Providing a holistic background to the practicalities of retrieval medicine

Retrieval medicine. Evans C, Creaton A, Kennedy M; editors. Oxford University Press; 2016 (£34.99; 704 pp). ISBN 9780198722168

Retrieval medicine is part of the Oxford Specialist Handbooks series, continuing their excellent, portable, quick reference guides. With very few alternative retrieval medicine texts to compete with, the editors have engaged predominantly Australian experts to put together a handbook broadly based on an academic retrieval medicine diploma program. The target readership comprises mainly those aspiring to do some form of post-graduate aeromedical education, registrars doing a retrieval term or retrieval physicians themselves.

From describing the generic retrieval systems, discussing various models (eg, centralised v decentralised) and observing different international systems, Retrieval medicine moves onto an excellent in-depth section on clinical governance. The complexities of retrieval coordination, platforms (eg, rotary or fixed wing aeromedical evacuation, and road), equipment and monitoring are outlined as best possible, covering the most common elements of each.

The handbook also includes some of the most common, acute conditions that need retrieval, with key messages outlined and emphasised. Retrieval medicine assumes the reader has a good underlying level of critical care knowledge, and covers important areas of retrievals, such as those patients with obstetric and gynaecological, behavioural or bariatric problems. There is also an in-depth and helpful section on neonatal and paediatric retrieval, which is possibly overemphasised relative to other areas such as primary (or pre-hospital) and international retrievals. In addition, the book includes some useful action checklists and common drug concentrations, but these need to be confirmed for applicability to the reader’s context.

For the non-retrieval practitioner, this handbook is of limited use as, when attempting to organise a retrieval, it is far more important to know one’s own retrieval system — how it works, how to access it and how to make things happen. However, for the intended audience, the handbook provides a wide, holistic and thorough background to the practicalities of working in this challenging environment, and, for this reason, I think it is well worth the money.