Customer Reviews

Illustrated Textbook of Paediatrics, 2e (Illustrated Colour Text)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Illustrated Paediatrics is a well written and concise book suitable for undergraduate medical students. Brief, to-the-point, and readable, it is very helpful close to exams. Its colour photos and illustrations make this book a worthwhile buy.

Please understand that the reputation this book has in Paediatrics as the be-all and end-all is undeserved. It is simply nowhere near as good as it is made out to be.

I attempted to use it as my standard textbook in Paediatrics, with Nelson as a reference book and other more concise books for revision come exam time.

Lissauer isn't good enough as a core textbook. Although seemingly well structured, information on pretty essential areas is thin on the ground. It is certainly very readable, with engaging presentation. However, after coming to the end of a chapter, you won't feel all that much wiser on the topic.
The readability tended to bleed into rambling at certain stages, with the content suffering. In sections, aetiology, history, presenting symptons, signs, investigations, treatments and prognoses were not clearly separated. This made it difficult to glean the information you need from the text.

In addition to this, the Dermatology section in particular is very weak. Do not expect to find sufficient information in this book on Dermatology.

So, as a core text it falls short. However, as a revision text it is also inadequate. Although not detailed enough, its brevity is not a plus because - as I mentioned - the material is not laid out clearly enough under separate headings in some sections. This makes it difficult to scan quickly to gain the information needed.

A positive point in favour of the book is that there are many useful lists throughout (lists of differentials, symptoms, presentations, differences between early and late stage etc.) as well as some handy algorithms for treatment (the chapter on Paediatric Emergencies was quite good).

My recommendations would be:

Revision text: Rapid Revision - Paediatrics
This book may not seem that great at first. However, provided you have read the material elsewhere, this handy little book will bring it all back. Two page spreads on a host of topics (it is not exhaustive but it has most of what you will be looking for) and a surprising amount of detail at that - very handy and highly recommended.

Reference text: Nelson
If you can manage to lug it home, this is useful to have around when you want some greater detail on a topic. Its sheer size is intimidating however and it can be a bit difficult to find all the information pertaining to some topics (e.g. Trisomy information was not bound in one place as it is in other texts.)

Core text:???
I wish I could give a specific recommendation here. I urge you to browse around if you are considering Lissauer. There are likely other books out there that will be much more helpful in the long run.
If you do end up deciding to get Lissauer, at least be aware that a more indepth text will be needed at times - and a separate source must be found for the dermatological conditions in paediatrics.

Good textbook - clear explanation, simple to understand, many diagrams... probably the best for medical students.

I used this book for my paediatrics rotation in medical school in Australia, as did many of my colleagues. If you are doing a short stint in paediatrics (2-3 months), this book is short enough to go through cover to cover in that time, while still covering everything you need to know to diagnose and treat children once you graduate.

The book covers everything from neonatal problems to adolescence. Basics like common childhood respiratory complaints are covered, as well as rarer things like neuromuscular and genetic disorders. The chapters are divided into systems: gastroenterology, cardiology, behavioural problems, genital and renal etc. The first chapter is also an excellent introduction to history taking and examination (especially how paediatric examination differs to adults).

All the major concepts are presented in a succinct, easy to understand manner. From a study point of view, the book is nicely set out, with lots of photos and coloured diagrams. This book would suit any senior medical student doing paediatrics, and also residents who need to brush up before a paediatrics term.

Excellent in it's presentation. It is clear, well organized and an overall good book with excellent reviews of pertinent material. I deducted one star because I felt that it dumbed down a lot of material that parents already know and I found myself skipping over large sections of chapters and because it is a bit wordy.

well. in preparing USMLE, i like blueprints series. but blueprints pediatrics is below my expectation. but if you want to catch gross pediatric cencepts for USMLE, that book will suffice. but later you will need more anyway, i suppose. in my view, another good source of concise pediatrics book for USMLE is this. nice clinically oriented discussion and color photo -very realistic and helpful e.g child suffured from B.asthma attack use MDI with spacer - motivate reader. some tables eg. growth table, vaccination schedule are from UK , but it's not major problem. also it contains some detailed & specific source eg. neurologic exam chart for celebral palsy, useful enough. put a little more time & zeal and take this book,then you will love crying child,i'm sure.

The book arrived within a few days even though it was shipped to Trinidad and Tobago and also in very good condition.