Old-School Gadget (Book) Review: Mattu et al. Avoiding Common Errors in the ED

Our old friend, Dr. Lisa Marcucci of Inside Surgery, is at it again with another book in her very successful series about avoiding common errors in various parts of the hospital. This time the emergency department is the focus, and an all-star cast of academic EM physicians act as editors.
Like other books in the series, the appeal of Avoiding Common Errors in the Emergency Department is in its accessibility. You can pick it up and flip to any one of its nearly 400 (very short) chapters and just start reading. Whether you’re an intern or tenured faculty, you’re sure to pick up some evidence-based tips or plain clever suggestions to common ED situations.
The text is grouped alphabetically into traditional sections (cardiovascular, OB-GYN, trauma, etc) and within each clinical section, there are chapters with pointers on physical exam, procedure tips, and lab interpretation. Mostly, though, the chapters dwell on difficult elements of the differential diagnoses — how to successfully work up specific complaints and what you can’t afford to miss.
There are also sections on legal and charting / billing errors to protect yourself and your department, and even chapters on patient and colleague interactions (“Giving Bad News”, “Interact with Consultants Appropriately”). With every chapter just being a few pages, it’s easy to keep this book by your bedside or in your white coat to read during downtime. And since every chapter includes a rich bibliography, this book will serve as the launching point for many morning report talks or Wednesday conference lectures. We’re already begun dog-earing the complimentary copy the publisher sent us.
Link @ Amazon: Avoiding Common Errors in the Emergency Department