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Pediatric Emergency Medicine, 3rd edition
The Journal of Emergency Medicine, Vol. 41, No. 2, p. 228, 2011 Copyright Ó 2011 Elsevier Inc. Printed in the USA. All rights reserved 0736-4679/$ - see front matter
Book and Other Media Reviews , PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, 3rd edition. Gary R. Strange, William R. Ahrens, Robert W. Schafermeyer, Robert Wiebe. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1192 pages, 2009, $129.
disease chapter is one that I will bookmark. It is well written, comprehensive, and color coordinated so that I can understand the physiology (even though I can never remember it). The section on gynecologic disorders was very well written and illustrated, although I usually don’t think of pediatrics and gynecology in the same patient. The toxicology section is over 120 pages, a small textbook in itself. It covers the usual suspects plus nerve agents, cyanide, ‘‘lethal toxins in small doses,’’ and an outstanding ‘‘general approach to the poisoned patient.’’ I was glad to see a chapter on stroke; although entitled ‘‘cerebrovascular syndromes,’’ it describes the common predisposing factors and presentation of both hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. This is probably something that we equate with older adults, yet the incidence is at least as high as brain tumors in children. The chapter on imaging was quite informative, but I would like to see a table showing the amount of radiation associated with the various plain radiograph and computed tomography studies that are performed, and the potential risk to the patient. The trauma and wound care chapters, as well as the resuscitation section, are very useful for the non-pediatric physician not used to handling lifethreatening emergencies. In summary, this is a massive effort with hundreds of algorithms, excellent illustrations, clear concise text, and well-referenced guidelines for managing pediatric emergency and non-emergent conditions. I highly recommend it to anyone either in training, studying for the boards, or seeing patients in the emergency department. This third edition is the best yet; the authors have done a monumental job.
Since the discovery of pediatric emergency medicine as a new subspecialty of both pediatrics and emergency medicine, there have been a number of excellent textbooks published. I am not sure if the subspecialty came first or if the textbook spawned the subspecialty, as is frequently the case. Pediatric emergency medicine as practiced in the large, fully staffed pediatric hospitals in the United States (US) is different than that practiced in small rural community hospitals, just as trauma care is different in these hospitals when compared to a Level I trauma center. It is for this reason that a textbook in this subspecialty must be both an in-depth resource for the specialist seeing 10 children with abdominal pain daily and a quick, bedside reference for the physician who sees one febrile neonate or 4-year-old accident victim a month. The 135 contributors to this work represent the specialties of emergency medicine, pediatrics, and emergency pediatrics from, primarily, Dallas and Chicago, and a few other US centers. The text is divided into 23 sections and 153 chapters organized by general body systems, with the addition of sections on sedation, imaging, toxicology, environmental problems, emergency medical services, and social, legal, and administrative issues. Probably the most valuable section for the non-pediatric emergency physician is the section entitled ‘‘Cardinal Presentations.’’ This section covers the most common pediatric presentations in a succinct yet thorough discussion of the differential diagnosis, using algorithms, sometimes colored to indicate age group. I found this very useful when trying to differentiate limping in a 2-year-old vs. in a 12-year-old. Each chapter begins with a paragraph of ‘‘High-Yield Facts,’’ which are the five or six bullet points from the body of the chapter that summarize it. I found the rash, neck mass, abdominal pain, and seizure chapters particularly informative. The congenital heart
Edward J. Otten, MD, FACMT, FAWM Professor of Emergency and Pediatrics Director, Division of Toxicology University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Cincinnati, Ohio doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2011.01.023
228
Book and Other Media Reviews , PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, 3rd edition. Gary R. Strange, William R. Ahrens, Robert W. Schafermeyer, Robert Wiebe. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1192 pages, 2009, $129.
disease chapter is one that I will bookmark. It is well written, comprehensive, and color coordinated so that I can understand the physiology (even though I can never remember it). The section on gynecologic disorders was very well written and illustrated, although I usually don’t think of pediatrics and gynecology in the same patient. The toxicology section is over 120 pages, a small textbook in itself. It covers the usual suspects plus nerve agents, cyanide, ‘‘lethal toxins in small doses,’’ and an outstanding ‘‘general approach to the poisoned patient.’’ I was glad to see a chapter on stroke; although entitled ‘‘cerebrovascular syndromes,’’ it describes the common predisposing factors and presentation of both hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. This is probably something that we equate with older adults, yet the incidence is at least as high as brain tumors in children. The chapter on imaging was quite informative, but I would like to see a table showing the amount of radiation associated with the various plain radiograph and computed tomography studies that are performed, and the potential risk to the patient. The trauma and wound care chapters, as well as the resuscitation section, are very useful for the non-pediatric physician not used to handling lifethreatening emergencies. In summary, this is a massive effort with hundreds of algorithms, excellent illustrations, clear concise text, and well-referenced guidelines for managing pediatric emergency and non-emergent conditions. I highly recommend it to anyone either in training, studying for the boards, or seeing patients in the emergency department. This third edition is the best yet; the authors have done a monumental job.
Since the discovery of pediatric emergency medicine as a new subspecialty of both pediatrics and emergency medicine, there have been a number of excellent textbooks published. I am not sure if the subspecialty came first or if the textbook spawned the subspecialty, as is frequently the case. Pediatric emergency medicine as practiced in the large, fully staffed pediatric hospitals in the United States (US) is different than that practiced in small rural community hospitals, just as trauma care is different in these hospitals when compared to a Level I trauma center. It is for this reason that a textbook in this subspecialty must be both an in-depth resource for the specialist seeing 10 children with abdominal pain daily and a quick, bedside reference for the physician who sees one febrile neonate or 4-year-old accident victim a month. The 135 contributors to this work represent the specialties of emergency medicine, pediatrics, and emergency pediatrics from, primarily, Dallas and Chicago, and a few other US centers. The text is divided into 23 sections and 153 chapters organized by general body systems, with the addition of sections on sedation, imaging, toxicology, environmental problems, emergency medical services, and social, legal, and administrative issues. Probably the most valuable section for the non-pediatric emergency physician is the section entitled ‘‘Cardinal Presentations.’’ This section covers the most common pediatric presentations in a succinct yet thorough discussion of the differential diagnosis, using algorithms, sometimes colored to indicate age group. I found this very useful when trying to differentiate limping in a 2-year-old vs. in a 12-year-old. Each chapter begins with a paragraph of ‘‘High-Yield Facts,’’ which are the five or six bullet points from the body of the chapter that summarize it. I found the rash, neck mass, abdominal pain, and seizure chapters particularly informative. The congenital heart
Edward J. Otten, MD, FACMT, FAWM Professor of Emergency and Pediatrics Director, Division of Toxicology University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Cincinnati, Ohio doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2011.01.023
228