Textbook of Physical Diagnosis, History and Examination, Updated Edition: with STUDENT CONSULT Access (Hardcover)

by Mark H. Swartz (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From The New England Journal of Medicine
This textbook has many strengths. It is our current choice for students in our own course on physical diagnosis, and its earlier editions have been our choice for more than 10 years. The overall design of the book has much to recommend it. It is probably as brief as such a book can be without being reduced to an outline format. The CD-ROM in the fourth edition is beautifully produced and filmed and is a major addition to the textbook. In fact, we cannot find any comparable resource. This book gets students excited about physical diagnosis. It also helps faculty to design lectures about physical diagnosis, since it is very well pitched at the second-year medical student. Each chapter contains a series of typical questions that students can practice asking in their own history-taking routines. The diagrams and photographs are first-rate. Appropriate draping of both male and female patients is illustrated throughout the book and discussed in the text. Several chapters and sections -- "Putting the History Together," "Putting the Examination Together," and "Putting the Data to Work" -- synthesize subject matter in a way that helps the learner. The author does not confine himself strictly to physical examination and includes the interpretation of signs and symptoms, which we think is very helpful to students. We found the chapter on cultural issues to be nicely presented and useful. The focus on various cultures illustrates the practicality of incorporating cultural issues into the evaluation of the patient. Although we embrace this book and use it widely, some areas could be improved. For example, figures Figure 10-11 and 10-12 in the chapter about the ear show a 128-Hz tuning fork being used for the Rinne and Weber test; these figures should be replaced with photographs showing a 512-Hz tuning fork, which is described in the text as the proper one. Chapter 12, about the chest, is in general very good, and Table 12-7, about adventitious sounds, fills an important need for the student. The description of breath sounds, however, should be simplified to "normal," "decreased," and "bronchial." Chapter 15, about the breast, should advocate and include a diagram of the vertical-strip method of breast examination, which is superior to the old radial method of palpation. Chapter 19, "The Musculoskeletal System," is generally well written, but we prefer a rapid screening musculoskeletal examination such as that described by George V. Lawry and his colleagues. The ideal chapter might contain both the screening examination and a more sophisticated examination from the orthopedic point of view. Chapter 20, "The Nervous System," begins appropriately with a review of neuroanatomy and physiology; our quibble is with the mental-status examination. We applaud the avoidance of the Mini-Mental State Examination, since this is probably too much of a shortcut. Nevertheless, the example of the mental-status examination given in the book is from the neurologist's point of view, and it would be better if it were presented from the psychiatric perspective. The major omissions from the neurologic examination are the appearance, behavior, attitude, thought processes and content, and suicidal ideation of the patient. The section about coma could be enriched by an explanation of the Glasgow Coma Scale, which is widely used by neurosurgeons and emergency medicine physicians. Not only would this textbook be a wise purchase for the second-year medical student, it is also a useful reference for the practicing physician. The material in the book is well presented and easy to read and to reference. Despite the few exceptions noted above, it is the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive textbook of physical diagnosis available today. Amid the mounting debate about the relevance of the physical examination, this book serves as a good reminder of its fundamental role in the practice of medicine, even in 2003. Holly J. Humphrey, M.D.
Copyright © 2003 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. The New England Journal of Medicine is a registered trademark of the MMS. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"This well crafted book provides plentiful examples, whether as sample questions to elicit accurate and helpful history, or in the form of photographs and other illustrations that translate nicely to the bedside or office."
--Doody's Review Service, 5 Stars --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 826 pages
• Publisher: W.B. Saunders Company; 4 edition (December 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416024050
• ISBN-13: 978-1416024057
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,156,810 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME- a must-have for med students!, January 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Textbook of Physical Diagnosis: History and Examination (Hardcover)

I'm a second year med student who was completely clueless about physical diagnosis until I got this book/CD package. Our classes and preceptor sessions were just way too disorganized for me to really learn how to perform a physical exam. This package is a bit [costly], but trust me, it's worth every penny for the CD alone. The CD has video of a complete 2-hour physical examination, including male and female exams. The author walks you through each step in great detail as he examines the patient. The camera angles are up-close, so you actually get to see what's going on (in fact, you can see better than you would next to a live preceptor). 2 hours watching this CD taught me way more than hundreds of hours spent in class, reading textbooks, and with preceptors. Best of all, I can watch the video over and over again, until I really feel like I have a good grasp of it- without worrying about taking up too much of the patient's time or making a fool of myself in front of the preceptor. If you're still struggling with physical diagnosis- e.g., wondering exactly where your stethoscope goes or how to palpate an abdomen, etc.- get this book NOW!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than Bates!, July 3, 2005

By	J. MATHARU - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Textbook of Physical Diagnosis: History and Examination (Hardcover)

Im disappointed that I did not have this book sooner in my student career. For the last 2 years we have been using Bates and quite frankly Bates is okay for the most part but it leaves out details as to why the test is done.

The pictures are better in Swartz. There are sections on differential diags and pathophysiology with each test. This is an amazing textbook.

I found out about this text from a visiting professor from the UK. For some reason all the visiting profs we have had from the UK have a certain skill which seems to be a lot better than what we are taught here in the US. They have an EXCELLENT grip on their H&P and treat medicine like an art. I asked which book they were using over there and they said Swartz and the other one by Epstein (also gold).

If you feel the Bates is insufficient check this book out.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding textbook (and CD) for students and practitioners, January 18, 2003

By	Gene Kobalova "taliaswartz" (Tulsa, OK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Textbook of Physical Diagnosis: History and Examination (Hardcover)

This book is an exceptional text for students of Physical Diagnosis as well as practitioners because of its thorough discussion of the patient-doctor interaction. Dr. Swartz's humanisism shines through each chapter as he reviews the appropriate methods for asking questions and carrying out the physical exam while maintaining the dignity and modesty of the patient at all times. The pictures are beautiful -- full color photographs of pathology and helpful diagrams that are useful for medical students. Chapters on Nutrition and Cultual Diversity are admirable and reflect the sensitivity of the author to these important but underappreciated topics. The CD is an unbelievable add-on! It is the most outstanding addition to any book I have ever seen -- with a thorough demonstration of the full physical exam, the CD is a stand-alone gem! No medical student should be educated without Dr. Swartz's lessons beautifully assembled on this CD. I watched it every time before I saw a patient for the first few weeks of seeing patients and I felt very prepared. Thank you, Dr. Swartz.