Dermatological surgery for GPs | |
An introduction to dermatological surgery. 2nd edition. Clifford Lawrence. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 2002 (182 pp). ISBN 0 443 072000. |
This is the second edition
of a text first published in 1996. It is beautifully presented, uses multicoloured tables and practice points and has clear and useful photographs.
The discussions of equipment, use of local anaesthesia, and haemostasis are all excellent, although not wholly appropriate for an Australian setting. For example, multi-dose vials for local anaesthesia, and the standards for sterilisation, are not in keeping with Australian standards. Following from these chapters however, the discussions of appropriate anatomy, dermatological procedural techniques and what needs to be considered when deciding which techniques to use in each application, are exemplary. The most useful aspect of the book is its clarity of thought and design. If there were to be a negative comment, it would be that the lack of appropriate referencing and the variation in the way of doing things reflect the author’s UK origins and are not appropriate in the Australian environment. This is the best book of its type that I have read and is well suited for use by the general practitioner. It should sit on most general practice shelves. Gregory J R Goodman
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