Basic Skills in Interpreting Laboratory Data, 7th Edition Doody's Expert Review Review Questionnaire ISBN: 9781585286416 ISBN-10: 1585286419 Copyright: 2022 Edition: 7th Author: Edwards, Christopher J., Erstad, Brian L., Doody's Expert Review    Score: 86 Doody's Star Rating™ and Doody's Expert Review provide by Doody Enterprises, Inc. Reviewer: William Finnerty,  PharmD  (NBCRNA) Description This seventh edition is a versatile book that can be used as a reference for normal lab values, a starting point for differential diagnoses, and a teaching textbook touching on physiology and therapeutics driven by interpretation of laboratory data. Published five years after the previous edition (2017), it is a welcome update in a field that has undergone rapid change. Purpose The book's purpose is to provide normal laboratory values as well as understanding behind related physiology and therapeutics. The book functions as an authoritative reference and a curricular textbook on laboratory data for every clinical professional or student. Audience Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other clinical health professionals will appreciate the quick-but-thorough exploration of each lab test, reasons for inaccurate results, and their practical implications. Students will appreciate the organization around organ systems and concepts, and they will benefit from the explanations, mini cases, and learning points. Researchers will appreciate the well-referenced chapters and guide to additional information. Features The 25 chapters (687 pages) include reference values, key points, learning points, mini cases, and future trends. Laboratory value interpretation is provided, including rates and causes for spurious results, laboratory test interactions and influences, and general strategies and limited therapeutic recommendation. Chapters are organized around organ systems/pathology and concepts. There are also quick-view charts for the most common lab tests and an entire section dedicated to basic concepts in laboratory tests and their interpretation including one chapter dedicated to point-of-care tests. Visual aids such as charts, tables, and graphs are simple and easy to interpret, but unfortunately used sparingly. Assessment This book has been a staple in classrooms and clinics for decades. It is no wonder as the book is equally useful as a reference and learning tool. The organization of the chapters makes differential diagnoses more practicable and understanding of related concepts easier. In a field mostly populated by handbooks with limited details, this book includes enough material to be considered a textbook, but pares it down to the most practical information for clinicians and students such that it is easily retrievable and understood. Important updates include an expanded and up-to-date chapter on the rapidly changing field of genetic testing, and the consolidation of nutritional laboratory tests into its own chapter. Some of the best features that separate this book from other laboratory data books include the level of detailed information for interactions/influences on laboratory values and spurious results. Furthermore, future trends are explored in chapters where the science behind the laboratory tests continues to develop. The new editors have updated and improved the already popular Basic Skills book, ensuring it continues to be a go-to for clinicians and students alike. Review Questionnaire Range Question Score 1-10 Are the author's objectives met? 10 1-10 Rate the worthiness of those objectives. 10 1-5 Is this written at an appropriate level? 5 1-5 Is there significant duplication? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 4 1-5 Are there significant omissions? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 5 1-5 Rate the authority of the authors. 4 1-5 Are there sufficient illustrations? 3 1-5 Rate the pedagogic value of the illustrations. 4 1-5 Rate the print quality of the illustrations. 3 1-5 Are there sufficient references? 5 1-5 Rate the currency of the references. 3 1-5 Rate the pertinence of the references. 4 1-5 Rate the helpfulness of the index. 4 1-5 If important in this specialty, rate the physical appearance of the book N/A 1-10 Is this a worthwhile contribution to the field? 8 1-10 If this is a 2nd or later edition, is this new edition needed? 10 ©2024 Doody Enterprises, Inc.