Archives ofDisease in Childhood 1993; 69: 475 475

Pediatric Clinical Skills. Edited by Richard are particularly well written. The chapter on SI units are not used except sporadically

B Goldbloom. (Pp 332; £29.95 paperback.) community support services is also useful but throughout the text making assimilation of Arch Dis Child: first published as 10.1136/adc.69.4.475-b on 1 October 1993. Downloaded from Churchill Livingstone, 1992. ISBN 0-443- both this chapter and the chapter discussing the information provided problematical for 0873-0. the legal issues of epilepsy in children are only the British reader. partly relevant to epilepsy care in Great It is likely that the book will be of use as an There is a great British tradition in handbooks Britain, in view of the American authorship. obstetric reference book rather than essential of clinical methods for adult . Both The most obvious criticism is the surprising reading for neonatologists concerned with the Hutchison's Clinical Methods and Macleod's omission of a section on the new antiepileptic care of infants of diabetic mothers. Clinical Examination now have a chapter on drugs. Although most ofthese drugs are not as A C ELIAS-JONES the special techniques for children. However, yet licensed in North America, and the Consultant paediatriciani this pioneering Canadian work is written with intended 'audience' is generalist rather than the child in mind throughout. specialist, this should not have precluded their The impressive thoughts and feelings in the inclusion in a book of this quality, depth, and foreword could alleviate much of the current cost. There are a few other omissions; there Caffey's Pediatric X-Ray Diagnosis: An low morale of junior paediatricians in this was no comment on the often very close Integrated Imaging Approach. Vols 1 and country. Nuala Kenny powerfully portrays similarity between night terrors and seizures 2. 9th Ed. By Frederic N Silverman and the challenges and rewards of children's arising from the frontal lobes and no mention Jerald P Kuhn. (Pp 1144 and 2147; £276 medicine, and explains why clinical skills are of narcolepsy or cardiac dysrhythmias in the hardback.) Mosby Year Book, 1993. ISBN paramount in this field. differential diagnosis of epilepsy, which is an 0-8151-1462-1. The book's weakness is that the 14 important area for the general paediatrician chapters describing examination of the for whom this book is primarily written. It was John Caffey was 50 when he published the systems are each written by a different sub- surprising that paraldehyde should be first edition of his 'bible' of paediatric specialist. While the student or junior doctor regarded as a 'secondary' drug in the treat- in 1945. The first section of Evelyn reader will gain many facts, he is left without ment of status epilepticus. The exclusion of Waugh's Brideshed Revisited published in a distinct style of approach that a single electroencephalograms in illustrating various that same vintage year bore the subtitle Et in author text might achieve. epilepsy syndromes and types of epilepsy from Arcadia Ego. Had Caffey's quarter century The ophthalmic chapter almost instils a the book is understandable in view of the conversion to radiology also been an entry fear of examining children, suggesting exam- intended readership and, presumably, also in into Arcady? Could he have imagined all ination of the child before or during history the interest of cost. his book now encompasses almost half a taking - to encourage him to put up with you The value and relevance of any 'new' book century or in its ninth edition. Could we have - and the frustration of fundoscopy - 'most on paediatric epilepsy has to be measured expected so much new in less than a decade young children will not hold their eyes still' against what is already available. The from the eighth edition of 1985? Quo vadis? for the examining doctor. In contrast, the Handbook ofPediatric Epilepsy adds little infor- This, like previous editions, is a comprehen- neurological chapter teaches how to make a mation when compared with books written sive textbook of paediatric radiology, weighted thorough examination enjoyable for child and some years earlier and fails to discuss the towards its role of solving clinical problems, doctor alike. This outstanding chapter gives development of the new antiepileptic drugs. although of necessity the clinical detail is brief. plentiful tips and tricks including a most This book is intended for 'primary care There are omissions, but these are minor. The effective way of maintaining toddlers' visual givers', which in North America refers mainly emphasis in this edition is on displaying the fixation for fundoscopy: the child is asked to to general paediatricians. I think that the book independent roles ofimaging techniques in the report when mother sticks out her tongue! achieves this objective, as a short, practical, varying organ intersystems. Little mention is The print is pleasing and well illustrated, the and easy to read, day to day guide to epilepsy made of the role of , need for such a book clear; I recommend it. in children. However, for the more informed and where it can be appropriately used in the clinician who already has some pre-existing BENJAMIN JACOBS management of clinical problems. knowledge of epilepsy, or who requires a Lecturer in child health The detail of rarer conditions is brief, but http://adc.bmj.com/ definitive reference text, then this book would most are mentioned, so that a search through not be the preferred choice; as Samuel Rogers the text will provide basic radiological infor- put it 'when a new book is published, read an mation and references to further reading. If Handbook of Pediatric Epilepsy. Edited old one'. the information sought is an account of radio- by Jerome V Murphy and Fereydoun RICHARD E APPLETON logical appearances of the slightly less rare Dehkharghani. (Pp 375; US$125.00 hard- Consultant paediatric neurologist and honorary senior clinical lecturer in child health and common conditions, then this book fulfils back.) Marcel Dekker, 1993. ISBN 0-8247- this requirement. 8725-0. The bias is towards North American practice, and references, which are included on September 28, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. Epilepsy is an unpopular and poorly taught Pregnancy Diabetes and Birth. A at the end of each chapter, are heavily biased subject at all levels of ; in Management Guide. 2nd Ed. By Dorothy towards the North American literature. One part this reflects an ignorance and almost Reycroft Hollingsworth. (Pp 288; £54 hard- might be forgiven for thinking that there is no fugue-like apathy about the subject and also a back.) Williams and Wilkins, 1992. ISBN paediatric radiology elsewhere. Citing of basic mistrust of a complicated and ever 0-683-04103-7. references at the end of the chapter without changing classification. Therefore, when only individual citation in the text is unusual, but a the third book on paediatric epilepsy is This is a well organised account of the obstet- practice that I personally find good. published, one could justifiably hyperventilate ric and perinatal management ofpatients with Textbooks should stand as their own refer- with optimistic anticipation. A Handbook of insulin dependent, non-insulin dependent, ence, further reading being provided in the Pediatric Epilepsy may well seize the reader's and gestational diabetes. It will principally be references. Reference citation for each indi- attention, but this seizure is more likely to be of interest to obstetricians, endocrinologists, vidual point is the province of journals. partial than convulsive (dramatic) or and perinatologists concerned with the care of The images, line drawings, and diagrams myoclonic (startling). the mother. A single brief section deals with are of a very high standard. The book is generally well designed, the infants of diabetic mothers of greater It is not a book for individual ownership, although the chapter sequence is not entirely relevance to neonatologists and this provides but for departmental paediatric libraries. logical. In addition, a number of chapters no greater information to that found in all duplicate material while others contain standard neonatal textbooks. HELEN CARTY material that is not relevant to the title. The The book is clearly laid out. In the 11 Consultant radiologist book is extensively referenced but not without sections covering 288 pages and 829 refer- some errors, notably the omission of the last ences the contents include a good up to date page in a number of references. The informa- guide covering the genetics of diabetes, the Paediatric . Edited tion within the pages is comprehensive, well role of the placenta, and endocrinological by E Reisdorff, M Roberts, and J presented and, importantly for a handbook, changes in pregnancy. It includes a compre- Wiegenstein. (Pp 1156; C95 hardback.) easy to read. The chapters on the effects of hensive guide to the dietary, insulin, and W B Saunders Company, 1992. ISBN epilepsy on behaviour, adverse effects on exercise management in pregnancy and 0-7216-3281. antiepileptic drugs, genetics and the adoles- details the fetal obstetric complications, cent female/pregnancy, address important and methods of fetal surveillance, and intra- Good medical practice requires easy access developing issues in paediatric epilepsy and partum management. to up to date factual information at the