The Physiological Basis of Primary Care

By Patrick Eggena. Pp. 745. Price, $59.95. Novateur Medmedia, LLC., 39 Terry Hill Rd., RD #11, Carmel, NY 10512, 1998.

The Physiological Basis of Primary Care reads like a transcription of hospital rounds with your favorite professor. The chapter headings are organized around the standard topics you would find in a physiology text. However, within each chapter, short case studies serve as starting points for discussions on the basic principles underlying the therapeutic approach.

This textbook-sized paperback is written by Dr. Patrick Eggena, professor of physiology and biophysics at Mount Sinai Medical School, New York City, N.Y., and it does not include any references. Most of the information in the book is basic, well established and could be found in any standard physiology text. The writing style is informal and clear. However, the book would benefit from a peer review to assure accuracy and comprehensiveness. For example, in the discussion on the treatment of peptic ulcers, Eggena states, “The most effective inhibitor of acid secretion is omeprazole, an agent that directly blocks the proton pump of parietal cells.” He does not mention lansoprazole. Without references, Eggena does not help the reader who wishes to evaluate the quality of the information, or to look up a more detailed discussion.

Nevertheless, this book is an engaging text for students learning clinically relevant pathophysiology. The ample diagrams, study questions and succinct explanations are ready-made material for short talks on inpatient topics. Hospital-based clinician teachers will also find that the book is a useful resource for a quick answer to that pesky question, “Why?”

Office Procedures

By Thomas J. Zuber. Pp. 200. Price, $29.95. Williams & Wilkins, 227 E. Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 1998. Phone: 800-241-6551.

Office Procedure Forms

By Thomas J. Zuber. Pp. 100. Price, $29.95. Williams & Wilkins, 227 E. Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 1998. Phone: 800-241-6551.

Office Procedures and Office Procedure Forms by Thomas J. Zuber, M.D., are part of the Academy Collection Quick Reference Guides for family physicians and are written from a family physician's perspective. The books offer a user friendly, practical description of 22 of the most common office procedures.

Office Procedures is divided into three main parts: diagnostic procedures, therapeutic procedures and combined diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The procedure information provided in every chapter includes set-up instructions, a review of common pitfalls, follow-up instructions, equipment ordering information and billing instructions that allow readers to directly apply this resource to their practice.

Equipment lists allow for easily established office procedure setups that can be modified according to individual experience. Ordering information, which includes specific addresses and phone numbers, will simplify the purchasing process for needed equipment. Although information concerning CPT codes and RVUs is time-sensitive, Dr. Zuber adequately provides the latest updates and the average fees for individual procedures.

A small amount of background information is provided for each procedure, and the author's favored procedure technique is described. Each procedure description is also clarified with thorough illustrations. The background information is minimal, but it provides an easy reference to consult before performing a procedure and will prove especially helpful to physicians in educational settings. The lists of the most common pitfalls and complications allow the reader to learn from the author's experience, and practical suggestions are given to help avoid these mistakes.

The accompanying text, Office Procedure Forms, includes patient information sheets, patient instructions, informed consent forms, nursing instructions and procedure-recording forms for each procedure discussed in the primary text.

The patient information sheets and informed consent forms are thorough, but they will need modification in practices where the average patient has less than a high school reading level. The nursing instructions and procedure recording forms are applicable in any setting. In addition to the above forms, the author includes nursing instructions on cleaning and disinfecting the gastrointestinal endoscope and a nursing checklist on the completion of tasks before, during and after an esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

If you are performing procedures in your office, considering adding a procedure to your practice or involved in training residents or medical students, these texts are well worth the investment.

Also Received

AIDS Therapy

Edited by Raphael Dolin, Henry Masur and Michael S. Saag. Pp. 884. Price, $150.00. W.B. Saunders Co., 625 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3399, 1999. Phone: 800-831-7799.

Alcohol Treatment Withdrawal Manual

By Paolo B. De Petrillo and Mark K. McDonough. Pp. 244. Price, $75.00. Focused Treatment Systems, P.O. Box 530, Glen Echo, MD 20812-0530, 1999. Phone: 800-728-6799.

Challenging Diagnoses

By Margaret E. McCahill and Erik Lindbloom. Pp. 227. Price, $29.95. Williams & Wilkins, 227 E. Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 1998. Phone: 800-241-6551.

The Complete Book of Breastfeeding

By Marvin S. Elger and Sally Wendkos Olds. Pp. 320. Price, $10.95. 3d ed. Workman Publishing Co., 708 Broadway, New York, NY 10003-9555, 1999. Phone: 800-722-7202.

The Consultation Guide

By Paul W. Ladenson. Pp. 560. Price, $49.00. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 227 E. Washington Sq., Philadelphia, PA 19106, 1998. Phone: 800-241-6551.

The Diabetes Cure

By Vern S. Cherewatenko and Paul Perry. Pp. 265. Price, $25.00. Cliff St. Books, 10 E. 53rd St., New York, NY 10022, 1999. Phone: 212-207-7000.

Fundamentals of Family Medicine

Edited by Robert B. Taylor. Pp. 599. Price, $39.00. 2d ed. Springer-Verlag, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010, 1999. Phone: 212-460-1500.

Interpretation of Diagnostic Tests (CD-ROM)

By Jacques Wallach. Price, $60.00. 6th ed. Lippincott, 227 E. Washington Sq., Philadelphia, PA 19106, 1998. Phone: 800-241-6551.

Legal Aspects of Health Care Administration

By George D. Pozgar. Pp. 569. Price, $49.00. 7th ed. Aspen Publishers, 200 Orchard Ridge Dr., Ste. 200, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, 1999. Phone: 800-638-8437.

Management Principles for Health Professionals

By Joan Gratto Liebler and Charles R. McConnell. Pp. 524. Price, $49.00. Aspen Publishers, 200 Orchard Ridge Drive, Suite 200, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, 1999. Phone: 800-638-8437.

Medication Errors

Edited by Michael R. Cohen. Pp. 380. Price, $70.00. American Pharmaceutical Association, 2215 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington DC 20037-2985, 1999. Phone: 202-628-4410.

New Ways to Care for Older People

Edited by Evan Calkins, Chad Bonet, Edward H. Wagner and James T. Pacala. Pp. 260. Price, $43.95. Springer Pub. Co., 536 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, 1999.

Pediatric Telephone Advice

By Barton D. Schmitt. Pp. 464. Price, $39.95. 2d ed. Lippincott, 227 E. Washington Sq., Philadelphia, PA 19106, 1998. Phone: 800-241-6551.

Practice of Geriatrics

Edited by Edmund H. Duthie and Paul R. Katz. Pp. 618. Price, $85.00. Saunders, 625 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106, 1998. Phone: 800-545-2522.

Publishing and Presenting Clinical Research

By Warren S. Brawner. Pp. 194. Price, $34.95. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 227 E. Washington Sq., Philadelphia, PA 19106, 1998. Phone: 800-241-6551.

Real Age: Are You as Young as You Can Be?

By Michael F. Roizen. Pp. 335. Price, $25.00. Harper Collins, 10 E. 53rd St., New York, NY 10022-5299, 1999. Phone: 800-242-7737.

S.O.S. for PMS

By Lisa G. DeAngelis and Molly Siple. Pp. 276. Price, $15.95. Plume, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014, 1999. Phone: 800-526-0275.

Specialty Board Review: Family Practice

By Ernest Yuh-Ting Yen. Pp. 277. Price, $45.00. 6th ed. Appleton & Lange, 107 Elm St., P.O. Box 120041, Stamford, CT 06912-0041, 1998. Phone: 800-423-1359.

Telemedicine: Practicing in the Information Age

By Steven F. Viegas and Kim Dunn. Pp. 432. Price, $49.95. Lippincott-Raven, 227 E. Washington Sq., Philadelphia, PA 19106-3780, 1998. Phone: 800-241-6551.

To Do No Harm: Learning to Care for the Seriously Ill

By Alan C. Mermann. Pp. 166. Price, $14.95. Humanity Books, 59 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, NY 14228, 1999. Phone: 716-691-0133.

Vascular Disorders of the Upper Extremities

Edited by Herbert L. Machleder. Pp. 515. Price, $98.00. Futura Publishing Co., 135 Bedford Rd., P.O. Box 418, Armonk, NY 10504-0418, 1998. Phone: 800-877-8761.

Waking Up in America

By Pedro Jose Green, Jr., and Liz Balmaseda. Pp. 195. Price, $23.00. Simon and Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, 1999. Phone: 800-223-2336.

XH-1 Therapy

By Laiyin Yan. Pp. 137. Price, $17.00. Dorrance Publishing Co., 643 Smithfield St., Pittsburgh, PA 15222, 1999. Phone: 800-788-7654.

You've Just Been Told You Have Cancer: Taking Charge After a Diagnosis of Cancer

By Lifecare Concepts. Price, $24.95. Life Care Concepts, Inc., 457 W. 22nd St., New York, NY 10011, 1998. Phone: 800-401-2233.