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A Guide to the Care of the Elderly. - book reviews

Age and Ageing, May, 1997 by Jeremy Playfer

Edited by R. B. Shukra; B. R. Brookes London: HMSO Publications. 1996. 40 [pounds sterling].

As befits a reviews editor my shelves bulge with books purchased with optimism, but in truth, are often underused. Medical books roughly fall into three categories. There are text books, the larger of which stand in lieu of diplomas within offices useful for occasional reference but often out of date at the time of printing. Secondly, there are specialist books which are often heavily used -- in my case I have a library of books on Parkinson's disease always brought into play when lectures or reviews are required. Finally, there are the manuals. These are increasingly used by junior staff who rightly and unashamedly fish out their Handbook of Clinical Medicine at every opportunity.

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Are there equivalent books for the consultant who often need a rapid reference pre or post ward round? Both of the books here reviewed fall into this category. The first, A Guide to Care in the Elderly is, I feel, an extremely interesting addition to the literature. It is written in the main by practicing geriatricians and members of the British Geriatrics Society All of its 55 authors have hard-won experience and write in a very practical and straight forward way We would do well if we issued this book to every senior house officer in geriatric medicine and I think it is probably the best book to which a candidate for the diploma in geriatric medicine could refer.

The Lange Clinical Manual is a very compact textbook; nevertheless, its size and portability that make for ready reference. Since acquiring this book for review I have found it particularly useful for rapid reference and I found the contributions very authoritative. They have a different perspective to the British or European textbook, however. The majority of references at the end of chapters are from the US and the flavour of geriatrics that is portrayed very much more based on specialism rather than the holistic model pertaining in the UK.

Both of these books are heartily recommended, but with the doubling time of medical information being about 19 years they will soon get out of date. I very much hope that the editors will consider a rapid update of these manuals and frequent new editions.

Jeremy Playfer Consultant Physician in Geriatric Medicine, Liverpool

Health Care Industry

A Guide to the Care of the Elderly. - book reviews

Age and Ageing, May, 1997 by Jeremy Playfer

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