The 6th edition of the Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine is highly recommended as an essential reference and continuing education package for anyone interested in small animal medicine.
Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 6th Edition
This is the new edition of what is arguably “the” definitive textbook of small animal internal medicine. Over 250 contributors have updated the entire text, and there are new chapters on physical examination, clinical signs, compassionate care, tropical medicine, public health aspects of zoonotic infections, hemodialysis, dietary management, vaccination protocols, feline cancer, and gastrointestinal disorders.
The 279 chapters begin with a section titled “Clinical Manifestations of Disease,” which contains brief and easily utilized approaches to various clinical problems, and lists of differential diagnoses, and useful diagnostic algorithms. The succinct Toxicology section includes a chapter on topical toxins. The Techniques section is well illustrated and includes basic chapters on clinical genetics, abdominal ultrasound, ear vein blood glucose monitoring, echocardiography, laparoscopy, pacemaker implantation, peritoneal dialysis, and nuclear medicine, in addition to common techniques used. The following sections address critical care and blood pressure. In addition to standard chapters on drug therapy, the section titled “Therapeutic Considerations in Medicine and Disease” contains chapters on over-the-counter human medications, compounding drugs, nutraceuticals, anti-oxidants, herbal medicine, acupuncture, compassionate care, gene therapy, and hyperbaric medicine. “Dietary Considerations of Systemic Problems” includes useful chapters on nutritional assessment, the management of specific conditions, and enteral nutrition. Sections on infectious disease and cancer follow, and the remaining text is organized by organ system.
Differential diagnoses for clinical pathological abnormalities are presented on the inside covers, and references and client handouts are included on a separate CD. It is inconvenient to have to access the CD to view the references cited; however, this has allowed space in the text for new topics. The client handouts included on the CD are excellent, and can be edited. Overall, the text is of high quality; it is well-written, and nicely bound. The index is accurate and easy to use. One drawback, however, is that the text is presented as two large volumes that are not easily transported.
The “E-dition”, which includes access to an evolving Web site containing the full text, allows readers to access the text from various computer workstations. There are search, bookmark, saved searches, notes, and saved image functions. An online drug formulary is offered, as well as the diagnostic algorithms and client information handouts. Citations accessed through the E-dition site are hyperlinked to PubMed. An important benefit of the E-dition is the Updates section, which presents information published in the literature since the printing date of the text in an attempt to keep the text as up-to-date as possible. This function is supplemented by Recent News, which contains abstracts from Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery. There is also a link to Grand Rounds, which is a compilation of case presentations illustrating the diagnosis and management of specific disorders.
This well-written, current, encyclopedic textbook is useful as a reference text in many settings. Clinical Manifestations of Disease, Toxicology, Techniques, and other sections are useful as “quick references”, while some sections are in-depth discussions of specific disorders. Dermatology and ophthalmology are briefly addressed as they relate to internal medicine; readers with particular interest in these organ systems will want more specific references.
Finally, this is not a surgical textbook; discussions are limited to internal medicine and related areas. It is required reading for residents in small animal internal medicine and related specialties, and could be integrated into all years of the DVM curriculum. This textbook is very useful for undergraduate students who have a primary interest in small animal practice. Although expensive, the Edition has the potential to be used daily in both practice and training programs of any level.
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