The Bottom Line
Too little information for serious medical emergencies, and too little coverage of minor medical emergencies puts this reference book off the mark. Dr. Fischer is capable enough of writing for the layperson, but the subject matter doesn't serve most of the folks he's attempting to reach. It's easy to read, but mostly irrelevant.
Pros
- Written in easy to understand lay terminology
- Colored "tabs" on page edges make it easier to search
Cons
- Confusing layout
- Poor coverage of first aid needs
- Not intuitive for the layperson to use
- Contains few, poor illustrations
Description
- Title: The Little Book of Big Medical Emergencies
- Subtitle: How to Recognize and Respond to the Most Common Medical Emergencies
- Author: Stuart Fischer, MD, edited by Mark D. Steisel
- 234 pages, 10 chapters, 38 "medical emergencies", 7 "procedures", and an index
- Colored "tabs" on the edges of each page to speed searches
- ISBN: 978-1-57826-247-2
Guide Review - The Little Book of Big Medical Emergencies
The Little Book of Big Medical Emergencies by Dr. Stuart Fischer has an identity problem. From the introduction:
"The purpose of The Little Book of Big Medical Emergencies is to help non-medical people respond quickly and effectively when emergencies strike."The problem is, while the book seeks to empower the lay public, it isn't organized in an intuitive way. Alongside abdominal pain (a complaint), it covers appendicitis (a diagnosis). Readers shouldn't be expected to figure out what's ailing them before they look up how to recognize it. There is no coverage of chest pain (a complaint), but there is a section on heart attacks (a diagnosis). Worse yet, there's a section for heart rhythm emergencies, quite difficult for the layperson to diagnose without an electrocardiogram.
Procedures are covered separate from complaints and diagnoses. CPR is covered on page 201, but there is no coverage of cardiac arrest (the indicator for CPR). Heart attacks mention CPR, but only if the patient has no pulse. The American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR clearly state that the lay public shouldn't be expected to find a pulse. Instead, CPR is started whenever a victim does not respond to rescuers.
The procedure area includes a few illustrations. These are line drawings that in some cases do not adequately portray the steps needed to complete the procedure. Complicated procedures like splinting and making tourniquets do not include illustrations at all.
