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A Physician's Guide to Clinical Forensic Medicine, Edited by Margaret M. Stark, Humana Press, Clifton, NJ, 2000. ISBN 0-89603-742-8; pp 326, UK£58
Resuscitation 47 (2000) 93 – 94 www.elsevier.com/locate/resuscitation
Book reviews A Physician’s Guide to Clinical Forensic Medicine, Edited by Margaret M. Stark, Humana Press, Clifton, NJ, 2000. ISBN 0-89603-742-8; pp 326, UK£58 This book is one of four in the Forensic Science and Medicine series. As the editor pointed out, the book is written primarily for physicians and nurses working in the field of clinical forensic medicine. However, other health care professionals will find some sections in this book such as the chapter on Fundamental Principles both timely and extremely informative, particularly in view of the lack of specific international standards of practice and training. As expected, throughout the book, the emphasis is on the clinical rather than the pathological aspects of forensic medicine. In this publication the editor and authors provide a comprehensive and up to date review of the current understanding of clinical forensic medicine. The text is divided logically into ten concise, easy to read chapters, some of which contain very useful ‘good practice tips’. Each chapter is well supported by a good selection of up to date references. Various aspects of clinical forensic medicine are addressed, these include: a useful historical review of the development of clinical forensic medicine (chapter one), and a lucid discussion on fundamental principles (chapter two) with emphasis on consent, confidentiality, note keeping, access to health records, preparation of reports and attendance at court. The complex subject of sexual assault examination is well discussed in chapter three, whilst injury interpretation and non-accidental injury in children are adequately addressed in chapters four and five respectively. The last five chapters deal with crowd control agents, care of detainees, substance misuse, death in custody, and traffic medicine, which are all well covered. The last section of the book
consists of a selection of useful appendices, which include international ethical documents, selected samples of forms used in clinical forensic practice, and guidance notes on statutory provisions governing access to health records. The editor should be commended for bringing together the wealth of experience of several authors in a concise, easily readable and highly informative book on a subject of considerable importance not only to workers in the field of clinical forensic medicine but to many other health care professionals. At £58.00 (UK list price), this well presented book should prove to be extremely good value for money. Nassif B.N. Ibrahim Department of Pathology, Frenchay Hospital, Bristol BS16 1LE, UK PII: S 0 3 0 0 - 9 5 7 2 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 2 0 2 - 1
Anaesthesia and Intensi7e Care A to Z; an encyclopaedia of principles and practice. 2nd edition. Yentis SM, Hirsch NP and Smith GB. Published by Butterworth Heinemann. Price £45 paperback.
You had better come to the department and get this book quickly; before one of your colleagues walks off with it This phone call from our departmental secretary just about sums the book up. When I got to the department, the book was attracting the same sort of attention normally reserved for a new Ferrari in the car park…
0300-9572/00/$ - see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Book reviews A Physician’s Guide to Clinical Forensic Medicine, Edited by Margaret M. Stark, Humana Press, Clifton, NJ, 2000. ISBN 0-89603-742-8; pp 326, UK£58 This book is one of four in the Forensic Science and Medicine series. As the editor pointed out, the book is written primarily for physicians and nurses working in the field of clinical forensic medicine. However, other health care professionals will find some sections in this book such as the chapter on Fundamental Principles both timely and extremely informative, particularly in view of the lack of specific international standards of practice and training. As expected, throughout the book, the emphasis is on the clinical rather than the pathological aspects of forensic medicine. In this publication the editor and authors provide a comprehensive and up to date review of the current understanding of clinical forensic medicine. The text is divided logically into ten concise, easy to read chapters, some of which contain very useful ‘good practice tips’. Each chapter is well supported by a good selection of up to date references. Various aspects of clinical forensic medicine are addressed, these include: a useful historical review of the development of clinical forensic medicine (chapter one), and a lucid discussion on fundamental principles (chapter two) with emphasis on consent, confidentiality, note keeping, access to health records, preparation of reports and attendance at court. The complex subject of sexual assault examination is well discussed in chapter three, whilst injury interpretation and non-accidental injury in children are adequately addressed in chapters four and five respectively. The last five chapters deal with crowd control agents, care of detainees, substance misuse, death in custody, and traffic medicine, which are all well covered. The last section of the book
consists of a selection of useful appendices, which include international ethical documents, selected samples of forms used in clinical forensic practice, and guidance notes on statutory provisions governing access to health records. The editor should be commended for bringing together the wealth of experience of several authors in a concise, easily readable and highly informative book on a subject of considerable importance not only to workers in the field of clinical forensic medicine but to many other health care professionals. At £58.00 (UK list price), this well presented book should prove to be extremely good value for money. Nassif B.N. Ibrahim Department of Pathology, Frenchay Hospital, Bristol BS16 1LE, UK PII: S 0 3 0 0 - 9 5 7 2 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 2 0 2 - 1
Anaesthesia and Intensi7e Care A to Z; an encyclopaedia of principles and practice. 2nd edition. Yentis SM, Hirsch NP and Smith GB. Published by Butterworth Heinemann. Price £45 paperback.
You had better come to the department and get this book quickly; before one of your colleagues walks off with it This phone call from our departmental secretary just about sums the book up. When I got to the department, the book was attracting the same sort of attention normally reserved for a new Ferrari in the car park…
0300-9572/00/$ - see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.