Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology

VOL. 98, NO. 3 BOOK REVIEWS use of the carbon dioxide laser and endolasers is discussed by various authors, including Wohlbarsht and Landers, Kilp, ...

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VOL. 98, NO. 3

BOOK REVIEWS

use of the carbon dioxide laser and endolasers is discussed by various authors, including Wohlbarsht and Landers, Kilp, Walzer, Tacke and Horster, Yoshimoto, Kampik, Birngruber and Gabel, and Peyman and associates. The chapters by Weinberg, Lorenz, and Birngruber and Gabel on controlling retinal photocoagulation by light reflec­ tion, and that by Pomerantzeff and Timberlake on automation of photocoagulation are especially interesting and important. They concern an issue which has not been adequately addressed; the standardization of the dosage of laser en­ ergy. This is an important text and highly recommended.

Ophthalmology. By Andrew P. Schachat and Alan F. Cruess. Baltimore, Wil­ liams & Wilkins, 1984. Softcover, 124 pages, illustrated. S14.95

387

called "Diagnostic Diagrams." Each chapter has an accompanying flowchart, with arrows and boxes running across two pages. The glaucoma diagram is mud­ dled; the only way to arrive at a glaucoma diagnosis is to start with a patient whose intraocular pressures are neither in­ creased nor normal. In general, these diagrams do not work very well, but more careful execution and a more visually pleasing format might salvage the idea.

The Aging Eye. A Guide for Nurses. By Maria J. Kapperud. Edited by Jon Tierney, Charles F. Barer, George \V. Mill­ er, Jonathan E. Pederson, and Brian Salem. St. Paul, The Minnesota Society for the Prevention of Blindness and Preservation of Hearing, 1983. Softcover, 55 pages, index, illustrated. S8.95 (includes S2.00 postage) Reviewed by SARAH SMITH

Reviewed by TERRY A. Cox

Omaha,

Iowa City,

Iowa

Nebraska

This book is meant to be used by medi­ cal students as an introductory text. How­ ever, it assumes the reader knows the clinical anatomy of the eye as well as many of the common terms in the oph­ thalmic vocabulary. The first chapter dis­ cusses the eye examination superficially and uses no illustrations. The student would learn more about the examination from a physical diagnosis text. The au­ thors rely on verbal descriptions of pa­ thology instead of illustrations through­ out most of the book. The text contains numerous typographical and grammatical errors. Figures 5.1 and 5.2 are reversed. The description of the anatomy of the visual radiations is incorrect (p. 30). Wil­ lebrand is credited with Wilbrand's knee. The chapter on headache is too brief to be useful. ' This book apparently is part of a series

The patient with an eye problem may find it easy to reveal his doubts, his confusion, and his fears to a nurse. He often depends upon the nurse to repeat what the doctor said. The nurse must be well informed to answer questions about the patient's problem and about the doc­ tor's proposed treatment for it. There always seems to be a shortage of good material addressed to nurses; hence, this book fills a very definite need. It covers age-related ocular conditions clearly and in sufficient detail so that any nurse can use the book, and even the ophthalmic nurse will learn from it. For example, an Amsler grid is published with concise instructions for its use. There is a valuable glossary and an excel­ lent resource appendix giving addresses from which more information can be ob­ tained. Every nursing home should have this