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Book and media review
Book and Media Reviews Quick Essentials: E-Med is a handy bedside tool that offers quick reference to a wide variety of emergency medicine topics that are necessary for any student, resident, or physician to know. Deval Patel, MD Emergency Department Emory University Atlanta, GA doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2006.02.035
Emergency Medicine Oral Board Review, 4th Edition Gossman W, Plantz S McGraw Hill, 2005 454 pages, $59.95 ISBN 0071464263
Emergency Medicine Written Board Review, 6th Edition Plantz S, Collman DD, Gossman W McGraw Hill, 2005 400 pages, $59.95 ISBN 007146428X This review covers two books from the Pearls of Wisdom series: Emergency Medicine Oral Board Review, 4th Edition, and Emergency Medicine Written Board Review, 6th Edition. Both books share some common features and a similar editorial style, but, obviously, each is geared toward a specific component of testing for emergency medicine board certification. Emergency Medicine Oral Board Review, 4th Edition is the latest version of oral board preparation books produced as part of the Pearls of Wisdom series. The editors have assembled a significant list of contributors and endeavor to assist with the arduous task of preparing for oral board examinations in emergency medicine. The format of the current edition is similar to that of the previous edition and the book is divided into four sections. The first section, Oral Board Preparation, discusses the mechanics of the ABEM oral board examination and provides a suggested outline for working through the cases. Following this is an excellent systems-based review of key topics in emergency medicine which covers all of the major areas (eg, cardiovascular, environmental, toxicology, endocrine, etc). An 85-page Random Pearls section follows, with key questions followed immediately by the correct answer for rapid review. A brief Procedure Pearls section with similar questions concludes this section. The final section includes 48 practice case scenarios, with several of the scenarios including triple patient encounters. General references are provided, and answers are primarily checked for accuracy with Emergency Medicine, A Comprehensive Study Guide, edited by Tintinalli, Krome, and Ruiz, and the 224 Annals of Emergency Medicine
Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine, edited by HarwoodNuss, Linden, Luten, Shepherd, and Wolfson. This book fills a void in the board review publications for emergency medicine. Its key strength is the inclusion of the various practice cases which can be used with a study partner to practice the process of the oral board exam. The cases cover a wide variety of pathology and cover issues from ectopic pregnancy to Kawasaki’s disease, TTP, asthma, ethylene glycol ingestion, and others. In light of recent world events, there is even a case of anthrax exposure. Four of the case scenarios are triple-patient encounters. The inclusion of a few “pearls” questions at the end of each case is interesting. On one hand, the brief questions reinforce key knowledge issues from the case. On the other hand, pathophysiology questions have been eliminated from the current oral board examination. The other sections are also helpful, but do not provide direct preparation for the oral exam process. The Oral Board Preparation section is quite helpful in providing some details regarding the exam day and includes several other helpful hints. Near the end of this section is an interesting collection of tips, entitled “Pearls.” This 1-page list includes reminders such as “all joints are septic,” “all patients have allergies,” and “all singleencounter patients need to be admitted.” However, as no one can predict the actual exam, the authors do note in the final pearl: “all pearls have exceptions.” The pearls questions section provides a valuable review of general emergency medicine knowledge, but seems more suited to the Written Board Review book from this series (see below). Decreasing the length of this section and filling the space with additional practice cases might improve the book’s effectiveness. Overall, I think that Emergency Medicine Oral Board Review (Pearls of Wisdom), 4th Edition succeeds by providing a comprehensive review of issues pertaining to the oral board examination. Its main strength is the inclusion of a good variety of practice cases. Because there is a relative paucity of books/ media specifically geared toward preparation for the oral board exam, this reference becomes even more valuable. The combination of a brief exam overview, a solid yet rapid review of emergency medicine content, and a good mix of practice cases will enable readers to prepare for success on the oral board examination. Emergency Medicine Written Board Review, 6th Edition is the companion text from the Pearls of Wisdom series and includes more than 4500 questions. This text covers the entire content of emergency medicine and is divided into 2 major sections. The first section consists of topic-related questions, immediately followed by the correct answer (eg, Question: “What artery is the most commonly injured artery involved with an epidural hematoma? Answer: Middle meningeal artery”). This section features topic areas “arranged in descending order of relative importance on the emergency medicine board exam.” The second section is entitled Random Pearls, and contains questions with a similar style but without arrangement by topic area. General references are provided, and, as with Emergency Volume , . : August
Book and Media Reviews Medicine Oral Board Review, answers are primarily checked for accuracy with Emergency Medicine, A Comprehensive Study Guide, edited by Tintinalli, Krome, and Ruiz, and the Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine, edited by Harwood-Nuss, Linden, Luten, Shepherd, and Wolfson. Several new changes are found in the 6th edition of this excellent review tool: a section entitled Most Common Pearls has been added and includes questions starting with the phrase “What is the most common cause of . . . ?” A section which incorporates plain-paper emergency ultrasonography images has also been added, and the ECG and Visual Pearl section from previous editions has been eliminated. This book covers a significant amount of the material included in the emergency medicine written board exam. It is clearly designed as a study aid and not as a comprehensive text. The question/answer format lends itself well to rapid review sessions, and it would be easy to write in additional details during study sessions due to generous spacing between questions. The inclusion of the “Most Common” section
enhances the study of these key facts and the ultrasound images are of reasonable quality. The net result is an easy-to-use, efficient tool for review. Overall, I believe that Emergency Medicine Written Board Review, 6th Edition is a very effective book for board preparation review. It succeeds in its goal of allowing rapid review in a fast-paced, non-tedious way. The inclusion of ultrasound images emphasizes the importance that these scans will have on future board examinations. Students interested in emergency medicine, residents, and attending physicians will all find this book to be an excellent resource for studying and review. Michael A. Bohrn, MD Department of Emergency Medicine York Hospital/Penn State University York, PA doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2006.03.038
IMAGES IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE (continued from p. 216)
DIAGNOSIS: The dermatological changes observed in this patient are typical of necrotizing fasciitis caused by Aeromonas hydrophila, a Gram-negative bacillus. This organism is widely distributed in nature, including freshwater and seawater, as well as soil.1 Although commonly reported in immunocompromised hosts,1–3 A. hydrophila–induced necrotizing fasciitis has also been reported in a healthy subject.1,4 Immediate identification and rapid aggressive treatment of this disease are crucial in preventing a fatal outcome. Helpful diagnostic hints for an accurate diagnosis include a history of an immunocompromising condition, especially liver cirrhosis (although as seen in this case, the host can be healthy); previous freshwater exposure; and the ability to discriminate real cyanosis from “pseudocyanosis” (a “darkened and soaked, waxed paper” skin color). A Gram stain is useful in revealing Gramnegative bacilli in fluid exudates, as well as in differentiating other causes of fasciitis. Empirically, reasonable choices of antibiotics are certain extended cephalosporins. Early fasciotomy with debridement must be considered in every case because waiting for a response to antibiotics alone could result in significant morbidity or mortality. REFERENCES 1. Gold WL, Salit IE. Aeromonas hydrophila infections of skin and soft tissue: report of 11 cases and review. Clin Infect Dis. 1993;16:69-74. 2. Heckerling PS, Stine TM, Pottage JC Jr, et al. Aeromonas hydrophila myonecrosis and gas gangrene in an immunocompromised host. Arch Intern Med. 1983;143:2005-2007. 3. Lin CS, Cheng SH. Aeromonas hydrophila sepsis presenting as meningitis and necrotizing fasciitis in a man with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. J Formos Med Assoc. 1998;97:498-502. 4. Minnaganti VR, Patel PJ, Iancu D, et al. Necrotizing fasciitis caused by aeromonas hydrophila. Heart Lung. 2000;29:306-308.
Volume , . : August
Annals of Emergency Medicine 225
Emergency Medicine Oral Board Review, 4th Edition Gossman W, Plantz S McGraw Hill, 2005 454 pages, $59.95 ISBN 0071464263
Emergency Medicine Written Board Review, 6th Edition Plantz S, Collman DD, Gossman W McGraw Hill, 2005 400 pages, $59.95 ISBN 007146428X This review covers two books from the Pearls of Wisdom series: Emergency Medicine Oral Board Review, 4th Edition, and Emergency Medicine Written Board Review, 6th Edition. Both books share some common features and a similar editorial style, but, obviously, each is geared toward a specific component of testing for emergency medicine board certification. Emergency Medicine Oral Board Review, 4th Edition is the latest version of oral board preparation books produced as part of the Pearls of Wisdom series. The editors have assembled a significant list of contributors and endeavor to assist with the arduous task of preparing for oral board examinations in emergency medicine. The format of the current edition is similar to that of the previous edition and the book is divided into four sections. The first section, Oral Board Preparation, discusses the mechanics of the ABEM oral board examination and provides a suggested outline for working through the cases. Following this is an excellent systems-based review of key topics in emergency medicine which covers all of the major areas (eg, cardiovascular, environmental, toxicology, endocrine, etc). An 85-page Random Pearls section follows, with key questions followed immediately by the correct answer for rapid review. A brief Procedure Pearls section with similar questions concludes this section. The final section includes 48 practice case scenarios, with several of the scenarios including triple patient encounters. General references are provided, and answers are primarily checked for accuracy with Emergency Medicine, A Comprehensive Study Guide, edited by Tintinalli, Krome, and Ruiz, and the 224 Annals of Emergency Medicine
Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine, edited by HarwoodNuss, Linden, Luten, Shepherd, and Wolfson. This book fills a void in the board review publications for emergency medicine. Its key strength is the inclusion of the various practice cases which can be used with a study partner to practice the process of the oral board exam. The cases cover a wide variety of pathology and cover issues from ectopic pregnancy to Kawasaki’s disease, TTP, asthma, ethylene glycol ingestion, and others. In light of recent world events, there is even a case of anthrax exposure. Four of the case scenarios are triple-patient encounters. The inclusion of a few “pearls” questions at the end of each case is interesting. On one hand, the brief questions reinforce key knowledge issues from the case. On the other hand, pathophysiology questions have been eliminated from the current oral board examination. The other sections are also helpful, but do not provide direct preparation for the oral exam process. The Oral Board Preparation section is quite helpful in providing some details regarding the exam day and includes several other helpful hints. Near the end of this section is an interesting collection of tips, entitled “Pearls.” This 1-page list includes reminders such as “all joints are septic,” “all patients have allergies,” and “all singleencounter patients need to be admitted.” However, as no one can predict the actual exam, the authors do note in the final pearl: “all pearls have exceptions.” The pearls questions section provides a valuable review of general emergency medicine knowledge, but seems more suited to the Written Board Review book from this series (see below). Decreasing the length of this section and filling the space with additional practice cases might improve the book’s effectiveness. Overall, I think that Emergency Medicine Oral Board Review (Pearls of Wisdom), 4th Edition succeeds by providing a comprehensive review of issues pertaining to the oral board examination. Its main strength is the inclusion of a good variety of practice cases. Because there is a relative paucity of books/ media specifically geared toward preparation for the oral board exam, this reference becomes even more valuable. The combination of a brief exam overview, a solid yet rapid review of emergency medicine content, and a good mix of practice cases will enable readers to prepare for success on the oral board examination. Emergency Medicine Written Board Review, 6th Edition is the companion text from the Pearls of Wisdom series and includes more than 4500 questions. This text covers the entire content of emergency medicine and is divided into 2 major sections. The first section consists of topic-related questions, immediately followed by the correct answer (eg, Question: “What artery is the most commonly injured artery involved with an epidural hematoma? Answer: Middle meningeal artery”). This section features topic areas “arranged in descending order of relative importance on the emergency medicine board exam.” The second section is entitled Random Pearls, and contains questions with a similar style but without arrangement by topic area. General references are provided, and, as with Emergency Volume , . : August
Book and Media Reviews Medicine Oral Board Review, answers are primarily checked for accuracy with Emergency Medicine, A Comprehensive Study Guide, edited by Tintinalli, Krome, and Ruiz, and the Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine, edited by Harwood-Nuss, Linden, Luten, Shepherd, and Wolfson. Several new changes are found in the 6th edition of this excellent review tool: a section entitled Most Common Pearls has been added and includes questions starting with the phrase “What is the most common cause of . . . ?” A section which incorporates plain-paper emergency ultrasonography images has also been added, and the ECG and Visual Pearl section from previous editions has been eliminated. This book covers a significant amount of the material included in the emergency medicine written board exam. It is clearly designed as a study aid and not as a comprehensive text. The question/answer format lends itself well to rapid review sessions, and it would be easy to write in additional details during study sessions due to generous spacing between questions. The inclusion of the “Most Common” section
enhances the study of these key facts and the ultrasound images are of reasonable quality. The net result is an easy-to-use, efficient tool for review. Overall, I believe that Emergency Medicine Written Board Review, 6th Edition is a very effective book for board preparation review. It succeeds in its goal of allowing rapid review in a fast-paced, non-tedious way. The inclusion of ultrasound images emphasizes the importance that these scans will have on future board examinations. Students interested in emergency medicine, residents, and attending physicians will all find this book to be an excellent resource for studying and review. Michael A. Bohrn, MD Department of Emergency Medicine York Hospital/Penn State University York, PA doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2006.03.038
IMAGES IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE (continued from p. 216)
DIAGNOSIS: The dermatological changes observed in this patient are typical of necrotizing fasciitis caused by Aeromonas hydrophila, a Gram-negative bacillus. This organism is widely distributed in nature, including freshwater and seawater, as well as soil.1 Although commonly reported in immunocompromised hosts,1–3 A. hydrophila–induced necrotizing fasciitis has also been reported in a healthy subject.1,4 Immediate identification and rapid aggressive treatment of this disease are crucial in preventing a fatal outcome. Helpful diagnostic hints for an accurate diagnosis include a history of an immunocompromising condition, especially liver cirrhosis (although as seen in this case, the host can be healthy); previous freshwater exposure; and the ability to discriminate real cyanosis from “pseudocyanosis” (a “darkened and soaked, waxed paper” skin color). A Gram stain is useful in revealing Gramnegative bacilli in fluid exudates, as well as in differentiating other causes of fasciitis. Empirically, reasonable choices of antibiotics are certain extended cephalosporins. Early fasciotomy with debridement must be considered in every case because waiting for a response to antibiotics alone could result in significant morbidity or mortality. REFERENCES 1. Gold WL, Salit IE. Aeromonas hydrophila infections of skin and soft tissue: report of 11 cases and review. Clin Infect Dis. 1993;16:69-74. 2. Heckerling PS, Stine TM, Pottage JC Jr, et al. Aeromonas hydrophila myonecrosis and gas gangrene in an immunocompromised host. Arch Intern Med. 1983;143:2005-2007. 3. Lin CS, Cheng SH. Aeromonas hydrophila sepsis presenting as meningitis and necrotizing fasciitis in a man with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. J Formos Med Assoc. 1998;97:498-502. 4. Minnaganti VR, Patel PJ, Iancu D, et al. Necrotizing fasciitis caused by aeromonas hydrophila. Heart Lung. 2000;29:306-308.
Volume , . : August
Annals of Emergency Medicine 225