Big things come in small packages

View Large Image | Download PowerPoint SlideThe second edition of The Osler Medical Handbook is an excellent resource for medical students, residents, practicing physicians and other health care providers wanting a general overview of common problems in medicine. The handbook contains a tremendous amount of clinically practical information for its portable size and is more robust than the first edition, with nearly 40 new chapters. Through a special pin number provided in each copy of the handbook, one bonus of the second edition is the ability to download the entire content of the book (as well as other supplemental book chapters not included in the paperback version) to a PDA. This very practical feature provides the ‘wireless physician’ with a swift reference of information in the clinic or hospital setting.The second edition is extremely well written and systematic in presentation. Each chapter begins with ‘fast facts’ about a particular topic and then describes, when applicable, the associated epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and management strategy. Each chapter concludes with summary bullet points of ‘pearls and pitfalls’, followed by an extensive and complete list of references. Noteworthy, each listed reference is given a ‘strength of evidence’ category (lettered A through D) that describes the source of the reference (e.g. randomized, double-blinded or placebo-controlled trial, prospective or retrospective trial, case report, review paper, expert opinion or other source).The first part of the book covers the essentials of acute patient care, including concepts of advanced cardiac life support, as well as typical procedures performed in the clinical setting, such as arthrocentesis, lumbar puncture, paracentesis, thoracentesis, and placement of arterial and venous catheter. Each procedure is described with respect to indications, contraindications, complications and the appropriate technique used to successfully perform the procedure. A section on nutritional support and radiologic imaging is also included, which is a plus, as these topics are often not covered in other handbooks of this nature.The heart of the handbook is the second part, which details diagnostic and therapeutic information by specialty covering the whole spectrum from cardiology, pulmonology and critical care medicine, gastroenterology, neurology and psychiatry, nephrology, infectious diseases, rheumatology, hematology and oncology, to endocrinology and dermatology. A notable feature in this section is the inclusion of color plates of dermatologic disorders which are of exceptional quality. Throughout the book, multiple well-laid-out tables, figures and flow diagrams are incorporated.The third part of the manual covers comparative pharmacology and includes dosing tables for narcotics, corticosteroids, proton pump inhibitors, anticoagulants, cardiovascular therapies, and oral and injectable diabetic medications. It contains a great deal of valuable information which will be quite useful to the reader. The last part of the book includes a helpful list of common equations that a practicing physician might use on a frequent basis.Overall, although it might be too superficial for the practicing endocrinologist because of its broad scope, The Osler Medical Handbook is an outstanding pocket or shelf resource. The book will be especially useful for those needing timely, clinically relevant information on broad medical issues encountered in daily practice and at the bedside.