getting an auto increment value immediately after insert

Hello: I'm inserting some information into a MySQL database via a PHP script. A handful of various information is put into the database via the "INSERT INTO..." SQL command. Each entry has a unique, auto increment field that acts as an index number for that entry. I can't seem to figure out a clean and simple way to get that index number immediately after an insert. Granted I have a lot of field information that I could use in a very specific SELECT statement's WHERE clause. And the chances of that information being identical to another is virtually zero. However, I would like something a bit more "elegant," i.e., a function like "mysql_get_inserted_row ()". If anyone has any suggestions, they would be sincerely appreciated! Thanks, Matt