Medical Management of the Surgical Patient

This book was written largely by members of the departments of medicine and surgery at the Emory University School of Medicine (Atlanta). Part 1 begins with chapters dealing with nutritional management, anesthesia, and prophylactic antibiotics. It then focuses on the preoperative and postoperative medical evaluation and management of specific medical problems. Part 2 deals with specific surgical procedures, each discussion beginning with a short general statement about the nature of the procedure itself and concluding with the expected postoperative course and the common postoperative complications. References for each chapter are extensive. This book is a useful addition—especially part 1 for the surgeon and part 2 for the internist. My criticism is very limited: although the book is comprehensive, a discussion of alcohol and other drug withdrawal problems would have been welcome, as would a discussion of specific surgical problems encountered in the elderly. The book is highly recommended for internists