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Ileostomy handbook: Stoma care and management techniques
July
1985
BOOK REVIEWS
limited scope the book is very well done. worth the small investment. WILLIAM J. TREMAINE,
Rochester,
Dietary
Fiber
is
M.D
Minnesota
Ileostomy Handbook: Stoma Care and Management Techniques. By A. L. Price. 284 pp., $29.75. Charles C Thomas Publishers, Springfield, Illinois, 1984. A current book on ileostomy care has been needed for several years because of the rapid changes brought about primarily by advances in manufacturing techniques. A myriad of new appliances and accessories are available, often making the selection bewildering to the new ileostomate. Written warmly and familiarly in the second person, Anita Price has done a service to ileostomates, enterostoma1 therapists, and physicians dealing with inflammatory bowel disease by creating a readable “how to do it” manual. The style is effective and simple, so that the handbook can be used easily. Technically, I agree with almost everything that is said, such as the plea to experiment with different appliances and techniques to find one
229
that best suits the individual. The chapter on practical care is particularly helpful, as are some of the tables dealing with ileostomy or skin problems, their causes, and what to do about them. These tables alone are worth the price of the book. I have several objections regarding the format of the book, which detracts from its usefulness and impact. Excellent chapters are often interrupted by tables with long lists of equipment and supplies that are meaningful only to the person seeking a change in equipment; they interrupt the flow and would be better as an appendix. The book already has seven appendices as well as a glossary and bibliography. Of the 117 illustrations and photographs, many are simplistic and redundant. At least four drawings show how to place tape strips around the edge of a faceplate. It appears that many of the illustrations were taken from slides and do not reproduce well, particularly on the quality of paper used. Finally, despite the multiplicity of figures, they are rarely mentioned in the text itself by number, detracting from their usefulness. MARSHALL
SPARBERG,
Chicago, Illinois
M.D
1985
BOOK REVIEWS
limited scope the book is very well done. worth the small investment. WILLIAM J. TREMAINE,
Rochester,
Dietary
Fiber
is
M.D
Minnesota
Ileostomy Handbook: Stoma Care and Management Techniques. By A. L. Price. 284 pp., $29.75. Charles C Thomas Publishers, Springfield, Illinois, 1984. A current book on ileostomy care has been needed for several years because of the rapid changes brought about primarily by advances in manufacturing techniques. A myriad of new appliances and accessories are available, often making the selection bewildering to the new ileostomate. Written warmly and familiarly in the second person, Anita Price has done a service to ileostomates, enterostoma1 therapists, and physicians dealing with inflammatory bowel disease by creating a readable “how to do it” manual. The style is effective and simple, so that the handbook can be used easily. Technically, I agree with almost everything that is said, such as the plea to experiment with different appliances and techniques to find one
229
that best suits the individual. The chapter on practical care is particularly helpful, as are some of the tables dealing with ileostomy or skin problems, their causes, and what to do about them. These tables alone are worth the price of the book. I have several objections regarding the format of the book, which detracts from its usefulness and impact. Excellent chapters are often interrupted by tables with long lists of equipment and supplies that are meaningful only to the person seeking a change in equipment; they interrupt the flow and would be better as an appendix. The book already has seven appendices as well as a glossary and bibliography. Of the 117 illustrations and photographs, many are simplistic and redundant. At least four drawings show how to place tape strips around the edge of a faceplate. It appears that many of the illustrations were taken from slides and do not reproduce well, particularly on the quality of paper used. Finally, despite the multiplicity of figures, they are rarely mentioned in the text itself by number, detracting from their usefulness. MARSHALL
SPARBERG,
Chicago, Illinois
M.D