hospital for 10 years until 2002. Dr. Whitten also served as the Southern California Permanente Regional Coordinator of Pain Management until 2006 and was involved in the state and national development and implementation of the multidisciplinary Chronic Pain Management Programs for Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Whitten received her medical degree from Johns Hopkins Medical School in 1979. After her anesthesiology residency at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia, she completed fellowships in regional anesthesia and intensive care. Following training she was on the teaching staff, and served as the Director of Regional Anesthesia, and as the Co-Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego from 1983-1986. She left the Navy with the rank of Commander and joined the staff at Kaiser Permanente San Diego in 1987. Dr. Whitten is a volunteer for both Operation Smile and International Relief Teams, both worldwide health care missions to provide free surgery to children of less-developed countries. She has participated in surgical teams, and also instructed anesthesia providers, during trips to Mexico, Vietnam, Honduras, Kenya, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Thailand and Colombia.