REVIEW OF THE LAST EDITION
"Enjoyable and very readableA much-needed addition to currently available books on physical diagnosisThe first compilation to give information on the accuracy of physical diagnostic maneuvers with exhaustive references to the primary studies." - Annals of Internal Medicine
Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
I've been a physician for 20 years, but still had some areas of uncertainty regarding the physical exam. This book reassured me that I wasn't deficient for omitting certain maneuvers (e.g. percussion for liver span which apparently has poor reproducibility and only "modest" correlation with imaging studies) and also let me know which of the numerous options for physical diagnosis have the highest sensitivity and specificity. Some particularly helpful chapters include those on examination of the thyroid, abdomen, and lymph nodes, but each chapter has numerous pearls, all well-referenced. There is an especially thorough review of the cardiovascular exam. One thing that makes this book so refreshing is that nothing is given a pass based on longstanding inclusion in clinical teaching. If there were data out there to support or refute the utility of a physical exam finding, the author found and analyzed them. The book is very well written and frankly entertaining. When was the last time you heard anybody say THAT about a physical diagnosis book. I bought this at an out of town meeting and read most of it before I even got home. It's pricey for a paperback, but absolutely packed with useful, practical information. It's worth the price.
