Field of medicine: General medicine.

Format: Hardcover book.

Audience: Primary care physicians and house officers.

Purpose: To help the busy practitioner create differential diagnoses and problem-oriented records for individual patients. Goals include the transfer of medical information to patient care in an organized format and the linking of the learning of medicine to the practice of medicine.

Content: This book has a unique organization that is based on the problem-oriented approach to patient care. Sections are arranged by organ systems or disease states. In each chapter, a particular condition or presenting problem is objectively defined; this is followed by explanations of causes, diagnostic criteria, and clinical manifestations. Differential diagnosis and available diagnostic methods are considered next, and therapeutic options and follow-up issues are then outlined. Finally, epidemiology, basic science, natural history, prevention, and cost-effective care are discussed.

Highlights: The book can be entered at different levels depending on the physician's immediate understanding of a patient's condition. Sections on ear, nose, and throat disorders; ophthalmology; and dermatology are useful for outpatient practice.

Limitations: None.

Context: This textbook provides a framework for information access that is useful for busy practitioners. The text is readable, thorough, and interesting. This edition offers updated information and text that adheres firmly to the problem-based format. It is ideal for the individual practitioner to use on a daily basis in patient care.

Reviewer: Ruric Anderson, MD, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.