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Shock and the adult respiratory distress syndrome
Book/Software
Management of Gunshot Wounds. By Ordog GJ (ed). New York, Elsevier, 1988, 477 pages. ISBN 0-444-01246-X. $75.00. This book is a collection of two sets of monographs. Half of the chapters chronicle the numerically enormous experience of the editor and his colleagues at the King/Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles. The other half consists of papers invited from acknowledged masters of the art of surgery and its subspecialties, sandwiched between this group’s observations and opinions. The editor, unfortunately, has not been successful. The rife repetition is irritating, and no apparent effort has been made to capitalize on the opportunity to elaborate on inconsistencies and contradictions. An impressive mass of descriptive data has been tabulated, and cross tabulated-most of it of questionable relevancebut the reader learns very little, except how to make a handgun out of a Cadillac aerial. In the key chapter on “Wound Ballistics” the editor persists in repeating numerous errors, brushing aside wellfounded criticism and references to the contrary, thus espousing the doctrine of persuading by citation and giving every appearance of affliction by creative overbelief. However, a greater criticism of the book is of the other key chapter, “High-Velocity and Military Gunshot Wounds,” by Dr Michael S. Owen-Smith. The chapter is a near verbatim reprint of extracts from a 1981 book and reflects a singular lack of scholarly effort to update, validate, or even defend conclusions that are contrary to hard evidence. There are simply no objective data to support the contention that high-velocity bullets bring into play “new physical phenomena”. Perpetuation of the old myth of damage by shock waves is out of place when lithotripters focus thousands of those waves through tissue into calculi. Moreover, muscle that is contused by formation of a temporary cavity is not “non-viable” unless it is cut out and discarded. Over the past half century, five separate studies have demonstrated that most of this contused muscle survives to regain normal color, consistency, circulation, and function. It is regrettable that a number of fine surgical monographs find a place in this comprehensive but misinformed collection of information on wounding by bullets. DOUGLAS LINDSEY, MD, DRPH
University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona Shock and the Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome. By Kox W, Bihari D (eds). London, Springer-Verlag, 1988, 234 pages. ISBN 3-540-17484-2. $41.00. Shock and the Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome is a detailed, 234-page monograph on an important subject. The book describes in intricate detail the pathophysiology of the respiratory distress syndrome and how it relates to the var-
Reviews
ious kinds of shock. The topic is very important to the academic aspects of emergency medicine, but is less important clinically. This monograph would be of great help for the critical care intensivist working in an intensive care unit. The authors are primarily British and European and unknown in this country. They hail from many of the prestigious universities in Europe. Although the text is written by multiple authors, it has a continuity in format and a uniform clarity of writing style. The book is well organized, with a detailed table of contents and index. The information in the book is easily accessible from these tables. The text is accurate in terms of recommending appropriate dosages of pharmacological interventions. The graphs and tables are well done. The production is of high quality and the paper and print are easily readable. Reproductions of tables, graphs, and radiographs are well done. It is comparable in quality to other texts in the field. This book is important for emergency physicians to use as a reference source in studying the academic pathophysiological aspects of the respiratory distress syndrome. It is not of great clinical utility for the emergency physician, but would be most appropriate for a medical library and, from this point of view, is well worth the purchase price of $41 .OO.The book is too detailed and too research oriented to be useful in an emergency medicine library or personal library. The text is an organized, well-referenced, authoritative monograph on the subject of the adult respiratory distress syndrome and is most suitable as a reference work. JAMEST. STURM, MD
St Paul-Ramsey Medical Center St Paul, Minnesota Road Accident Statistics. By Hutchinson, TP. Rundle Mall, Adelaide, South Australia, Rumbsy Scientific Publishing, 1987, 292 pages. $45.OO(US). Numbers, numbers, and more numbersin medicine, we can’t seem to do without them. A book of numbers in the form of well-organized statistics is a valuable asset in the field of vehicular trauma. Road Accident Statistics, by T. P. Hutchinson, is a compilation of most of the world’s literature regarding highway mortality and morbidity statistics. The author proposes to give the reader an account of the methods of collecting and processing data on the occurrence and consequences of roadway crashes. He accomplishes this purpose very well. He gives numerous statistical tables to illustrate the studies reviewed. The chapters include: the collection of data from police records, insurance studies, government studies, medical sources, and death certificates. The advantages and disadvantages of these sources of data are discussed in appropriate detail, as each has its own limitations. There is also an excellent chapter on the comparison of road accident statistical yearbooks for the reader who 117
Management of Gunshot Wounds. By Ordog GJ (ed). New York, Elsevier, 1988, 477 pages. ISBN 0-444-01246-X. $75.00. This book is a collection of two sets of monographs. Half of the chapters chronicle the numerically enormous experience of the editor and his colleagues at the King/Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles. The other half consists of papers invited from acknowledged masters of the art of surgery and its subspecialties, sandwiched between this group’s observations and opinions. The editor, unfortunately, has not been successful. The rife repetition is irritating, and no apparent effort has been made to capitalize on the opportunity to elaborate on inconsistencies and contradictions. An impressive mass of descriptive data has been tabulated, and cross tabulated-most of it of questionable relevancebut the reader learns very little, except how to make a handgun out of a Cadillac aerial. In the key chapter on “Wound Ballistics” the editor persists in repeating numerous errors, brushing aside wellfounded criticism and references to the contrary, thus espousing the doctrine of persuading by citation and giving every appearance of affliction by creative overbelief. However, a greater criticism of the book is of the other key chapter, “High-Velocity and Military Gunshot Wounds,” by Dr Michael S. Owen-Smith. The chapter is a near verbatim reprint of extracts from a 1981 book and reflects a singular lack of scholarly effort to update, validate, or even defend conclusions that are contrary to hard evidence. There are simply no objective data to support the contention that high-velocity bullets bring into play “new physical phenomena”. Perpetuation of the old myth of damage by shock waves is out of place when lithotripters focus thousands of those waves through tissue into calculi. Moreover, muscle that is contused by formation of a temporary cavity is not “non-viable” unless it is cut out and discarded. Over the past half century, five separate studies have demonstrated that most of this contused muscle survives to regain normal color, consistency, circulation, and function. It is regrettable that a number of fine surgical monographs find a place in this comprehensive but misinformed collection of information on wounding by bullets. DOUGLAS LINDSEY, MD, DRPH
University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona Shock and the Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome. By Kox W, Bihari D (eds). London, Springer-Verlag, 1988, 234 pages. ISBN 3-540-17484-2. $41.00. Shock and the Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome is a detailed, 234-page monograph on an important subject. The book describes in intricate detail the pathophysiology of the respiratory distress syndrome and how it relates to the var-
Reviews
ious kinds of shock. The topic is very important to the academic aspects of emergency medicine, but is less important clinically. This monograph would be of great help for the critical care intensivist working in an intensive care unit. The authors are primarily British and European and unknown in this country. They hail from many of the prestigious universities in Europe. Although the text is written by multiple authors, it has a continuity in format and a uniform clarity of writing style. The book is well organized, with a detailed table of contents and index. The information in the book is easily accessible from these tables. The text is accurate in terms of recommending appropriate dosages of pharmacological interventions. The graphs and tables are well done. The production is of high quality and the paper and print are easily readable. Reproductions of tables, graphs, and radiographs are well done. It is comparable in quality to other texts in the field. This book is important for emergency physicians to use as a reference source in studying the academic pathophysiological aspects of the respiratory distress syndrome. It is not of great clinical utility for the emergency physician, but would be most appropriate for a medical library and, from this point of view, is well worth the purchase price of $41 .OO.The book is too detailed and too research oriented to be useful in an emergency medicine library or personal library. The text is an organized, well-referenced, authoritative monograph on the subject of the adult respiratory distress syndrome and is most suitable as a reference work. JAMEST. STURM, MD
St Paul-Ramsey Medical Center St Paul, Minnesota Road Accident Statistics. By Hutchinson, TP. Rundle Mall, Adelaide, South Australia, Rumbsy Scientific Publishing, 1987, 292 pages. $45.OO(US). Numbers, numbers, and more numbersin medicine, we can’t seem to do without them. A book of numbers in the form of well-organized statistics is a valuable asset in the field of vehicular trauma. Road Accident Statistics, by T. P. Hutchinson, is a compilation of most of the world’s literature regarding highway mortality and morbidity statistics. The author proposes to give the reader an account of the methods of collecting and processing data on the occurrence and consequences of roadway crashes. He accomplishes this purpose very well. He gives numerous statistical tables to illustrate the studies reviewed. The chapters include: the collection of data from police records, insurance studies, government studies, medical sources, and death certificates. The advantages and disadvantages of these sources of data are discussed in appropriate detail, as each has its own limitations. There is also an excellent chapter on the comparison of road accident statistical yearbooks for the reader who 117