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Interpretation of Diagnostic Tests
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Customer Reviews
Rating:  - It could be so much better
I own the third edition of this book and as it was getting rather dated and I was studying for a recertification exam, I purchased this one on the strength of the previous edition.
What I found was a more bloated expensive textbook with considerably more difficulty finding out specific information in a timely manner. I found myself referring back to the older edition to find information more quickly. Now some of this bloat is to be expected in medical textbooks, but I found the information fragmented, verbose, poorly organized and annoying enough to use to where I looked elsewhere for my lab values and how they related to specific diseases.
Unlike a previous reviewer, I did not go online to even find out that this book requires major errata and that the indexing would be flawed as well. To have a book on life and death decisions based on lab data with extensive errors? What more needs to be said.
Of the ~ $!k in new medical books I purchased for my review, this one is at the bottom. If I had not written in it and bent a corner, I would return it.
It is in need of MAJOR editorial revision to live up to it's legacy as an intelligible succinct and authoritative source of information regarding lab tests.
This is probably the lowest review I've given to a book I've tried to read or reference. I don't give it one star because obviously a lot of work went into gathering this data and from owning a previous edition, I know the next edition could be capable of meeting my expectations.
Rating:  - Excelllent Reference
I use this book in my profession and I feel it's the best out there. If I don't know the answer then this book does. This book has been a lifesaver more than once. I recommend it for physicians, nurses, NP, PA's or any medical student. This is your BIBLE for the profession.
Rating:  - Some initial disappointments
I'm a family physician in a small, South-Central rural town. I've owned this reference since the 6th edition and found it extremely useful. I noticed that my 7th edition had nothing on BNP, a hormone elevated in CHF. So I purchased the 8th edition and received it yesterday (it was copyrighted in 2007). There is a massive amount of data in this large paperback but I noticed problems at the start. Maybe I'm being picky, but there were 11 pages of corrections that had to be downloaded from the publisher's web site. This created replacements pages 402 and 403, and new pages 403a-i. There were no corrections to the index for any of these. So, you will need to get out your glue stick and paper cutter and start trimming the printouts. Next, I went to look up BNP. The index says "See Brain-type natriaretic peptide." The only listing for that is for reference values on page 13, which just gives you ranges for normal. But if you look further down in the index, you will see a listing for "B-type natriaretic peptide" that has explanations and uses on pages 129, 131 and 132. So I read them. It says, under "Interpretation" that "BNP and NT-proBNP can be increased in renal failure, especially if dialysis is needed." Okay. Turn the page and under "Not Increased In" is listed "Renal insufficiency." So what is it? Is it increased or decreased in renal insufficiency/failure? Since some degree of renal insufficiency usually accompanies CHF and this can be a life or death blood test, I would think it would be somewhat important to be able to correctly interpret this test result (I have a patient with CHF, a BUN of 100 and he's walking around with a BNP of over 3000 that I can knock down temporarily to 1500 with dobutamine). I wonder what other inconsistencies I will find as I use this reference...
Rating: - A must! but...
I'm a neurosurgeon and I need to make interpretation of diagnostic tests all time, even those which are not for my speciality. This book really shines where others simply can't with answers for all known tests of everyday use at the hospital. The only two things missed: hardcover and pocket size!
Rating: - No more knee-jerk lab orders
As was my 7th edition, this is a must have book. One needs to know what should and should not be ordered, not only for economy's sake, but for the sake of your diagnosis. If you want to home in on what your patient has, use this book to navigate your way.
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