TY - JOUR
AU - Gordon, Paul
AB - By E. J. Mayeaux Jr 986 pp, $129 Philadelphia, PA, Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009 ISBN-13: 978-0-7817-7390-4 E. J. Mayeaux, coeditor of Atlas of Primary Care Procedures in 2003, uses a similar approach in this new procedure guide entitled The Essential Guide to Primary Care Procedures. His current book covers 123 procedures, nearly twice the number covered in his previous procedure manual. Each chapter begins with a detailed introduction to the procedure; “Equipment,” “Indications,” and “Contraindications” follow in a bulleted format. A stepwise and well-illustrated “The Procedure” section is accompanied by bulleted “Pearls” and “Pitfalls.” The chapter concludes with “Complications,” “Pediatric Considerations,” “Postprocedure Instructions,” and “Coding Information.” The 2008 50th percentile fees charged for the selected codes are included and may help physicians determine the financial viability of incorporating this procedure into their practices. Patient education handouts are referenced, which can be found on the book's Web site, and a bibliography for each chapter is listed. The 11 sections and index allow the reader to easily locate the procedure of interest. The chapters include “Urgent and Emergency Care”; “Dermatology”; “Aesthetic Procedures”; “Suture Techniques”; “Skin Surgery”; “Nail Procedures”; “Gynecology and Urology”; “Gastroenterology”; “Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Procedures”; “Musculoskeletal Procedures”; and “Pediatrics.” The 11 appendices include “Informed Consent,” “Recommended Suture Removal Times,” and “Recommendations for Endoscope Disinfection.” To illustrate the book's assets, I will comment on 2 chapters: “Paronychia Surgery” and “Circumcision Using the Mogen Clamp.” Although familiar with paronychia surgery, I had not performed it for many years. The chapter's introduction provides a good review of the problem and its etiology as well as nonsurgical approaches. The “Equipment,” “Indications,” and “Contraindications” sections are clear and straightforward. The stepwise discussion of the procedure is a helpful reminder of the approach and pitfalls. The illustrations and diagrams are exceptionally useful. The information on Current Procedural Terminology billing and coding will be particularly helpful to a physician performing the procedure. I was also familiar with circumcision; however, I was accustomed to using a Gomco clamp. Although I knew about the Mogen clamp, I had never used one. Similar to the “Paronychia Surgery” chapter, the sections and outline format of this chapter will be helpful in performing a familiar procedure but with a different instrument. Mayeaux uses a rather broad definition of primary care procedures. Although the procedures described might be performed by a primary care physician, many (eg, arterial line placement, pulmonary artery catheter placement, bone marrow biopsy, chest tube insertion, abdominal paracentesis, and colonoscopy) are likely to be performed in the hospital or intensive care setting. However, the majority of the procedures described are performed in the outpatient setting. Although the literature is not extensive, it would have been helpful for Mayeaux to include an estimate of the volume of procedures needed to learn—and similarly, an annual number needed to maintain—a given skill. Even though the format of this book is similar to that of Mayeaux's previous procedure manual, the addition of the full-color illustrations, along with more than 1400 photographs and procedure pearls, complications, pediatric considerations, and postprocedure instructions make this new guide a worthwhile addition to a primary care physician's library. Purchase of the book also allows access to the complete, fully searchable contents online. Back to top Article Information Financial Disclosures: None reported.
TI - The Essential Guide to Primary Care Procedures
JF - JAMA
DO - 10.1001/jama.2010.846
DA - 2010-06-23
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/american-medical-association/the-essential-guide-to-primary-care-procedures-FXuUyJr6ZP
SP - 2529
EP - 2529
VL - 303
IS - 24
DP - DeepDyve
ER -