Doody's Review Service

Reviewer:	Cassie Scripter, MD (University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita)

Description
This is a comprehensive tome with an eBook version that covers adult and pediatric medical topics relevant to today's practitioners. The book is divided into five sections addressing diseases and disorders, differential diagnosis, clinical algorithms, laboratory tests and interpretation of results, and clinical practice guidelines. The online content contains additional information on clinical topics as well as patient teaching guides.

Purpose
This book continues to serve as a single-source reference for physicians and allied health professionals in a variety of settings. It remains a user-friendly, relevant, and comprehensive book for busy professionals who strive to provide efficient, evidence-based care. The print book is still large yet continues to contain well-organized, relevant information, useful as a desk reference. The ebook is easily accessible in a variety of settings, including the bedside.

Audience
The book specifically targets and meets the needs of primary care physicians who focus on providing acute, chronic, and preventive care as well as patient education. It is also useful to a broader array of physicians and allied health professionals. The eponymous author is a professor of medicine and continues to lead this publication with authority and credibility.

Features
As is the case with many books with annual editions, much of this book's content remains the same as the previous edition. It is "5 books in 1" divided into five clear sections which include diseases and disorders, differential diagnosis, clinical algorithms, laboratory tests and clinical practice guidelines. Most of the book comprises the diseases and disorders section which includes bulleted information as well as tables, algorithms, and graphics. In this section, each disease or disorder has standardized subcategories: basic information, diagnosis, treatment, and pearls and considerations. The subcategories are further divided into sections containing information on disease or disorder definition, ICD-10 codes, epidemiology and demographics, natural history, screening and monitoring, physical findings and presentation, etiology, laboratory tests, imaging studies, nonpharmacologic therapy, acute general treatment, and chronic treatment. Headers on each page contain the disease as well as clear graphics indicating access to additional online material, patient teaching guides, and algorithms. The second section on differential diagnosis includes ICD-10 codes and possible etiologies in a list format. The next section on clinical algorithms includes tables; graphs; flow charts; x-ray, sonographic, CT, and MR images; and, of course, algorithms. The laboratory tests and interpretation of results section includes synonyms for the laboratory tests as well as normal ranges and potential interpretation of abnormal results. The last section on clinical practice guidelines contains mostly information on immunizations. The online patient teaching guides are well-written and useful to practicing physicians. Though much of what makes this a standout book has remained the same since the last edition, there are 28 new topics in this edition. These include neck abscess, chronic meningitis, chronic pelvic pain in women, sleep disorders during pregnancy, sudden cardiac death, recurrent pneumonia, and joint infections. Additionally, some topics from the last edition have been modified and updated. For example, the diabetes mellitus section now contains several new quick reference tables and flow charts. Physicians will find the new flow chart entitled "Glucose-Lowering Medication in Type 2 Diabetes: Overall Approach" and the updated "Clinical Features of Commonly Used Injectable Agents Other Than Insulin" table particularly useful. There are three new tables providing guidance on initial insulin dosage, intravenous insulin coverage during surgery, and insulin adjustment for patients with ketones. A new table comparing the MMSE, MoCA, and DRS has been added to the mild cognitive impairment section. The book's sections continue to be well-organized, and the writing remains succinct and easy to follow. The book continues to be useful for practitioners that desire a quick reference or a slightly deeper dive into clinical topics. It would still very helpful for practitioners to include obesity treatment and other behavioral health topics such as generalized anxiety disorder and bipolar affective in the print version.

Assessment
This book remains a valuable resource for practicing clinicians through its consistent, clear format and clinically relevant information. It continues to be most comparable to *The 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2026, 34th Edition, Domino (Wolters Kluwer, 2026), but the five comprehensive, easily accessible sections continue to separate it from similar titles. As with previous editions, the format is more user-friendly and concise than that of CURRENT Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2026*, 65th Edition, Papadakis et al. (McGraw Hill, 2025). As I have noted in the past, evidence-based medicine is ever changing, and books require constant updating to keep busy clinicians at the forefront of medical care. This book does just that.