Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine 55 (2014) April: p. 203

New Edition of Doc’s Coach: *
*, 5th Edition, 2013, Didamed Verlag, M. Hofer (ed.), 248 pages, €39.90
Practical skills explained step by step in detailed photo series

Contents

The book is primarily intended for clinical rotation students, students in their practical year, and resident physicians at the beginning of their training. Across a total of 35 individual chapters, various practical skills as well as measurement and puncture techniques are explained step by step: aseptic technique, explanations of technical equipment (e.g., three-way stopcocks, infusions, infusion pumps), measurement techniques (e.g., central venous catheter, ECG, peripheral blood gas analysis), puncture techniques (e.g., venous, pleural, and cerebrospinal fluid puncture, central venous catheter placement), catheters and drains, as well as a special chapter on “complex techniques” (e.g., intubation, cricothyrotomy).

Organized by indication, contraindication, possible complications, preparation, and procedure, the individual techniques are clearly illustrated with detailed image sequences from the practitioner’s perspective. The interpretation of the measured values (e.g., vital signs, bedside tests, pulmonary artery pressure) is also briefly summarized in quiz format.

Didactics

The step-by-step introduction to the individual techniques is skillfully presented through more than 1,000 illustrations, offering a high degree of practical relevance. There’s no need for tedious page-turning, as the images and accompanying text are always clearly presented on the same page. The book allows readers to either “quickly review” a skill using the image series and their captions or to engage in intensive practice with the help of the accompanying text.

The numerous references to typical and common mistakes or pitfalls are very helpful. The DIN A4 format is certainly too large for a lab coat pocket, but the book is very well suited for thorough preparation and follow-up on practical activities in everyday clinical practice. This book offers an ideal educational supplement, particularly for training in “skills labs.”

Conclusion

Of course, no book can replace a clinically experienced mentor, but it offers a good opportunity—especially for clinical rotation students and young anesthesiologists at the start of their training—to prepare for everyday clinical practice in a hands-on way.

D. Bitzinger, Regensburg