Reviewer: Ellen Dore, MD (Regions Hospital)
Description: This is the fifth edition of this pocket notebook on emergency medicine. Its small size makes it easy to carry around and be used as a quick reference on a busy shift. It is concise and to the point, presenting a clinical diagnosis, other differentials, the diagnostic and treatment approaches, any applicable clinical scoring tools, risk stratification testing, helpful points such as common complications, and ultimate disposition. The previous edition was updated in 2019. It is organized around the clinical condition, following physician thought process and the patient encounter up until disposition from the ED.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide an up-to-date, concise, and helpful pocket reference for emergency physicians to use at the bedside. These are useful objectives as a quick reference on shift is necessary compared to a textbook. This book meets the objectives quite well, focusing on a clinical evaluation and approach without textbook explanations. Bullet points/outlines are utilized and the table of contents and index make the book easy to reference quickly regarding a clinical problem. It is easy to read and sort through the information, which is succinct and only presents what is needed.
Audience: The book is written for emergency medicine physicians, residents, and attendings alike. The book meets its objectives as a pocket-sized reference in the emergency department. The authors include residents, with editing done by attendings. Updates have been added since the COVID-19 pandemic. For utility in the ED, this is quite useful, but is lacking in extensive peer review.
Features: The book separates out systems (cardiovascular, pulmonary, infectious disease, dermatology, pediatrics, etc.), and covers emergent conditions and presenting complaints under each category. Each presenting complaint is addressed in outline form, beginning with a definition of the complaint, followed by the ED approach to exam, diagnosis, and treatment. Any applicable scoring tools or differentials are included in charts or lists. The section on each complaint ends with disposition. It remains concise, easy to read, and easy to follow. The dermatology section would be easier to follow with some rash photos, but aside from this, it is quite easy to use and comprehend. The charts and scoring tools are easy to use. I found each section to be helpful and easy to find a specific topic in a hurry.
Assessment: This book meets its objectives and is quite useful to emergency physicians on shift as a quick reference and guide to further information if needed. The design is meant to be concise and easy to reference on a busy shift, and it certainly provides an easy-to-use format. As with all reference texts, it will eventually need updating (and given the COVID-19 pandemic, it did need its most recent update), but for now it is far easier to use than referencing a textbook.
