The ultimate guide to the evidence-based clinical encounter "This book is an excellent source of supported evidence that provides useful and clinically relevant information for the busy practitioner, student, resident, or educator who wants to hone skills of physical diagnosis. It provides a tool to improve patient care by using the history and physical examination items that have the most reliability and efficiency."--Annals of Internal Medicine "The evidence-based examination techniques put forth by Rational Clinical Examination is the sort that can be brought to bear on a daily basis – to save time, increase confidence in medical decisions, and help decrease unnecessary testing for conditions that do not require absolute diagnostic certainty. In the end, the whole of this book is greater than its parts and can serve as a worthy companion to a traditional manual of physical examination."--Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC)Proceedings 5 STAR DOODY'S REVIEW! "Physical diagnosis has been taught to every medical student but this evidence-based approach now shows us why, presenting one of medicine's most basic tenets in a new and challenging light. The format is extraordinary, taking previously published material and updating the pertinent evidence since the initial publication, affirming or questioning or refining the conclusions drawn from the data. "This is a book for everyone who has studied medicine and found themselves doubting what they have been taught over the years, not that they have been deluded, but that medical traditions have been unquestionably believed because there was no evidence to believe otherwise. The authors have uncovered the truth. "This extraordinary, one-of-a-kind book is a valuable addition to every medical library."--Doody's Review Service Completely updated with new literature analyses, here is a uniquely practical, clinically relevant approach to the use of evidence in the content of physical examination. Going far beyond the scope of traditional physical examination texts, this invaluable resource compiles and presents the evidence-based meanings of signs, symptoms, and results from physical examination maneuvers and other diagnostic studies. Page after page, you'll find a focus on actual clinical questions and presentations, making it an incomparably practical resource that you'll turn to again and again. Importantly, the high-yield content of The Rational Clinical Examination is significantly expanded and updated from the original JAMA articles, much of it published here for the first time. It all adds up to a definitive, ready-to-use clinical exam sourcebook that no student or clinician should be without. FEATURES Packed with updated, new, and previously unpublished information from the original JAMA articles Standardized template for every issue covered, including: Case Presentation; Why the Issue Is Clinically Important; Research and Statistical Methods Used to Find the Evidence Presented; The Sensitivity and Specificity of Each Key Result; Resolution of the Case Presentation; and the Clinical Bottom Line Completely updated with all-new literature searches and appraisals supplementing each chapter Full-color format with dynamic clinical illustrations and images Real-world focus on a specific clinical question in each chapter, reflecting the way clinicians approach the practice of evidence-based medicine More than 50 complete chapters on common and challenging clinical questions and patient presentations Also available: JAMAevidence.com, a new interactive database for the best practice of evidence based medicine

Written specifically for non-infectious disease specialists in both inpatient and outpatient settings, A Rational Approach to Clinical Infectious Diseases provides concise, practical guidance that mimics the decision-making process and reasoning employed by an ID physician. Using clear, understandable language, Dr. Zelalem Temesgen and his esteemed colleagues at the Mayo Clinic present the art and the context of infectious diseases together with the science, helping non-specialists apply a rational approach to the diagnosis and treatment of infectious conditions. - Clearly explains the rationale of opting for one particular treatment or length of course over another in order to arrange appropriate management and follow-up. - Provides focused ID decision support to questions such as: - What diagnostic test should I order? - What is the correct antibiotic for this patient/geographical region? - Are IV or oral antibiotics most appropriate? - How long should the antibiotic course be and when should it be de-escalated? - What special considerations should be taken in immunocompromised patients? - How often should complex infections be followed up? - Uses a succinct, easy-to-read writing style, following a consistent format: Important characteristics/epidemiology; Clinical related data; Rash characteristics; Ancillary diagnostic studies; Treatment; and Other. - Provides visual and quick-reference support with dozens of figures and tables throughout the text. - Contains invaluable guidance to help non-specialists provide the best care for patients, stem antibiotic misuse and resistance, avoid adverse drug events, and avoid unnecessary costs.

Essential reading for beginning and experienced clinicians alike, Sapira's Art & Science of Bedside Diagnosis, Fifth Edition, discusses the patient interview and the physical examination in an engaging, storytelling style. Tried and true methods are described in step-by-step detail, and include clinical pearls, vignettes, practical clinical experiences, personal history, explanations of the physiologic significance of findings, and extensive discussions of evidence-based medicine. It’s a useful guide for learning and reinforcing effective bedside diagnosis techniques at all levels and stages of clinical practice.

Getting the right diagnosis is a key aspect of health care - it provides an explanation of a patient's health problem and informs subsequent health care decisions. The diagnostic process is a complex, collaborative activity that involves clinical reasoning and information gathering to determine a patient's health problem. According to Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, diagnostic errors-inaccurate or delayed diagnoses-persist throughout all settings of care and continue to harm an unacceptable number of patients. It is likely that most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences. Diagnostic errors may cause harm to patients by preventing or delaying appropriate treatment, providing unnecessary or harmful treatment, or resulting in psychological or financial repercussions. The committee concluded that improving the diagnostic process is not only possible, but also represents a moral, professional, and public health imperative. Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, a continuation of the landmark Institute of Medicine reports To Err Is Human (2000) and Crossing the Quality Chasm (2001), finds that diagnosis-and, in particular, the occurrence of diagnostic errorsâ€"has been largely unappreciated in efforts to improve the quality and safety of health care. Without a dedicated focus on improving diagnosis, diagnostic errors will likely worsen as the delivery of health care and the diagnostic process continue to increase in complexity. Just as the diagnostic process is a collaborative activity, improving diagnosis will require collaboration and a widespread commitment to change among health care professionals, health care organizations, patients and their families, researchers, and policy makers. The recommendations of Improving Diagnosis in Health Care contribute to the growing momentum for change in this crucial area of health care quality and safety.

The fully updated second edition of this popular handbook concisely summarises all current knowledge about delirium in critically ill patients and describes simple tools the bedside clinician can use to prevent, diagnose and manage delirium. Chapters discuss new developments in assessing risk and diagnosis, crucial discoveries regarding delirium and long-term cognitive outcomes, and dangers of sedation and death. Updated management advice reflects new evidence about antipsychotics and delirium. This book explains how to minimise the risks of delirium, drugs to avoid, drugs to use and when to use them, as well as current theories regarding pathophysiology, different motoric subtypes leading to missed diagnosis, and the adverse impact of delirium on patient outcomes. While there are still unanswered questions, this edition contains all the available answers. Illustrated with real-life case reports, Delirium in Critical Care is essential reading for trainees, consultants and nurses in the ICU and emergency department.

The first book to teach physical assessment techniques based on evidence and clinical relevance. Grounded in an empirical approach to history-taking and physical assessment techniques, this text for healthcare clinicians and students focuses on patient well-being and health promotion. It is based on an analysis of current evidence, up-to-date guidelines, and best-practice recommendations. It underscores the evidence, acceptability, and clinical relevance behind physical assessment techniques. Evidence-Based Physical Examination offers the unique perspective of teaching both a holistic and a scientific approach to assessment. Chapters are consistently structured for ease of use and include anatomy and physiology, key history questions and considerations, physical examination, laboratory considerations, imaging considerations, evidence-based practice recommendations, and differential diagnoses related to normal and abnormal findings. Case studies, clinical pearls, and key takeaways aid retention, while abundant illustrations, photographic images, and videos demonstrate history-taking and assessment techniques. Instructor resources include PowerPoint slides, a test bank with multiple-choice questions and essay questions, and an image bank. This is the physical assessment text of the future. Key Features: Delivers the evidence, acceptability, and clinical relevance behind history-taking and assessment techniques Eschews “traditional” techniques that do not demonstrate evidence-based reliability Focuses on the most current clinical guidelines and recommendations from resources such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Focuses on the use of modern technology for assessment Aids retention through case studies, clinical pearls, and key takeaways Demonstrates techniques with abundant illustrations, photographic images, and videos Includes robust instructor resources: PowerPoint slides, a test bank with multiple-choice questions and essay questions, and an image bank Purchase includes digital access for use on most mobile devices or computers

Quickly and accurately diagnose and treat the critically ill patient with guidance from the field's definitive text "...Clearly the finest textbook available in the field." -- Critical Care Medicine journal "...Very well done...unusually user-friendly...excellent...a significant contribution to the field. It should be placed not only in the critical care practitioner's library, but also in the rounds and nurses' conference rooms of critical care units." -- Journal of the American Medical Association Considered the field's definitive text, Principles of Critical Care offers unmatched coverage of the diagnosis and treatment of the most common problems encountered in the practice of critical care. Written by expert critical care physicians who are also experienced teachers, the book features an organization, thoroughness, and clarity not found in any other reference on the topic. Within its pages, you will find comprehensive, authoritative discussion of every aspect of critical care medicine essential to successful clinical practice, ranging from basic principles to the latest technologies. The fourth edition is highlighted by: A new full-color presentation NEW CHAPTERS on ICU Ultrasound, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, ICU-Acquired Weakness, Abdominal Compartment Syndrome, and Judging the Adequacy of Intravascular Volume The addition of many new figures and diagnostic and treatment algorithms In-depth, up-to-date descriptions of the unique presentation, differential diagnosis, and management of specific critical illnesses A logical organ system approach that simplifies the search for thorough and practical information necessary to manage a patient’s specific condition The integration of pathophysiology throughout the text Content that reflects today’s interdisciplinary approach to critical care medicine *Reviews are of previous editions