The Hands-on Guide to Clinical Reasoning in Medicine is the perfect companion to your time on clinical placements, providing an easy-to-read, highly visual guide to help develop your clinical decision making skills, and transfer your knowledge into practice. Packed full of useful tips, key boxes, exercises and summaries that are designed to help you apply the knowledge gained in clinical practice.
Divided into the common clinical placements that you would find yourself in: Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Neurology, Geriatrics, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Endocrinology and Rheumatology, each chapter covers the diagnosis of common clinical conditions, as well as decision-making in their investigation and management.
Written for medical students in their clinical years, as well as new doctors and advanced nurse practitioners, The Hands-on Guide to Clinical Reasoning in Medicine provides students with an accessible resource for honing their clinical reasoning skills.
Take the stress out of clinical decision making with The Hands-on Guide!
Table of Contents
Foreword, ix
Preface, xi
Acknowledgements, xiii
Reviewers, xv
Abbreviations, xvii
Normal Reference Ranges, xix
Icons Explained, xxi
About the Companion Website, xxiii
1 Introduction: The Skeleton Laid Bare, 1
Part I Respiratory Medicine, 11
2 History Taking: A Breath of Fresh Air, 13
3 Clinical Examination: The Rustle of Leaves, 20
4 Interpretation of Chest Radiographs: The Light Through the Tunnel, 22
5 Interpretation of Arterial Blood Gases and Pleural Fluid Results: Needling it Out, 26
6 Chronic Cough, 30
7 Acute Breathlessness, 37
8 Acute Chest Pain, 45
9 Acute Haemoptysis, 50
Part II Cardiovascular Medicine, 55
10 History Taking: The Three Pillow Dilemma, 57
11 Clinical Examination: The Orchestra of Sounds, 62
12 Interpretation of Chest Radiographs: Let There Be Light, 67
13 Interpretation of Electrocardiograms: The Rhythm of Life, 70
14 Palpitations, 75
15 Worsening Breathlessness, 80
16 Vague Systemic Symptoms, 85
17 Acute Chest Pain, 89
18 Blurring the Margins, 94
Part III Nephrology, 99
19 History Taking: Blood in the Urine, 101
20 Clinical Examination: Why Is the Kidney Failing?, 107
21 Renal Investigations: The Case of the Frothy Urine, 110
22 Hypertension, 115
23 Haematuria, 120
24 Oedema, 124
25 Non‐Specific Symptoms, 128
Part IV Endocrinology, 133
26 History Taking: Why Am I Losing Weight Doctor?, 135
27 Clinical Examination: Looking at the Person as a Whole, 137
28 Investigations: Seeing the Wood for the Trees, 143
29 Weight Gain, 147
30 Palpitations, 151
31 Weight Loss, 155
32 Thirsty and Confused, 159
Part V Neurology, 163
33 History Taking: What a Headache, 165
34 Clinical Examination: Walking Straight, 169
35 Investigations: The Light Bulb, 178
36 Headache, 185
37 Diplopia, 190
38 Leg Weakness, 195
39 Unilateral Weakness, 201
Part VI Geriatric Medicine, 205
40 History Taking: The Haze of Confusion, 207
41 Clinical Examination: Why Do I Keep Falling?, 212
42 Urinary Continence, 215
43 Falls, 220
44 Acute Confusion, 225
45 Dementia, 231
Part VII Gastroenterology, 237
46 History Taking: Where is the Pain?, 239
47 Clinical Examination: I Have Turned Yellow Doctor!, 246
48 Investigations: Journey to the Centre of the Abdomen and Beyond, 250
49 Weight Loss and Diarrhoea, 257
50 Jaundice, 262
51 Haematemesis and Melaena, 266
52 Abdominal Pain, 271
Part VIII Rheumatology, 277
53 History Taking: My Joints Hurt, 279
54 Clinical Examination: A Hot Swollen Joint, 282
55 Investigations: A Glimpse into the Creaky Bones, 286
56 Muscle Aches, 291
57 Joint Pain, 296
58 Back Pain, 301
59 Multi‐System Disease, 305
Part IX Common Clinical Conditions, 311
60 Common Clinical Conditions, 313
61 Respiratory Block, 314
62 Cardiology, 318
63 Nephrology, 323
64 Neurology, 326
65 Gastroenterology, 330
66 Geriatric Medicine, 333
67 Endocrinology, 335
68 Rheumatology, 337
Index, 338
