Keynotes in medicine for dental students

  • D. Hammond
UK: PasTest price £21.99; pp 192 ISBN 9781905635436 | ISBN: 978-1-9056-3543-6

The author of this book has set out to provide a concise and helpful guide to the basics of medicine. I feel he has certainly achieved this and has provided a concise up-to-date guide to medicine covering pertinent points for each subject.

In all, there are 26 chapters covering the common conditions related to general medicine. There is an introductory chapter on history taking and clinical examination, followed by four chapters covering coronary heart disease, heart failure, bacterial endocarditis, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms. There is then a progression through the common conditions including airway disorders, diabetes mellitus, bone disease, anaemia and bleeding disorders. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction to normal physiology and background and is followed by pathophysiology where appropriate, signs and symptoms, investigations, diagnosis and management. It finishes with a useful final chapter on the examination of the acutely unwell patient. Each chapter covers the essentials of the subject and briefly covers important points.

The book is well structured and easy to read and is reasonably well illustrated. The structure of the text is logical and pitched at a level appropriate for undergraduates. The layout is user friendly with useful mnemonics provided along the way, which in my experience act as an excellent revision aid. Medicine is always a difficult area to address as a dental undergraduate, and this book will serve as a valuable revision aid for undergraduates and newly qualified graduates as it covers the curriculum for the new MJDF exam.

I felt the section on the management of infective endocarditis could have been expanded on to briefly discuss the NICE guidelines, and perhaps welcome would be inclusion of a few more clinical photographs, particularly in chapter 23, 'Oral manifestations of medical conditions'. The addition of a few key references to specific clinical guidelines would also be useful to guide students in their revision.

Overall, this handbook is well written and achieves what it sets out to do in its title - 'keynotes'. The book is clearly aimed at dental undergraduates and newly qualified graduates, and will also act as a useful guide for qualified dentists. At £21.99, it won't break the bank! What is particularly appealing about this book is the simplicity with which it addresses the subject. It provides an excellent overview of the subject and can be recommended as a good starting point for revision.