Obstetrics: A Practical Manual (Pocket Medical Reference)

Obstetrics can be a particularly daunting prospect for those starting out. This book is designed for interns and medical students doing their obstetrics rotations who find that they need a small, practical guide to dealing with the many and varied problems they will face. The chapters are arranged chronologically, starting with early pregnancy. Following chapters chart the course of the pregnancy and labor through to the post-natal visit. Throughout the book, Dr. Neuberg stresses the importance of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and emphasizes the intensive nature of much of the specialty, the potential for sudden problems, and the constant need for vigilance. The text is supplemented by many simple line drawings to aid clarification and numerous check lists to reinforce important points.
Obstetrics: A Practical Manual is the ideal book for everybody coming to the field. Its chronological structure means that finding information is quick and easy, the check-lists aid recall, and the text focuses on those aspects of the specialty that the physician on the ward needs in everyday practice. It is not an `exam-crammer' but a well-written and concise guidebook to obstetrics and as such it will find a place in the library of every health worker caring for pregnant women.

Roger Neuberg is at Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester.