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A medical guide to hazardous marine life
The Journal
of Emergency
Medicine,
Printed in the USA . Copyright
Vol IO, pp. 527~528,1992
0 A MEDICAL GUlDE TO HAZARDOUS MARINE LIFE, 2nd ed. by Paul S. Auerbach. St. Louis, CV Mosby, 1991,62 pages, $15.95.
Press Ltd.
mensely to the text. This is a case of a picture being worth more than a thousand words. Imagine trying to describe a sea anemone to someone who has never seen one. In summary, this is an important addition to the medical and lay literature, and I highly recommend it as an addition to your library even if you never go near the water.
It is rare that a book written for the lay person has much of interest to the well-read professional. This small work :is a rare gem indeed and should be required reading for any physician who either treats marine injuries as part of a normal practice or who is participating in one of the many marine aquatic sports such as scuba diving, fishing, or surfing. The author is a well-known expert in the field of wilderness and emergency medicine, particularly in the area of hazardous marine life. He has published a number of excellent ,works in both the lay literature and the medical literature. The book reviewed here is designed to be used by the lay rescuer who may be far from a medical facility but is confronted with a potentially serious medical emergency. Auerbach gives an excellent overview of general approach to wound care and suggestions for a diver’s first aid kit. The remainder of the book is organized according to nonvenomous bites, venomous stings and bites, dermatitis, and fish poisonings. The author has taken a huge amount of scientific information and distilled it into a useful form that is accurate, succinct, up-todate, and clear. The emphasis is on prevention and treatment with a minimum of pathophysiology and diagnostics, and necessarily so. The rescuer wants to know what to do and in what order, and this book has the answers. The author includes a list of suggested readings that covers the whole spectrum of hazardous marine life for those who want more information. The index is complete and easy to use. This book would be well worth the price if it only contained the text herein described. The bonus is that Auerbach hals included some of the most beautiful underwater ,photographs found anywhere, including The National Geographic. The colors are exquisite, the subjects are fascinating and contribute im-
= =
0 1992 Pergamon
Edward J. Otten, MD Director, Division of Toxicology Department of Emergency Medicine University of Cincinnati
0 TOXIC EFFECTS OF DRUGS USED IN THE ICU. In: CRITICAL CARE CLINICS, VOL. 7, NO. 3. Edited by J. L. Blumer, G. R. Bond, Ft. W. Carlson, M. A. Geheb. 762 pages. Philadelphia, WB Saunders, July 1991, $74.00.
In the preface to this text, the editors state that while physicians are comfortable with the therapeutic benefits of drugs used in the critical care setting, this knowledge is often not matched by equal familiarity with the potential toxic effects of these drugs. This volume of Critical Care Clinics addresses this disparity by systematically reviewing toxic effects of drugs commonly used both in the ICU and in the emergency department. Included are separate reviews of neuromuscular blocking agents and sedative drugs, antidysrhythmic agents, anticonvulsants, anticoagulants and thrombolytics, vasodilators, inotropes, opioids and other analgesics, bronchodilators, electrolytes, steroids, biologic agents, colloids, and parenteral nutrition. The reviews are written by a variety of contributors, but share the common characteristics of clarity, pertinence, and a refreshing lack of verbosity. Most con-
Reviews of books and other media, which keep readers informed of important publications in the emergency medicine field, is coordinated by Edward J. Otten, MD, Associate Professor and Director of Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.
0736~4679/92 $5.00 + .OO 527
of Emergency
Medicine,
Printed in the USA . Copyright
Vol IO, pp. 527~528,1992
0 A MEDICAL GUlDE TO HAZARDOUS MARINE LIFE, 2nd ed. by Paul S. Auerbach. St. Louis, CV Mosby, 1991,62 pages, $15.95.
Press Ltd.
mensely to the text. This is a case of a picture being worth more than a thousand words. Imagine trying to describe a sea anemone to someone who has never seen one. In summary, this is an important addition to the medical and lay literature, and I highly recommend it as an addition to your library even if you never go near the water.
It is rare that a book written for the lay person has much of interest to the well-read professional. This small work :is a rare gem indeed and should be required reading for any physician who either treats marine injuries as part of a normal practice or who is participating in one of the many marine aquatic sports such as scuba diving, fishing, or surfing. The author is a well-known expert in the field of wilderness and emergency medicine, particularly in the area of hazardous marine life. He has published a number of excellent ,works in both the lay literature and the medical literature. The book reviewed here is designed to be used by the lay rescuer who may be far from a medical facility but is confronted with a potentially serious medical emergency. Auerbach gives an excellent overview of general approach to wound care and suggestions for a diver’s first aid kit. The remainder of the book is organized according to nonvenomous bites, venomous stings and bites, dermatitis, and fish poisonings. The author has taken a huge amount of scientific information and distilled it into a useful form that is accurate, succinct, up-todate, and clear. The emphasis is on prevention and treatment with a minimum of pathophysiology and diagnostics, and necessarily so. The rescuer wants to know what to do and in what order, and this book has the answers. The author includes a list of suggested readings that covers the whole spectrum of hazardous marine life for those who want more information. The index is complete and easy to use. This book would be well worth the price if it only contained the text herein described. The bonus is that Auerbach hals included some of the most beautiful underwater ,photographs found anywhere, including The National Geographic. The colors are exquisite, the subjects are fascinating and contribute im-
= =
0 1992 Pergamon
Edward J. Otten, MD Director, Division of Toxicology Department of Emergency Medicine University of Cincinnati
0 TOXIC EFFECTS OF DRUGS USED IN THE ICU. In: CRITICAL CARE CLINICS, VOL. 7, NO. 3. Edited by J. L. Blumer, G. R. Bond, Ft. W. Carlson, M. A. Geheb. 762 pages. Philadelphia, WB Saunders, July 1991, $74.00.
In the preface to this text, the editors state that while physicians are comfortable with the therapeutic benefits of drugs used in the critical care setting, this knowledge is often not matched by equal familiarity with the potential toxic effects of these drugs. This volume of Critical Care Clinics addresses this disparity by systematically reviewing toxic effects of drugs commonly used both in the ICU and in the emergency department. Included are separate reviews of neuromuscular blocking agents and sedative drugs, antidysrhythmic agents, anticonvulsants, anticoagulants and thrombolytics, vasodilators, inotropes, opioids and other analgesics, bronchodilators, electrolytes, steroids, biologic agents, colloids, and parenteral nutrition. The reviews are written by a variety of contributors, but share the common characteristics of clarity, pertinence, and a refreshing lack of verbosity. Most con-
Reviews of books and other media, which keep readers informed of important publications in the emergency medicine field, is coordinated by Edward J. Otten, MD, Associate Professor and Director of Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.
0736~4679/92 $5.00 + .OO 527