Customer Reviews

Understanding Pathophysiology

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1 star:		(4)

 

 

Rather than giving my opinion on this book, I would like to quote a typical paragraph. If you like it, you will probably like the book, but if you don't, you probably won't:

"An altered level of arousal (awareness) with acute onset may be caused by various factors (i.e. structural arousal alteration, metabolic arousal alteration, psychogenic arousal alteration). Structural causes are divided according to whether the original location of the pathologic condition is above or below the tentorial plate. Pathologic processes include infectious, vascular, neoplastic, traumatic, congenital (developmental), degenerative, polygenic, and metabolic causes. Metabolic causes are further divided into hypoxia, electrolyte disturbances, hypoglycemia, drugs, and toxins (both endogenous and exogenous). All the systemic diseases that eventually produce nervous system dysfunction are part of this metabolic category. Alterations in arousal range from slight drowsiness to coma" (page 356).

This book was required reading by one of my current classes. Huether's and McCance's book is as entertaining and painful as a root canal. The book is bad about jumping from topic to topic (referring you to other chapters for more information), and tries to make the most basic information worthy of a Nobel Prize in difficulty reading and sheer dullness. The graphics presented "for ease and understanding" are so detailed and difficult it becomes almost funny to the late night student reader. The language is obscure and written for the PhD with alot of time on his/her hands to ponder the joys of patho, and not a nursing student. The book does offer an occasional clinical photo to help you with your frequent bouts of narcolepsy. Great gift idea for those you really hate.

This book was required reading by one of my current classes. Huether's and McCance's book is as entertaining and painful as a root canal. The book is bad about jumping from topic to topic (referring you to other chapters for more information), and tries to make the most basic information worthy of a Nobel Prize in difficulty reading and sheer dullness. The graphics presented "for ease and understanding" are so detailed and difficult it becomes almost funny to the late night student reader. The language is obscure and written for the PhD with alot of time on his/her hands to ponder the joys of patho, and not a nursing student. The book does offer an occasional clinical photo to help you with your frequent bouts of narcolepsy. Great gift idea for those you really hate.

Of all books that I read in undergraduate and graduate schools this one is the winner in dullness and difficulty reading. Instead of presenting already complex topics in more comprehansible way, this book just makes matters worse. If you are a student and this book is a requirement, well- good luck. If you are instructor- read this book before you make it a requirement. The only way this book may be a worthwhile to read if you are planning to write pathophysiology book and want to know what writing style to avoid.

The information in this book is great, but the organization and editing is horrid. I would be reading along and the text would wander off onto other subjects and eventually drift back to where it started.

If you have to have this book, try and find another one that makes more sense to your head if this one doesn't.

Understanding pathophysiology requires years of study and practice, believe me I know. As a practicing RN/APRN and pathophysiology teacher at a local college - I have come to rely on Huether & McCance to guide myself and students through this complex subject. Give the book and authors the credit due for making sense of a difficult and oft times frustrating topic. "Understanding Pathophysiology" is everything the title promotes it to be.