Case Files Internal Medicine

2009 Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment is an excellent resource tool for inpatient and outpatient medicine. The annual review by medical specialists and reprint of Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment ensures that the clinical findings and treatment information, as well as the provided references, are comprehensive and up to date. New additions to this edition include a chapter on disorders of hemostasis and antithrombotic therapy, a reworked end-of-life chapter, and additional information in the chapter on alternative medicine and complementary therapies. This edition also benefits from an update on drug therapies, including HIV treatment and other antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal agents. Although each chapter is written by different specialists, the editors ensure that the same format and flow is maintained throughout the entire book. When appropriate, charts and graphs add to the text and aid in understanding and comparisons. For example, the chapter on systemic hypertension uses a number of tables and flow charts to provide a plethora of information about treatment algorithms and drugs, including dosage, cost, and adverse effects. The 16-page color insert provides photos of some common and uncommon presentations of diseases that relate back to the chapter text. More than 40 chapters, useful charts and tables, and readable text make this book ideal for readers with a variety of backgrounds, including non-specialists. This text is a great resource for families and patients who want to discover more about diseases or treatments and facilitate their ability to ask questions and make them feel more comfortable talking about disease. Nonmedical readers should feel confident in the information provided, as opposed to what might be available online, since this text is reviewed yearly and written by experts. On a professional level, this text also can be used by trainees and medical practitioners looking for a comprehensive yet quick review of a disease. It should be considered a trainee’s perfect go-to reference for any medical problem that he may need to brush up on. Moreover, the references at the end of each section offer validation of the information presented. Overall, 2009 Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment will serve as an excellent internal and ambulatory medicine reference to medical and nonmedical readers, allowing for quick access to information in the form of one complete text.