Vital Signs & Fool's Review Buy it Now Title:Clinical Handbook of Pediatrics Author M. William Schwartz List Price $39.95 Pages 1007 Format PaperBack Date April 2003 Pros: Excellent clinical review by problem, that covers almost every thinkable symptom. Easy to look up and get clinical evaluation/analysis pathways. Very thorough discussion of each diagnosis. Also includes wealth of reference materials in the various supplemental chapters. Cons: Sometimes difficult to look up a single diagnosis (e.g. pneumonia). Readability Usefullness Coolness Overall From the Publisher: "This is a pocket-sized clinical handbook covering all the information that a medical student would encounter during pediatric clinical rotation. The content is organized by presenting complaint, and each chapter follows the same format--presenting symptoms, differential diagnosis, laboratory assessment, treatments, and suggested readings. The book also includes tables of normal lab values, a comprehensive syndrome glossary, an instructive cardiology lab, a glossary of surgical terms, and a pediatric medication guide. "

Harriet Lane Handbook

Another Fine book to add to your shelf! This book fills the ground between a diagnosis based book and study guide. It is small enough to fit in your white coat (about the size of a Harriet Lane), and is designed to be a book used as a problem based book.

Now in it's 3rd edition, The Clinical Handbook of Pediatrics includes the basics of any good peds book: Physical Exam basics (including growth charts, percentiles), Developmental screening, Immunizations, Medications, Lab values, Toxicology, and Cardiology basics (EKG, BP normals).They also included a sugical glossary and syndromes glossary for quick access.

But the meat of the book is set to guide students and residents in the approach to the patient, guided by a problem or symptom. There are 83 chapters, each presented in alphabetical order, from Abdominal Mass to Cough to Headache, to Sore Throat thru Vomitting.

Each chapter begins with a brief introduction, followed by a Differential Diagnosis list. For Abdominal Mass, the differential is broken down into Infectious, Neoplastic, Traumatic, Congenital, Vascular, and Miscellaneous. (Each further broken down into specific diagnoses.)

From there, the chapter goes on to discuss each aspect of the differential diagnosis. The first on the list for Abdominal Mass is Constipation. Each diagnosis has Etiology, Clinical features, Evaluation, and Treatment. Where appropriate the labs and imaging studies and their strengths and weaknesses. There are also Tables and Diagrams to guide the evaluation. Tables of differentials, and their distinguishing characteristics helps to further refine diagnosis. For abdominal pain, it is broken down into localized pain, diffuse pain, and by age groups. Other tables include Lab findings in Graves Disease, Risk factors for Group B Strep infection, to name a few. The Diagrams of Algorithms are also very useful. There are algorthms to break down complicated problems into easier to analyze diagnostic portions. For example, polyuria is first separated into urine output >2000cc/24hr, YES or NO, then guides the clinician to take a drug history (YES, NO) or Urine culture (+ or -), etc...

This book takes bread and butter pediatrics problems from pallor (including anemia) and joint pain, then breaks it down into a systems based approach that fully explains the differential.

The Bottom Line: A great addition to your shelf, will definitely come in useful when you need to further explore a specific problem but don't know the exact diagnosis. This book is simliar to the 5 Minute Pediatric Consult in it's purpose, but does so in an easier to carry size that has an even better focus on the approach to the patient. Would be great in a PDA version!