Neurology Emergencies

is pocket-sized handbook off ers a concise approach to patients presenting with a variety of neurological emergencies. Each chapter is co-authored by an emergency medicine physician and a subspecialist in the area being covered (usually a neurologist). In this way, it provides a balance of both perspectives – neither neglecting the basic issues around initial stabilization and diff erential diagnosis, nor failing to discuss (in brief) the relevant pathophysiology and options for immediate management. Th e book begins with two ambitious chapters outlining a basic approach to the neurological patient, including a review of basic neuroanatomy and the approach to common presenting symptoms (for example, altered mental status, acute headache, and dizziness). Th e handbook then covers the major disorders in a further eight chapters, including strokes, seizures, infections, trauma, and raised intracranial pressure. Th e book frequently uses tables and neuroimaging to illustrate important points (including some excellent lists outlining diff er en-tial diagnoses, emphasizing ones 'not-to-be-missed'); algorithms, when provided, are useful but could have been referenced even more liberally. Th e strength of this handbook is its manageable size, simple approach and frequent practical guidance with clinical pearls throughout. Perhaps its major weakness is also a refl ection of this same style – given its purpose and brevity, it cannot serve as an in-depth educational source on these important topics, and often comes across as little more than an introductory primer for medical students, or perhaps a rushed reminder for those who do not routinely see patients with neurological disorders. Th e book certainly will not provide much new infor ma-tion to enlighten the specialist, and even an experienced emer gency medicine physician or internist/hospitalist might fi nd its superfi cial coverage of each disorder lacking in suffi cient detail to provide more than a routine assess ment and a reminder of major issues in diagnosis and management. Nonetheless, the authors do well to cover a breadth of information on most neurological emergencies in limited space. Even greater use of bullet points, tables, fi gures, and algorithms might have further simplifi ed the presentation of this dense material. In all, this is a useful introduction for the student or hospitalist seeing patients with acute neurological disorders that can be carried to the bedside, adequate to formulate a diff erential diagnosis and take the fi rst few critical steps in stabilization. Th ose looking for a more in-depth source …