ResSources

Patient information on osteoporosis

THE OSTEOPOROSIS BOOK, 2ND EDITION. PREVENTION AND TREATMENT FOR MEN AND WOMEN

Authors: Gwen Ellert, John Wade
Trelle Enterprises Inc, 202-2577 Willow St, Vancouver, BC V5Z 3N8; telephone (604) 943-0996; website www.SelfHelpMedline.com. To obtain a copy, telephone 1-800-387-0141 (Ontario and Quebec) or 1-800-387-0172 (all other provinces) 2001/144 pp/$19.95

OVERALL RATING Good
STRENGTHS Comprehensive approach and the section on diet
WEAKNESSES Section on exercise
AUDIENCE General public

This book will help people learn how to take better care of their own bone health, which is essential if morbidity and mortality from osteoporosis are to be reduced. It is written for the general public with short chapters on basic bone physiology, diet, exercise, female and male menopause and their treatments, diagnosis, drug therapy, and tips on living with chronic pain. Patients reading it will realize the dangers of osteoporosis and their risk of developing it. They will learn how to choose a diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D, make necessary lifestyle modifications, and understand their prescribed medications and their potential benefits and side effects. They will also be encouraged to, as the authors say, “Walk-walk-walk, if nothing else, be sure to walk.”

I was disappointed in the section on exercise, which describes no less than 43 very light exercises, most targeting a single muscle group and none putting much stress on any bone. It is hard to imagine anybody doing them all long enough to improve muscle tone. Even if they did, it is doubtful they would enhance their bone strength. I will continue doing my press-ups, sit-ups, and lying on my front and lifting my chest and legs off the floor, which is far more vigorous than anything described in this book.

I have some less important criticisms the authors might consider if they publish a third edition. They downplay the generally accepted benefits of female hormone replacement therapy on the cardiovascular system. At one point hormone and estrogen replacement therapies are treated as if they were different, which will confuse some readers. Bone densitometry is described, but surprisingly it is not included in the initial list of diagnostic modalities. I hope that patients with, or at risk of getting, osteoporosis pay attention to this book.

—David Howe, MB BS, FRCS, CCFP

Dr Howe practises rural family medicine in Parrsboro, NS.

Guide for rural and emergency medicine

FIELD GUIDE TO URGENT AND AMBULATORY CARE PROCEDURES

Author: David M. James
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 530 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 USA; telephone (410) 528-4000; fax (410) 528-4305; website www.Lww.com
2001/351 pp/$29.95 (US)

OVERALL RATING Very good
STRENGTHS Pocket-sized, quick to read, with great practical tips and helpful illustrations
WEAKNESSES Very few. Risks oversimplifying some procedures
AUDIENCE Physicians in training, family physicians whose practices include emergency care and rural medicine

This book is an excellent resource with above-average features, such as the vast and varied list of topics. In this hard-to-hit field, the author has accomplished a great compilation of concise “recipes” that walk readers through procedures. It is pocket-sized, easy to read, and straightforward with practical tips and helpful illustrations—ideal for that 1- to 2-minute review before performing a procedure. It also avoids the common problems of other books in this area, including being overinclusive, lengthy, textbooklike, or missing topics altogether.

I was pleasantly surprised to find topics that are hard to find elsewhere, such as a word catheter technique to treat a Bartholin abscess, suprapubic bladder aspiration and placement of a suprapubic catheter, and mouth procedures. There are only a few weaknesses, such as including postcoital contraception (hardly a procedure!) and defibrillation and cardioversion, for which readers are better off referring to Advanced Cardiac Life Support protocols and flow charts. A guide such as this one cannot include all topics of interest to everyone.

This book is mainly for physicians in training who are learning and practising these skills and physicians whose practices include emergency care and rural medicine. Some of its features make it very appealing even to experienced clinicians. Without doubt, this book offers a simple and refreshing approach to emergency procedures and ambulatory care.

The author has successfully placed emphasis on experts’ knowledge and on improving readers’ skills at performing such procedures. He has achieved what he set out to do efficiently and with focus.

—Marcel Lavanchy, MD, CCFP

Dr Lavanchy practises rural family medicine, including emergency medicine, in Creston, BC.