Page 4 - Medicine and Surgery

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Preface

The concept of this book arose in part from a frustra- Diseases have been arranged by system and have been
tion with traditional textbooks, which address medicine, presented under consistent subheadings to aid under-
surgery and pathology as separate disciplines. This sep- standing and revision. This is also the manner in which
aration is frequently artificial, as patients often do not students are often expected to present in exams. At the
present to the doctor with an isolated medical or surgi- beginning of each chapter the system is considered from
cal problem. Medicine and Surgery: A concise textbook is aclinical perspective with a discussion of the symp-
anew textbook in which the pathophysiology and epi- toms and signs relevant to that system. Investigations
demiology of disease is presented alongside medical and and procedures that are used in multiple conditions are
surgical aspects to provide a truly integrated text. This also considered in the clinical sections. Specific topics
unique approach allows the book to be used as a com- that have been excluded include diseases of childhood,
prehensive undergraduate reference book. orthopaedic, ENT and ophthalmology. These have had
Another driving force behind this book was the lack of to be excluded to maintain the book at a manageable
acomprehensive text that students could turn to for the size.
essential knowledge required to pass their final exams. This book has evolved over the last few years with
Medicine and Surgery: A concise textbook is also a book the help of students and specialists who have reviewed
that can be used by final year students to enable them and revised individual chapters or sections. We hope you
to quickly and efficiently revise their knowledge. Whilst find the final product useful and we encourage you as
covering the core syllabus of undergraduate medicine readers to help us revise future editions by sending your
and surgery we have kept the information to that which comments and suggestions for improvement.
is essential to the undergraduate.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the anonymous specialists and Dr T´ ea Johnston for their inspiration, guidance
for their review and revision of the individual chapters; and encouragement throughout the project. Finally we
without this input the book would have not been as up would like to thank all at Blackwell Publishing, includ-
to date and comprehensive as it is. We would also like ing Fiona Goodgame, Martin Sugden and especially
to thank our families, friends and colleagues for their Geraldine Jeffers for her tireless work and support.
support and encouragement, especially Dr Man Fai Shiu

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