Ortho Notes: Clinical Examination Pocket Guide by Dawn Gulick

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Reviewer:Christopher James Hughes, PT, PhD, OCS, C (Slippery Rock University)
Description:This pocket guide serves as a quick reference source for orthopedic clinicians. The book is no bigger than an average packet of 3" x 5" index cards and is coated in a waterproof laminate to provide durability. A plastic spiral binding allows flip access to information.
Purpose:Even though there is no preface, it appears that the author's primary goal was to compile a quick and handy reference to be used by orthopedic therapists who treat in an outpatient setting. This type of memory jogger can certainly be of assistance for therapists who seek a quick and portable guide that can be carried with them or stored easily. The author has met her goal in creating such a guide.
Audience:The material in the guide is most beneficial for new graduates and clinicians who are beginning their clinical experiences in an outpatient setting. However, the book also has benefit for experienced professionals who need a refresher on the information. The author has her doctoral degree and also holds certification as an athletic trainer and is a licensed physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist.
Features:The book is organized into eight major color tabs that include the major joints of the body and also a section on alerts/alarms that covers medical screening, neurologic, and pharmacological information and common abbreviations. Each of the skeletal joint sections is organized into major headings of medical red flags, imaging, toolbox tests, referral pain patterns, palpation points, special orthopedic tests, anddifferential diagnosis information. The text is brief and there is liberal use of tables, figures, and excellent photos of special clinical tests. The use of color in the layout makes it easy to locate information quickly. I especially liked the outcomes scales in the toolbox sections.
Assessment:For a small and quick reference guide, this source contains a wealth of useful information that can be easily accessed. The high quality of the spiral binding and the inclusion of waterproof pages is novel and certainly will help the book hold up to continued use. I recommend this guide for entry level clinicians and others who just want to do a self review of important clinical examination topics in orthopedics.