Tarascon Internal Medicine & Critical Care Pocketbook by James S. Winshall, Robert J. Lederman

Synopsis

The Tarascon Internal Medicine & Critical Care Pocketbook, Fourth Edition is designed as the ultimate portable reference for the busy Internal Medicine or ICU practitioner. This concise, organized pocket guide is packed with essential lists, figures, tables and algorithms providing instant reminders of hard-to-remember yet vitally important clinical information. An extensive pharmacology section gives fingertip access to critical drug prescribing information. The newly revised 4th edition contains dozens of new topics and drug listings as well as timely updates for most of the content and references. The Tarascon Internal Medicine & Critical Care Pocketbook, Fourth Edition is meticulously referenced and provides expert commentary on current academic controversies within the field. You will wonder how you ever practiced medicine without it!

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:David J. Dries, MD (University of Minnesota Medical School)
Description:This is the fourth edition of a pocket-sized compendium of critical care facts, figures, and tables.
Purpose:This is a "head of bed" reference for a variety of internal medicine and critical care emergencies.
Audience:Medical students and trainees on acute care rotations may find this pocket guide helpful. The editors and authors represent medical schools in the northeast United States.
Features:After a review of common critical care formulas and relationships, the book presents datasets for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, vasoactive drugs, and mechanical ventilation. Subsequent chapters review organ system support including endocrine, neurologic, infectious disease, hematologic, renal, rheumatologic, and pulmonary problems. Two concluding chapters describe general principles for management of common toxicologic problems and provide pharmacologic data for many drugs used in the intensive care unit. Bullet points, tables, and occasional line drawings are used to present this compendium of data. Compared to the previous edition, the authors include more primary sources, some of which date to within one to two years of publication. Recent management guidelines for stroke and cardiac arrest are emphasized. The table of contents not only lists chapters but also provides a summary of subheadings. The detailed subject index allows rapid access to content.
Assessment:This is a common tool of postgraduate trainees needing quick facts at the bedside. Clearly, other textbooks are required to place this data in perspective. Mygreatest struggle was reading the fine print, as an ever-expanding database is included without significantly increasing size of the work. Material for PDAs is also available over the Internet.