Hyperbaric Nursing Is a Textbook That Understand the Perspective and Focus of Liam a Zamboni

BOOKS,FILMS,TAPES,&SOFTWARE J Feldmeier, Michael B Strauss, and Wil- Hyperbaric Nursing is a textbook that understand the perspective and focus of liam A Zamboni. Though some of the ma- fills a long-standing need within the com- the chapter. terial consists of personal experience, the text munity. The editors, Valerie Larson-Lohr The book is comprehensive and can serve is well referenced. Some of the information and Helen C Norvell, spent many long hours as an excellent guide for program coordi- is dated, such as that pertaining to the use of pulling this major project together, and they nators and staff members from all disci- corticosteroids for air embolism. However, are to be commended for their superb ef- plines. Section II is a comprehensive re- most of the book’s recommendations are up fort. Twenty-eight dedicated baromedical view of documentation. It includes to date. professionals contributed to the text. fundamentals of documentation and current Though Hyperbaric Surgery is a good The target audience is presumed to be requirements and standards. The examples overview, it is difficult to use as a reference baromedical nurses. However, this book is of documentation and assessment forms that book. There is quite a bit of overlap among an excellent reference for hyperbaric tech- are included will be very helpful for pro- chapters. For example, fundamental mech- nicians who manage programs or for orga- grams that need to institute new forms or anisms of wound healing and the effects of nizations considering instituting new pro- modify current ones. The source and copy- oxygen are covered in 5 chapters. That is grams. right information for the forms are not al- not a major fault, but it is a major fault that Each chapter’s table of contents is pre- ways present, nor are the sources of the pho- the book—inexplicably—has no index. sented in short form in the beginning of the tographs. Except for carbon monoxide poisoning, book and in a longer, very detailed form at Section III contains information specific the book summarizes very well the clinical the beginning of each chapter. The detailed to care of hyperbaric therapy patients. There aspects and scientific underpinnings of hy- chapter tables are a useful feature in that are sections addressing generic issues, the perbaric medical practice. Despite its few they enable the reader to quickly access in- multiplace environment, age-specific, criti- shortcomings, it is a volume that will be formation. However, concordance between cal care, and diabetic considerations. This useful to both the clinician interested in read- the tables of contents and the index is lack- section also includes the current approved ing more about the field and the hyperbaric ing. For example, from the index one would indications for hyperbaric therapy, with re- specialist. The format is exceptionally “high assume that the only mention of the views of each condition. class.” Glossy pages make the many excel- Baromedical Nurses Association Standards Other sections in the book address hy- lent photographs and radiographs outstand- of Care is on page 279, but the standards are perbaric nursing research, patient education, ing. For anyone even slightly interested in actually spelled out beginning on page 85. regulatory requirements, and safety consid- hyperbaric medicine, the illustrations alone The editors have done a superb job of erations. These sections are comprehensive, make the book worth owning. gathering useful baromedical information and the authors have excellent credentials that has previously been available only from even though these credentials are not given Richard E Moon MD scattered sources. Editing problems, such as in the book. The section on transcutaneous Departments of Anesthesiology content overlap, inconsistent writing style, oximetry and laser Doppler studies is a com- and Medicine differing methods of citation, and differing prehensivereferenceforhyperbariccarepro- Center for Hyperbaric Medicine approaches to the target audience, are evi- viders. and Environmental Physiology dent to a degree in the book. Some source Overall, this first-edition textbook on hy- Duke University Medical Center references, such as the list of Internet sites perbaric nursing is an exceptional addition Durham, North Carolina contained of page 377, have erroneous in- to the professional literature. formation. Hyperbaric Nursing. Valerie Larson-Lohr Neither the list of contributors nor any Kathy Furnas RN BSN A-CHRN and Helen C Norvell, Editors. Flagstaff, Ar- of the chapters list the writers’ creden- Hyperbaric Medicine Department izona: Best Publishing. 2002. Hard cover, tials. Knowing the background and train- Presbyterian/St Luke’s Medical Center illustrated, 400 pages, $73. ing of the authors would help the reader Denver, Colorado RESPIRATORY CARE • JULY 2003 VOL 48 NO 7 707.

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