Anesthesia Central vs Quick Reference Critical Care
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Anesthesia Central
This app provides anesthesiologists and critical care specialists with essential information for patient care before, during, and after surgery. It includes disease, drug, test, and procedure details, along with access to the PubMed database for journal articles.
- Disease, drug, test, and procedure information
- Access to PubMed database
- MGH Clinical Anesthesia Procedures
- Davis's Drug Guide
- Pocket ICU Management
- Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests
- Integrated calculators
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** The All-In-One Mobile and Web Solution for Anesthesiology ** ABOUT ANESTHESIA CENTRAL Anesthesia Central is a must-have resource for every anesthesiologist, critical care specialist, nurse anesthetist, and trainee. Consult the automatically updating collection of disease, drug, test, and procedure information for treating patients before, during, and after surgery. Download to your mobile device and use the quick-read format to find answers fast or search for journal articles and citations in the full PubMed database – anytime, anywhere. Five comprehensive resources included with Anesthesia Central. MGH CLINICAL ANESTHESIA PROCEDURES Includes proven guidelines for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative anesthesia care, developed by the renowned Massachusetts General Hospital. DAVIS’S DRUG GUIDE Refer to need-to-know information on dosing, contraindications, drug interactions, and patient education for more than 5,000 medications. POCKET ICU MANAGEMENT Focuses on conditions found in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and covers a range of topics from life-threatening disorders to presenting conditions. POCKET GUIDE TO DIAGNOSTIC TESTS Pocket Guide to Diagnostics Tests provides evidence-based recommendations on the selection and interpretation of over 450 laboratory, imaging, and microbiology tests. Prime PubMed Search Connect to the full MEDLINE/PubMed database. Stay up to date with your favorite medical journals, perform powerful searches, link directly to the publisher’s full text, and share articles via email or social media. Visually explore the literature using Grapherence®, a unique way to find related and relevant articles. FEATURES • Receive 1-year of drug updates • Download any new editions of included resources free for 1-year • Make quick calculations with integrated calculators • Create custom notes and highlights within entries • Consult trusted, up-to-date procedure, drug, and test information • Jump quickly between resources using Cross Links • Access to PubMed database through Prime • Use the advanced search capabilities to find topics fast • Bookmark important entries with “Favorites” • Get access to Anesthesia Central website for 1-year DRUG AND CONTENT UPDATES • After initial Anesthesia Central purchase you will receive updates for one year • After one year, you can purchase updates for an additional year, at the discounted rate of $99.99. If you do not choose to purchase, you can continue to use the product but will not receive updates. • This app will automatically renew annually at the current renewal rate ($99.99) and charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase, unless auto-renew is turned off 24 hours prior to the conclusion of the one-year subscription period. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Clinical Anesthesia Procedures of the Massachusetts General Hospital: Senior Editor: Wilton C. Levine, MD Associate Editors: Rae M. Allain, MD; Theodore A. Alston, MD, PhD; Peter F. Dunn, MD; Jean Kwo, MD; Carl E. Rosow, MD, PhD Publisher: Lippincott Willams & Wilkins Pocket ICU Management: Authors: Michael H. Wall, MD, FCCM; Pamela R. Roberts, MD, FCCM; J. Christopher Farmer, MD, FCCM Publisher: PocketMedicine.com Davis's Drug Guide: Authors: April Hazard Vallerand, PhD, RN, FAAN; Cynthia A. Sanoski, BS, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS Publisher: F.A. Davis Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests: Editors: Diana Nicoll, MD, PhD, MPA; Chuanyi Mark Lu, MD; Michael Pignone, MD, MPH; Stephen J. McPhee, MD Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical Unbound Privacy Policy: www.unboundmedicine.com/privacy Unbound Terms of Use: https://www.unboundmedicine.com/end_user_license_agreement
Quick Reference Critical Care
This app provides immediate, on-the-job answers for critical care professionals. It offers updated, evidence-based procedures and stabilization practices in a quick-read outline format, covering a broad range of patient topics by body system.
- Updated critical care content
- Full-color images
- Extensive abbreviations list
- Bulleted outline format
- Over 350 illustrations
- Body system chapters
- SmartSearch technology
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"Try before you buy" - Download the FREE App, which includes sample content. An in-App purchase is required to unlock all content. Need to brush up on your ICU skills? New to ICU, or a veteran? Get immediate on-the-job answers, with the popular and fully updated Quick Reference to Critical Care, 6th Edition. This indispensable pocket guide addresses a broad range of critical care patient topics, divided by body system and organized alphabetically within each chapter for quick access. Disease processes, disorders, medications, and titration, tests, lab results, formulas, ICU equipment and treatment strategies and goals are discussed. Each well-illustrated entry explains the latest evidence-based procedures and stabilization practices in a convenient, quick-read outline, making it the ideal quick reference for following proven protocols. Up-level your critical care expertise and confidence, with: * NEW and completely updated content that offers current information on cutting edge critical care topics * NEW full-color images throughout * NEW extensive abbreviations list that explains unfamiliar abbreviations found in progress notes, surgical reports and other medical documents * Ideal on-the-spot quick reference – Read-at-a-glance bulleted outline format that helps you grasp ideas quickly and take immediate action * More than 350 illustrations – figures, algorithms, photos, drawings and tables that outline core terms and concepts, with easy-to-retain definitions of key terms * Chapters for each body system – expert nursing guidance on evaluating and treating the neurologic, cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal and urinary, renal, endocrine, hematologic and immune systems * Each chapter offers an alpha-organized list of disorders and injuries pertaining to that topic or body system * Vital direction for on-the-unit action – includes sections on labs, imaging and miscellaneous items not covered in other sections * Expert direction on areas such as body system structures and functions, anatomy, diagnostic tools, surgical methods, signs and symptoms, treatments, monitoring, drug administration, catheters and electrode procedures, waveforms and more The quick-reference format offers: * Extensive cross-referencing – leads to related information * Tables and charts – vital info on medication, dosing, conversions, compatibilities, and more * “Troubleshooting” feature – practical guidance for solving technical problems or complications No internet connection is required to access the content after the initial download. Find information quickly using powerful SmartSearch technology. Search part of term for those hard to spell medical terms. Content licensed from printed ISBN 10: 1975136837 Content licensed from printed ISBN 13: 9781975136833 SUBSCRIPTION : Please choose an auto renewable subscription plan to receive content access & continuous updates. Your subscription automatically renews as per your plan, so you always have the latest content. Yearly auto-renewing payments - $59.99 Six-month subscription - $39.99 Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Subscription may be managed by the user & auto-renewal can be disabled at any time by going to your device “Settings” and tapping “iTunes & App Store”. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. If you have any questions or comments, email us any time: customersupport@skyscape.com or call 508-299-30000 Privacy Policy-https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/privacypolicy.aspx Terms and Conditions-https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/licenseagreement.aspx Editor(s): Nancy H. Diepenbrock Publisher: Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Anesthesia Central at none against Quick Reference Critical Care's shown. Anesthesia Central also leads on ratings volume (104 vs 10). Quick Reference Critical Care's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Anesthesia Central sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $99.99 per year and Quick Reference Critical Care sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $39.99 per 6 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Quick Reference Critical Care holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Anesthesia Central has 104 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Anesthesia Central ships an update every 9 months, Quick Reference Critical Care every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Anesthesia Central | Quick Reference Critical Care |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (104 ratings) | 4.9 (10 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 74.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 104 — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 6 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Unbound Medicine, Inc. | Skyscape Medpresso Inc |
Customer experience
Anesthesia Central
Quick Reference Critical Care
In-app purchases
Anesthesia Central
- Anesthesia Central Renewal$99.991 Year
- Anesthesia Central$169.99
Quick Reference Critical Care
- Quick Ref-Critical Care 6M Sub$39.996 Months
- Quick Ref-Critical Care 1Y Sub$59.991 Year
Questions
Is Anesthesia Central free?
Is Quick Reference Critical Care free?
Which has better reviews, Anesthesia Central or Quick Reference Critical Care?
Do Anesthesia Central or Quick Reference Critical Care have ads?
Which is updated more often, Anesthesia Central or Quick Reference Critical Care?
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