Full Description
This fourth edition of Common Diseases comes just over 10 years after the first. There has been change and counterchange in the primary health care (PHC) field. One change has been the tendency to replace 'general practice' by 'PHC'. Vocational training has become compulsory. With larger group practices have come formalized teams and teamwork, increasing con cern with the business side of general practice and attempts to achieve best values for money and maximal profits. On the clinical side there have been enthusiasms for prevention, early diagnosis, anticipatory care, screening and quality initiatives. As a counterchange it is necessary to remind ourselves that the real essence of general practice, PHC, or whatever title we give it, is 'personal doctoring' of people as individuals in family units. All the changes mentioned will achieve less than expected without good continuing doctor/ patient personal care. But even this is not enough. Good general practice demands a sound knowledge of the nature of disease in the community. Not only are traditional diagnostic and therapeutic skills necessary, but also application of an understanding of the frequency and distribution of the diseases and an awareness of their likely natural history - their course and outcome.
Contents
Section I Common Diseases.- 1 Introduction.- 2 What are the common diseases?.- 3 Who gets them, when, and what happens?.- 4 What goes on in practice?.- Section II Respiratory diseases.- 5 Respiratory diseases — the clinical spectrum.- 6 Acute upper respiratory infections and influenza.- 7 Catarrhal children.- 8 Acute otitis media.- 9 Acute throat infections.- 10 Glandular fever.- 11 Acute chest infections (bronchitis and pneumonia).- 12 Chronic bronchitis.- 13 Asthma.- 14 Hay fever.- 15 Cancer of the lung.- Section III Cardiovascular diseases.- 16 Cardiovascular diseases — the clinical spectrum.- 17 Ischaemic heart disease.- 18 High blood pressure.- 19 Cardiac failure.- 20 Varicose veins.- 21 Anaemias.- Section IV Gastro-intestinal diseases.- 22 Gastro-intestinal diseases — the clinical spectrum.- 23 Acute gastroenteritis.- 24 Functional disorders.- 25 Peptic ulcers.- 26 The 'acute abdomen'.- 27 Gall bladder, liver and pancreas.- 28 Cancers of the gastro-intestinal tract.- Section V Rheumatism.- 29 Rheumatism — the clinical spectrum.- 30 The 'acute back'.- 31 Rheumatoid arthritis.- 32 Osteoarthrosis.- 33 Non-articular and other forms of rheumatism.- Section VI Urinary tract diseases.- 34 Urinary tract diseases — the clinical spectrum.- 35 Acute urinary infections.- Section VII Obstetrics and gynaecology.- 36 Obstetrics and gynaecology — the clinical spectrum.- 37 Gynaecological disorders.- Section VIII Psychiatry.- 38 Psychiatry — the clinical spectrum.- 39 Emotional disorders in general — depression in particular.- Section IX Diseases of CNS and sense organs.- 40 Diseases of CNS and sense organs — the clinical spectrum.- 41 Migraine.- 42 Epilepsy and convulsions.- 43 Strokes.- Section X Skin disorders.- 44 Skin disorders — the clinicalspectrum.- Section XI Endocrine and metabolic disorders.- 45 Endocrine and metabolic disorders — the clinical spectrum.- 46 Diabetes.- 47 Thyroid disorders.- Section XII Common infections.- 48 Common infections — the clinical spectrum.- Section XIII Cancers.- 49 Cancers — the clinical spectrum.- 50 Cancer.- Section XIV Accidents.- 51 Accidents — the clinical spectrum.- Section XV The age dimension.- 52 Age — the clinical spectrum.- Section XVI Database.- 53 NHS Data.- References.- Further reading.
