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I am really glad I bought this book - it is worth every penny I spent on it. The book has 10 chapters: the first two are an introduction to physiology and basic rules of iv fluid therapy -both very helpful; seven chapters are dedicated to specific disturbances of water, electrolyte and acid-base balance and one to more complex disturbances. Both diagnosis and treatment are discussed, as well as consequences of inadequate treatment. The author introduces several key concepts and gives many clinical examples so as to reinforce them. At the end of every chapter there are clinical cases to solve - more than 100 cases in the whole book. As in real life, we encounter uncompliant or unknown patients, some cases are „telephone consultations". Detailed answers are provided. The book is easy to read, almost „chatty". What irritated me was its very monotonous layout, obviously not the author's fault (there are tables and figures all right, if only the editor took some pains to do make the book as attractive visually as its content deserves...). Another thing I missed were „the other electrolytes" - there are chapters on hypo- and hypernatremia, hypo-and hyperkalemia... and there the list of electrolytes seemingly ends - what about calcium, magnesium and chloride, at least? I think the book should be helpful to medical students, junior doctors and nurses - and to everybody else who'd like to feel (really) comfortable managing fluid&electrolyte imbalance.
In his foreword, the author states that "it is better to know how to approach and solve clinical problems, rather than to get stuck on the fine points of pathophysiology" - well, that's what I always thought, too.
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