Clinical Procedures in Emergency Medicine

It is a truism of evidence based medicine that large textbooks are out of date even before they are published.This thought was foremost in my mind when I reviewed this large volume, particularly when I noted that there was a six and seven year gap between the first, second, and third editions.I am glad to relate that this book proves that the day of the large medical tome is not yet past.The editors intended this book to provide in depth knowledge of the many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures undertaken in the emergency department.They have endeavoured to avoid the cookbook presentation of procedures by protocol as seen in the Advanced Trauma Life Support and other acute life support manuals.Instead each procedure is discussed in detail with regard to indications, contraindications, complications, and technique.They apologise that they have not covered every conceivable procedure, personally I could not think of anything they have left out.This volume is large and well presented.The numerous line illustrations are of a very high standard.The black and white photographs vary in quality from very good to fair, the occasional photograph being spoilt by being slightly out of focus.The order of the chapters, appropriately enough for a book dealing with emergency medicine, roughly follows "ABC" principles, the first three of the book's 13 sections dealing with respiratory, cardiac, and vascular techniques respectively.Just over a third of the book is taken up by these three sections.The chapters have a common structure of background, indica- tions, contraindications, description of the procedure, complications, and conclusion.The text in general is well written, clear and profoundly practical, written as it is by seasoned veterans of American emergency departments.The procedures covered in this book range from the commonly performed such as