Book review

B O O K R E V I E W S
some chapters they show extensive shadowing, are too dark, schedules of controlled substances. Other features of the or are out of focus. This is especially true of the photomi- package include references for controversial or less-well- crographs in the chapters on the liver and the placenta.
known topics and configuration options that make it pos- In general, the references in each of the chapters include sible to create log files, backups, and passwords. The sec- the major papers on the entities discussed. Many of the tion called “what’s new” is useful when quarterly updates references are from the late 1980s or early 1990s, with a are received. Patient records, containing a medical profile and medication list, can be kept. On request, a report can There are many good points to this book, and the indi- be prepared with such information as additive adverse re- vidual chapters noted earlier make it a worthwhile addition actions and costs. It is also possible to prepare prescrip- to a pathology library. The book will not, however, replace the textbooks on general surgical pathology often found Cost information is important when considering alter- in the personal libraries of pathologists.
native medications. The cost of therapy in dollars per dayis provided for each dosage and route of administration.
Monitoring tests required for patients receiving a particu- University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine lar drug are also listed. Information is kept current by a quarterly update of the package. A “patient information”feature provides counseling information on each medica-tion in simple language. This, as well as other sections ofthe monograph, can be readily printed.
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERACTIVE DRUG It is possible to download the contents of the CD-ROM to the hard disk. At the expense of 38 megabytes of hard- CD-ROM or diskettes with manual and binder. By Stan Reents and disk space, this option speeds up the system and providesaccess to the drug data base even when other CD-ROMs Jon Seymour. System needed: Multimedia IBM PC or compatible, with 37 MB of hard-disk space. (Also available for multimedia In addition to the standard telephone and fax numbers Macintosh with at least 27 MB of hard-disk space and 4 MB of provided for technical support, Gold Standard Multimedia RAM.) Gainesville, Fla., Gold Standard Multimedia, 1995. offers support on the Internet. We surfed the Web site at $295 yearly subscription with quarterly updates. http://www.gsm.com and found valuable introductory information, as well as the option of ordering a free dem-onstration version of the CD-ROM package. HE superior searching capabilities and fast retrieval of computerized drug data bases are important for rou- tine clinical work. Their incorporation into the hectic en- vironment of the medical office and hospital unit can make the difference between depending on one’s often blurredmemory and having access to reliable data. We found thisclinically oriented, relatively inexpensive package attractivefor both office and unit settings. We especially recommendit for teaching and residency programs.
The drug monographs on this CD-ROM are clinically oriented, clear, and concise. Inexperienced users can mas- By Allan Kellehear. 230 pp. New York, Oxford University Press, ter the basics within half an hour or so. The “program map” is the heart of this program. It contains icons for almost any topic one could possibly look for, includingan alphabetical index, information on combination drugs,product identification, a quiz option, data on intravenous was sitting around minding my own business when compatibility, an index of indications and contraindica- Death — in the form of Allan Kellehear’s new book — tions, a patient record, costs, and monographs, in which a tapped me on the shoulder. Thinking of my own near miss well-designed screen provides access to all the relevant in- (1991, back seat of a runaway Checker taxi), I picked up Ex- periences near Death for more clues to the meaning of life.
A useful feature of the package is that it includes not only Kellehear is an Australian sociologist specializing in a drawing of the chemical formula for each drug, but also a health, death, and dying. He considers not just garden- high-quality, life-size color photograph. In addition, the variety near-death experiences (like those associated with product-identification feature can identify and verify prod- cardiopulmonary resuscitation) but also other near misses.
ucts by their appearance. For example, suppose a patient Shipwrecks, mining disasters, and mountaineering mishaps said he was taking a “green and gray” antibiotic capsule, but are all touched on in his attempt to get “beyond medicine the product-identification feature did not identify such an antibiotic, mentioning Prozac (fluoxetine) as the only Most people are aware of the classic descriptions of near- match. The patient could then identify the medication on death: people have an out-of-body experience in which the basis of the color photograph shown on the screen.
they are tunneling toward the light and reviewing their The section on terms and definitions contains descrip- lives; there is an angelic presence and a feeling of bliss; tive information on items such as pregnancy-associated then they return to the living with a newfound attitude to- risk categories and Drug Enforcement Administration ward life. Kellehear adds to these some curious examples

Source: http://www.glaucoma.org.il/wp-content/uploads/NEJM-1996-Clinical-Pharmacology.pdf