Sloane's Medical Word Book (4th Edition) [Paperback]

Ellen Drake CMT FAAMT (Author), Ellen Drake (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 072167626X | ISBN-13: 978-0721676265 | Publication Date: June 1, 2001 | Edition: 4

This reference tool includes common and uncommon medical terms in a variety of specialties. Comprehensive coverage of anatomy and general terminology as well as separate terminology sections for over 15 specialties make this an essential resource.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Previous author Sheila Sloane personally Ellen Drake to work on this Fourth Edition to ensure that Sloane's Medical Word Book maintains its traditional high level of accuracy and reliability. The result is a resource you'll turn to for correct spellings time and time again.

From the Author

I expanded the use of phonetic spellings, including some eponyms (e.g., Chvostek has three phonetic spellings). I have occasionally included clues for the use of terms to help readers distinguish, for example, between nouns and adjectives (mucus/mucous), common nouns and eponyms (Green, Bar), homonyms (principal/principle), anatomy and pathogen (pediculus/ Pediculus), or anatomical and surgical terms (suture). I have added about 200 nonmedical terms frequently used in medical reports as well as about 90 frequently misspelled English words; most of these appear in General Medical Terms, a few in relevant specialty sections. Irregularly formed plurals are included alphabetically with the notation (plural of...) and also in parentheses following the singular form. Common units of measure are followed by the appropriate abbreviation. These latter two features are not found in most medical spellers.

Style has been updated. For example, the possessive has been dropped on eponyms, periods removed from uppercase abbreviations, and spaces have been removed from abbreviations containing an ampersand. When subscripts, superscripts, or special characters are part of a term, an alternative method for transcribing has been included.

Updating a reference such as this one was a tremendous undertaking. Truthfully, I don’t feel I have finished or will ever finish. I’m sure Sheila felt the same way. For this reason, I welcome feedback and encourage users to e mail me with their suggestions, corrections, or questions at [e-mail].

Product Details

• Paperback: 1501 pages
• Publisher: Saunders; 4 edition (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 072167626X
• ISBN-13: 978-0721676265
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #739,373 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most-used reference book in my medical library!, August 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Medical Word Book: A Spelling and Vocabulary Guide to Medical Transcription (Paperback)

My initial leap into the medical transcription field was incredibly frustrating - attempting to learn an entirely new language . . . in Latin . . .and type at the speed of sound. None of the manuals that I received with my pre-packaged medical "tutorial" compared to the salvation that I found in this book and my Stedman's spellchecker. I agree that some updating is necessary, but this book is still the best quick reference that I have. After 5 years of transcription, I still pick it up first!

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Leaves much to be desired., July 28, 1999

By 

Kate Mason, CMT ([e-mail]) (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Medical Word Book: A Spelling and Vocabulary Guide to Medical Transcription (Paperback)

Long the bible of many MTs, Sloane's Medical Words suffers from the noble attempt at "doing it all." It attempts to compile words from every medical specialty, including drugs, labs, anatomy and abbreviations, arranged not alphabetically but by section, thus making it difficult to search for terms which might be under more than one section. For example, diabetes and related terms can be found under Pediatrics but not Internal Medicine, and whiplash is found under Immunology but not Orthopedics.

It is nice to have normal lab values, tables of elements, weights and measures, and combining forms all in one place. But it is hard to see what place a section on drugs might have in a reference such as this. Even drug books updated every year are already out of date by the time they are in print. In addition, one often needs to see indications, dosages and method of supplying when looking up drugs, none of which is included here. Presenting a list of drug names without other accompanying information is at best unnecessary and at worst dangerous.

A search through the General Medical section fails to turn up emphysema or hypertension; it turns up exogenous obesity but not central obesity. General Surgical Terms fails to turn up abdominoplasty or V-Y advancement flap; it turns up Dacron and Marlex grafts but not tunnel, bypass or even vein graft. The lab section fails to turn up troponin or psittacosis; it turns up anion, but not anion gap. A search through Abbreviations fails to turn up LOC (loss of consciousness) or CCE (clubbing, cyanosis or edema); RRR is shown to be "renin-release rate", but not "regular rate and rhythm".

Hardly a scientific survey - but one can see how one would be searching through other, more comprehensive reference books in no time. And why soon one would be saving oneself the trouble and going right to those other books to begin with.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT, July 29, 2001

By 

R. A. Taylor "avid reader" (FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sloane's Medical Word Book (4th Edition) (Paperback)

I've been an MT for 20 years, the last 4 at home, and used the 3rd edition fairly frequently, so really looked forward to the 4th. However, for all its increased number of pages, it leaves a lot to be desired. Just yesterday when looking for a specific brace, checked "brace" in ORTHOPEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE where I was told to "see appliance, orthosis, prosthesis and splint". At appliance, I was told "see also prosthesis". Orthosis and splint actually do have lists of specific items -- but not the one I was looking for. That's just one example, but I have encountered several entries like it. I guess I'll just stick with my old, falling apart 3rd edition.