PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Reference Books, Medical”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Terminologia anatomica: considered from the perspective of next-generation knowledge sources.

This report examines the semantic structure of Terminologia Anatomica, taking one page as an example. The focus of analysis is the meaning imparted to an anatomical term by virtue of its location within the structured list. Terminologia's structure, expressed through hierarchies of headings, varied typographical styles, indentations, and an alphanumeric code, implies specific relationships among the terms embedded in the list. Together, terms and relationships can potentially capture essential elements of anatomical knowledge. The analysis focuses on these knowledge elements and evaluates the consistency and logic in their representation. Most critical of these elements are class inclusion and part-whole relationships. Since these are implied, rather than explicitly modeled, by Terminologia, the use of the term list is limited to those who have some knowledge of anatomy; computer programs are excluded from navigating through the terminology. Assuring consistency in the explicit representation of anatomical relationships would facilitate adoption of Terminologia as the anatomical standard by the various controlled medical terminology (CMT) projects. These projects are motivated by the need to computerize the patient record, and their aim is to generate machine-understandable representations of biomedical concepts, including anatomy. Because of the lack of a consistent and explicit representation of anatomy, each of these CMTs has generated its own anatomy model. None of these models is compatible with any other, yet each is consistent with textbook descriptions of anatomy. The analysis of the semantic structure of Terminologia Anatomica leads to some suggestions for enhancing the term list in ways that would facilitate its adoption as the standard for anatomical knowledge representation in biomedical informatics.

Anatomy↗
PubMed2001

Presentation of problem-specific, text-based medical knowledge: XML and related technologies.

Systematic reviews of the impact of clinical decision support systems on provider behavior and patient outcome have shown evidence of benefit. Knowledge-based functions for decision support or monitoring that are integrated in clinical information systems are a potentially effective way. But these concepts are restricted by the efforts required for development and maintenance of the information systems and the limited number of implemented medical rules. Physicians are familiar to get their information from text-based sources. It seems to be straight-forward to rely on a document-based solution in order to present problem-specific information at the point of care. We have developed a concept for context-sensitive retrieving and presentation of text-based medical knowledge (textbook of internal medicine) using the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and related technologies. This concept can facilitate the electronic query and presentation of this resource. XML may replace narrative text as a storage format and allows to structure the data in a stepwise fashion. On the basis of structured data we are able to improve the search quality for clinical information and its presentation which forms a crucial pre-requisite for the use of the information and the implementation of evidence-based care in the clinical routine.

Decision Support Systems, Clinical↗
PubMed1995

[Published books on pain and its treatment in Spain. Analysis with the ISBN database].

INTRODUCTION: Although analyses have been done on the publishing of scientific articles on pain in Spanish, book publications in the field have not been studied. This article fills that gap. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A bibliography of books with pain approached from a medical standpoint was compiled from ISBN CD-ROM database (updated for 1993). Books going into more than one edition were considered single titles. Multi-volume collections were considered single books. We analyzed type of book, subject, ISBN classification, year, language (of publication and original), publisher and place of publication. RESULTS: Two hundred books were studied. Over 60% had been published within the previous 10 years. The year that showed the most books published was 1990 (19) followed by 1989 (16) and 1988 (16). Output has been rising steadily. One hundred ninety-eight books were published in Spanish and 2 in Catalan. The original language was Spanish in 114 cases, English in 51 cases, French in 21 and German in 7. By ISBN classification, most (146) covered pathology, disease and medical/therapeutic clinical practice. By topic, 51 books were general, 41 treated lumbalgia, sciatica or back pain and 35 covered headaches in general or migraine. Most of the books were issued by trade publishers. The cities most often involved were Barcelona and Madrid. CONCLUSIONS: An increased number of books about pain are being published in Spain, coinciding with a rise in the publication of scientific articles on the subject.

Databases, Bibliographic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Quality of poisoning management advice in the Monthly Index of Medical Specialties Annual.

BACKGROUND: The Monthly Index of Medical Specialties (MIMS) contains Therapeutic Goods Administration-approved product information supplied by manufacturers. It is widely used by health-care professionals but is not specifically designed as a toxicology reference. OBJECTIVES: To determine how widespread the use of MIMS is as a toxicology reference. To evaluate the quality of poisoning management advice it contains. METHODS: First, a survey of 500 consecutive calls to the NSW Poison Information Centre (PIC) was undertaken asking health-care workers which toxicology references were consulted prior to calling and which references they would use if the PIC were not available. Second, a consensus opinion for poisoning management was obtained, for 25 medications which are either commonly involved in poisoning or potentially life-threatening in overdose, by review of 5 current toxicology references for contraindicated treatments, ineffective treatments and specific recommended treatments and antidotes. MIMS poisoning management advice was then compared with this toxicology consensus opinion. RESULTS: In total, 276 doctors and 222 nurses were surveyed. Prior to calling the PIC 22.8% of doctors and 6.8% of nurses consulted MIMS. In total, 25.7% of doctors and 39.6% nurses stated they would use the MIMS for poisoning management advice if the PIC were not available. For the 25 drugs assessed, 14 contained inaccurate poisoning management: 1 recommended ineffective treatments and 14 omitted specific treatments or antidotes. CONCLUSION: The MIMS is often used as a toxicology reference by physicians prior to calling the PIC. It contains a number of significant inaccuracies pertaining to management of poisonings and should not be used as a primary reference for poisoning advice.

Australia↗
PubMed1986

Problem-oriented drug monographs developed for physicians in Northern Ireland.

Monographs prepared by a drug information pharmacist at a government hospital in Northern Ireland were evaluated by hospital and community physicians. The monographs related drug information to both the primary medical problem (e.g., angina) and secondary problems of individual patients (e.g., renal or hepatic dysfunction). The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of various agents in a drug group were compared. The initial monograph about beta blockers was evaluated by 13 pharmacists in government hospitals. The monograph was then revised and two additional monographs were written on the use of benzodiazepines in anxiety and insomnia and the use of organic nitrates in cardiovascular disease. The three monographs were distributed to 122 hospital physicians and 67 community physicians for evaluation of the information and the manner in which it was presented. Questionnaires were returned by 46% of the hospital physicians and 39% of the community physicians. Almost 50% of the responding prescribers said the monographs gave them new information. The lack of cost information in the monographs was cited as a problem by 25% of respondents. The most frequently suggested topics for additional monographs were antibiotics, analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, bronchodilators, and antidepressants. Physicians considered the monographs a useful source of education about selection of appropriate drug therapy.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed2002

An evaluation of selected herbal reference texts and comparison to published reports of adverse herbal events.

OBJECTIVE: There has been a recent proliferation of medical reference texts intended to guide practitioners whose patients use herbal therapies. We systematically assessed six herbal reference texts to evaluate the information they contain on herbal toxicity. METHODS: We selected six major herbal references published from 1996 to 2000 to evaluate the adequacy of their toxicological information in light of published adverse events. To identify herbs most relevant to toxicology, we reviewed herbal-related calls to our regional California Poison Control System, San Francisco division (CPCS-SF) in 1998 and identified the 12 herbs (defined as botanical dietary supplements) most frequently involved in these CPCS-SF referrals. We searched Medline (1966 to 2000) to identify published reports of adverse effects potentially related to these same 12 herbs. We scored each herbal reference text on the basis of information inclusiveness for the target 12 herbs, with a maximal overall score of 3. RESULTS: The herbs, identified on the basis of CPCS-SF call frequency were: St John's wort, ma huang, echinacea, guarana, ginkgo, ginseng, valerian, tea tree oil, goldenseal, arnica, yohimbe and kava kava. The overall herbal reference scores ranged from 2.2 to 0.4 (median 1.1). The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database received the highest overall score and was the most complete and useful reference source. All of the references, however, lacked sufficient information on management of herbal medicine overdose, and several had incorrect overdose management guidelines that could negatively impact patient care. CONCLUSION: Current herbal reference texts do not contain sufficient information for the assessment and management of adverse health effects of botanical therapies.

Drug Evaluation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Concordance of severity ratings provided in four drug interaction compendia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the agreement among drug-drug interaction (DDI) compendia as to designation of interactions as having the greatest clinical importance ("major" DDIs). DESIGN: Cross-sectional, one-time evaluation. SETTING: United States in fall 2001. PARTICIPANTS: Not applicable. INTERVENTIONS: Major DDIs involving prescription medications likely to be dispensed in the community and ambulatory pharmacy settings were identified as listed in four compendia that provide specific, detailed information about DDIs (Drug Interaction Facts, Drug Interactions: Analysis and Management, Evaluations of Drug Interactions, and the MicroMedex DRUG-REAX program). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Level of agreement between DDI compendia as assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: Overall, 406 major DDIs were listed in one or more of the four compendia. Only 9 (2.2%) of these major DDIs were listed in all four compendia; in fact, the majority of interactions were listed in only one compendium (291 DDIs, 71.7%), despite these interactions being considered of greatest clinical relevance by at least one compendium. The ICC among the compendia was -0.092, indicating low agreement on the classification of major DDIs. CONCLUSION: Little agreement exists among commonly used drug interaction COMPENDIA for DDIs that were classified in fall 2001 as having the highest clinical relevance and importance. A concerted effort to identify DDIs of the highest clinical importance is needed to design effective strategies to avoid and manage them.

Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems↗
PubMed1989

[The history of nosology in dermatology].

The Hippocratic texts give evidence of the first structured interest in skin diseases. Nosological preoccupations, then at their beginning, put the stress on the connections between general pathology and diseases affecting the skin, and by creating a vocabulary. The Hippocratic texts give evidence of the first structured interest in skin diseases. Nosological preoccupations, then at their beginning, put the stress on the connections between general pathology and diseases affecting the skin, and by creating a vocabulary drawn from the vegetal world initiated a long-lasting relationship between dermatology and botany. The centuries which followed witnessed a wealth of descriptions which, thanks in particular to the works of Celsus, Galen and the Arab authors, led to the formation of true medical encyclopaedias, although the diagnosis of skin diseases could not be approached. The outline of a rational dermatological thinking did not appear until the 17th century with Haffenreffer, Riolan and Willis, all influenced by Malpighi, Harvey and Sydenham. Then came the 18th century with Astruc, Turner and Lorry. But it was in fact J. Plenck who devised the first nosology that could be used in clinical practice by creating the elementary lesion principle, later revised and refined by Willan and Bateman. In contradistinction with this artificial nosology, the French school of Alibert endeavoured to set up a natural nosology unfortunately spoiled by a certain lack of pragmatism. In the second half of the 19th century three main schools of thought emerged: Hebra's, who raised the nosological approach to an anatomical level, Hardy, Bazin's, who gave predominance to diathesis, and Wilson's, who attempted a synthesis of the first two schools. At the dawn of the 20th century the dogmatism of morphological systematization seemed to wane and be superseded by an aetiological approach, then reappeared in Degos' treatise published in 1953. The latest nosologies acknowledge the importance of clinical data but give first rank to the physiopathology of diseases, sometimes replacing the anatomical systematization by a relative biological systematization which evolves with technological advances.

Dermatology↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinician use of a palmtop drug reference guide.

OBJECTIVE: Problems involving drug knowledge are one of the most common causes of serious medication errors. Although the information that clinicians need is often available somewhere, retrieving it expeditiously has been problematic. At the same time, clinicians are faced with an ever-expanding pharmacology knowledge base. Recently, point-of-care technology has become more widely available and more practical with the advent of handheld, or palmtop, computing. Therefore, the authors evaluated the clinical contribution of a drug database developed for the handheld computer. ePocrates Rx (formerly known as qRx; ePocrates, San Carlos, California) is a comprehensive drug information guide that is downloadable free from the Internet and designed for the Palm OS platform align="right". DESIGN: A seven-day online survey of 3,000 randomly selected ePocrates Rx users was conducted during March 2000. MEASUREMENTS: User technology experience, product evaluation and usage patterns, and the effects of the drug reference database on information-seeking behavior, practice efficiency, decision making, and patient care. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 32 percent (n=946). Physicians reported that ePocrates Rx saves time during information retrieval, is easily incorporated into their usual workflow, and improves drug-related decision making. They also felt that it reduced the rate of preventable adverse drug events. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported perceptions by responding clinicians endorse improved access to drug information and improved practice efficiency associated with the use of handheld devices. The clinical and practical value of using these devices in clinical settings will clearly grow further as wireless communication becomes more ubiquitous and as more applications become available.

Attitude to Computers↗
PubMed1995

Harrison's.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2001

Cohen vs. PDR.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Antihypertensive Agents↗
PubMed2006

Mondino de' Liuzzi and his Anothomia: a milestone in the development of modern anatomy.

Mondino's Anothomia was written in Bologna around 1316. This book is the intellectual legacy of one of the fathers of human anatomy, and probably represents a collection of lessons given by the author at the Studium in Bologna. Mondino's Anothomia witnesses a profound renewal of the mode of understanding and teaching human anatomy through direct observation of dissected corpses. This book enjoyed an extraordinarily large dissemination in the whole of Europe, thanks to many extant manuscripts and printed editions. In this article, we present some selected passages from this remarkable book to let today's anatomists know how great was the descriptive skill of this medieval scientist, a pioneer in the anatomical discipline.

Anatomy↗
PubMed1996

Standard method of diagnosis versus use of a computer database in the evaluation of skeletal dysplasias.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare reference textbooks and the computer database, OSSUM, for accuracy and ease of use in the diagnosis of skeletal dysplasias. Materials and methods. Twenty cases of clinically and and radiologically established skeletal dysplasias were evaluated as unknowns by four pediatric radiologists. Readers 1 and 2 evaluated group A (10 cases) using reference texts and group B (10 cases) using OSSUM. Readers 3 and 4 evaluated group B using reference texts. The radiologists independently listed their roentgenographic findings, the top three diagnoses, confidence level, difficulty level, and time spent on each case. RESULTS: The correct diagnosis was made in 68% of both the reference text cases and the OSSUM cases. Difficulty level was significantly higher (3.5 vs 2.9, P = 0.0013) and confidence significantly lower (3.3 vs. 2.3, P = 0.0001) when using OSSUM. Average time spent on cases was 25 min with references and 30 min with OSSUM (P > 0.05). However, there was a decrease in both the time (38 min vs 23 min, P = 0.05) and the difficulty (3.9 vs 3.1, P = 0.001) between the first five and the last five cases. The composite of four readers correctly identified 90% of the skeletal dysplasias when the results of both methods were combined. CONCLUSIONS: In the ability to reach a correct diagnosis, no difference was detected between the OSSUM and reference texts methods. The increased time necessary, greater difficulty and decreased confidence levels with OSSUM are expected to improve with increasing program familiarity. Use of both textbooks and the database was complementary.

Bone Diseases, Developmental↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Off-label and unlicensed use of antidotes in paediatric patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent of unlicensed and off-label antidotes among medicines recommended by the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) for children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We considered 77 antidotes from the "IPCS List of antidotes and other useful agents in the treatment of human poisoning" (1996 version). Primary reference sources used were the Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR) and package inserts. Antidotes were assessed for off-label (outside of the term of product license) and unlicensed use in children. RESULTS: Our data show that only 31 (40.3%) of 77 recommended antidotes correspond to the demands of licensing systems for use in children. The rest (46 or 59.7%) are either off-label (32 or 41.5%) or unlicensed (14 or 18.2%). Five antidotes are off-label for two reasons; thus the total number of off-label use (37) is greater than the number of such drugs (32). Inappropriate age is the main reason for use outside the stipulations of the product license (24 of 77 antidotes or 31.2%), whereas different indication and route occur in 11 (14.3%) and 2 (2.6%) antidotes, respectively. The 14 unlicensed antidotes have been used only in animal experiments or in a small number of patients in certain poison centres. CONCLUSIONS: Sixty percent of antidotes and other useful agents in the poison treatment of children do not correspond to the demands of licensing systems. Drugs used in the treatment of poisoned children, as well as adults, must be evaluated scientifically.

Adolescent↗