Amal Mattu MD
Professor and Vice chair, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore Maryland
Alisa M Gibson MD MBA
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore Maryland
Kip R. Benko MD FACEP
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine University, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Elsevier
Philadephia
<ISBN 978-1-4557-7083-0
Type and scope of book
The book come from the long standing series of books from Clinics of North America. This successful series of books written yearly showcase the latest in the individual specialties within the discipline of Emergency Medicine. This book adds to the library of this series.
Contents
Ocular Inflammation and Infection
Ocular Trauma and Other Catastrophes
Earache
Epistaxis An Overview
Evaluation and Management of Oral Lesions in the Emergency Department
Dental and Related Infections
Salivary Gland Emergencies
Emergency Evaluation and Management of the Sore Throat
Regional Nerve Blocks of the Face
Facial Wound Management
Management of Facial Fractures
Mandible Fractures and Dental Trauma
Strengths
The book is written by Emergency Physician for Emergency Physicians. This gives the book a useability factor for the practitioner. This makes it useful for the emergency nurse as the language is easy to understand.
The book focuses on common problems that are faced but the emergency department practitioner. These common problems are sometimes ignored by other textbooks so this makes this short book interesting as it a focused read.
The book uses that latest developments in diagnosis and treatment.
The chapter are short and to the point. Problem are easily solved. The books moves at a fast pace through the system problems.
The book has colour photos in appropriate parts to add to the text. This is particularly useful in the dental section. The pictures used add the the practitioners ability to recognise and diagnose the patients signs and symptoms.
The book has recent and relevant referenced articles that it bases it knowledge from. The reader can be confident that the best practice information it presents comes from the best of the recent research studies.
There is a good chapter on earache. The book uses a problem solving diagnostic approach that makes sense and is practical. The chapter dismisses the classic otitis media line ” any child with an earache has a acute amoxicillin deficiency until proven otherwise.
The book is small and has a hard cover for portability and durability. This allows the book the used in the clinical setting. Able to withstand the punishment that the book will receive when in this setting.
Weaknesses
Some photos have poor resolution quality. Some photos appear like they are out of focus. Some chapters have useful photos and some do not. All chapters could have done with appropriate photos to help with explanations.
Not a great order to the book. Chapters have no connection or to other chapters than they are in a anatomically similar body position. This is the style of the book but it feels like just reading a bunch of journal articles at times.
The book uses a short anatomy section in most chapters. The shortness and lack of detail of these section actually subtracts from the books ability to explain phenomenons that the book want to examine and explain.
The book looks at problems in isolation. This is because the chapters are not complete with individual focuses rather than a comprehensive approach to the systems that are being examined. Some sections of the book tends to be ticking boxes without much attention to detail.
Recommended Readership
Great book for Emergency Department Nurse Practitioners as it is a common problems that the NP would be assessing on a daily basis. If used with the other books in the series then a level of expertise would be reached and new levels understanding made.
This book has the ED registrar in training in mind. It would be a excellent addition to the study notes and literature that is needed to be mastered prior to exams. This would add knowledge and build on previous understanding.
Overall rating
The book was a good read for those practitioners faced with these common Ed attendances. Upon reading this book the reader will have a increased level of knowledge in these systems.