Alison Bell, The Queen's University Belfast

The book my friends won't stop borrowing off me..... I was a little sceptical about this book when I first got it - I thought it would be good for learning from but would be a bit of a dull read and I've been really pleasantly surprised! The cases are really well laid out and walk you through each part of the diagnostic progress step by step. My uni doesn't use PBL but I would say this book would be invaluable if your uni does! The book integrates all aspects of practice well and does so in easy to understand language. There are also handy boxes at the end of each case telling you which chapters of 'Davidson's principles and practice of medicine' you can read for more information. The 93 cases will keep you occupied for endless hours and it is an amazing feeling when you've already worked out what is wrong with the patient after reading the presentation! This is a book I've really enjoyed reading when my friends haven't stolen/borrowed it! I would recommend this book for 3rd year plus (and if you're keen then 2nd years!)

Posted 10th May 2011

George Collins, University College London

I recently realised that Davidson’s is more than one textbook when I picked up Davidson’s Clinical Cases, which I realise isn’t a typical study of clinical cases. Throughout the book the authors emphasise that patients rarely, in fact, present in the classical manner as outlined in Davidson’s Principle and Practice of Medicine and other book of clinical cases. This was a refreshing (if a little daunting) fact to face. The book is really small and neat in size and layout and contains 93 short but comprehensive patient histories aimed at clinical students. The book tidily outlines the presentation, differentials, diagnostic procedure and management so that a case can be read in just a few minutes. And what’s great is that relevant results from imaging and biochemical studies are printed on the same page too, making it easy to follow each case all the way through. Also, I found the references to the main Davidson’s textbook useful if I wanted to look at bits in more detail. I’d recommend this book for anyone who is a little tired of the lack of real life Medicine in the chunky textbooks and wants a bit of role-play!

Posted 21st Apr 2011

Edward Huang, University of Birmingham

Derived from its famous big brother Davidson’s Principles and Practice Medicine, I was excited to receive this in the post. 92 clinical cases with scenarios, investigations, differentials and management covering the different systems. It’s a nice size, great print and very comfortable to read. It’s understandable that it can’t fit everything into the book (otherwise you can just read DPAPM), but it highlights the important information and triggers you to look it up further. A good material to broaden up your knowledge in Medicine and I definitely enjoyed reading it. As cliche sa it sounds, it does intrigued me to look up more stuff and learnt more interactively!

Posted 7th Mar 2011

Vaibhav Gupta, The University of Nottingham

Davidson’s Clinical Cases is fantastic because it has nearly 100 cases that teach you how to approach a variety of presentations, and are short enough for you to do during one of the times you find yourself sitting around in the clinic without much to do. It’s format is very different to other medical textbooks because each case is written as a series of paragraphs beginning with a question that prompts you to form your own ideas, before being guided through the case, as you would by a consultant in the clinic. The book has extra features of commenting on the cases from a global perspective (ie geographic variances in prevalence, presentation, etc) and links to Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine for further reading. One thing I dislike about the book is that it’s just a series of cases without any grouping into sections or specialties. However, it is helpful in learning how to think about a group of symptoms and examination/investigation results to make a sound diagnosis.

Posted 27th Jan 2011

Elizabeth Carr, The University of St Andrews

Davidson’s Clinical Cases contains 93 clinical cases covering a wide variety of different specialties. Each case follows a specific formula. You are taken through each case, step by step. As you progress through the case, you are asked to think about initial differential diagnosis from the given presenting complaint, and how your differential diagnosis is narrowed down by the results of examinations and investigations. Details about the differential diagnoses are outlined. Each case contains detailed examination and investigation results, including relevant radiological images, histopathology and photos of gross pathology, as well as ECGs etc. Once the diagnosis has been narrowed down, the possible pharmacological and surgical treatment options are then discussed. The approach of this book gets you used to following a clinical case through in a logical order, from presenting complaint to treatment. It is also a great help with pattern recognition for different diseases. At the end of each case, ‘global issues’ briefly add further relevant information (pathology, pharmacology, epidemiology etc.) on the case covered, giving the case wider relevance. The cases are quite concise, each case being 3-4 pages on average. However, each has a good amount of detail. I find it useful to read through cases in this book that are relevant to the specialty/system I am covering at the time. It gives you an idea of the sort of things you should be thinking about when you meet certain presenting complaints. It’s also a great book to just enjoy reading through some of the interesting cases. The book is very well designed, and a pleasure to read. And the images are all of a high quality and in full colour. It’s quite a small book, so is handy for carrying around.

Posted 26th Jan 2011

shueh hao lim, University of Aberdeen

Can't fault this book at all. Covers the basic clinical cases for undergraduate syllabus. Well illustrated. The book will cover clinical cases which you might not have the opportunity to see in wards. It includes the differential diagnosis, work up to diagnosis and treatment with detailed explanation of why the diagnosis have been made. There is also a reference to the chapter in Davidson's Clinical medicine, making it easier to look up any problems. With over 90 plus cases i think this book will definitely make a good revision tool. Imagine having someone explaining a clinical case to you in person. This is what the book provides.

Posted 20th Jan 2011

Jen Jardine, University of Newcastle

This book is part of the Davidson's group of titles, but regardless of what textbook you use for medicine, it's a great addition to your bookshelf. Taking you through 100 cases, from coma to pyrexia of unknown origin, this shows you exactly how to think as a physician - like having personal tutorials with the professor of medicine. Interesting to work through, it looks at presentations from an international as well as UK perspective, providing knowledge that is invaluable for electives. A really unique and fantastic book that would also be great for clinical PBL sessions.

Posted 18th Jan 2011

Vibhuti Gupta, University of Southampton

Davidson’s Clinical Cases is part of the A Davidson Title books. It presents 93 cases covering a range of specialities such as respiratory, cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology and dermatology. Each case holds the student’s hand through the presenting problem and teaching the student the approach for differential diagnosis. The case starts by a paragraph on the presenting complaint followed by a broad range of differential diagnosis. It then presents the examination results and asks the student to narrow down the clinical diagnosis. Next, it presents the investigations and further trains the student to narrow down to the possible diagnosis. Finally, it emphasizes the treatment for the patient and considers the disease globally. Each case also gives the reference for the Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine so the student has further resource to learn about the disease. The cases teach student students how to apply a similar approach in any clinical situation they may come across in a hospital setting even if it is not presented in the book. Cases teach the subject very well. The information is delivered in appropriate depth and breadth where the student is not overwhelmed or bored. It is literally as if someone is sitting in front of you quizzing and teaching you by a case based approach. Each case is accompanied with excellent images, tables, and investigation results to aid the learning. I personally read one or two cases each night before I go to bed. Even in my research year, I feel I’m close to medicine through this book. It would be an excellent revision tool for finals written and OSCEs when presented with a case for knowledge base as well as technique and approach to solve and work through a case. I would highly recommend this book over other case based books in the market.

Posted 12th Jan 2011

Sabreen Ali, The University of Sheffield

Davidson’s Clinical Cases is yet another great addition to the Davidson’s family of textbooks. The compact book follows the trademark style of its sister textbooks, giving it a sense of familiarity and continuity when used alongside them. With so many books containing clinical cases crowding the market, this stands out as worth having due to the variety of diagnoses covered - indeed, alongside the usual medical must-haves such as hypertension, headache and hyperthyroidism, readers also come across rarities such as snake bites, scorpion stings and leishmaniasis. Its breadth makes it an attractive prospect not just for undergraduate students, but also for postgraduates as well - and the format in which it is presented allows the reader to work through the case step by step, with additional information being presented at appropriate intervals. This makes it an excellent revision aid, as students can test their existing knowledge as they work through the case, consolidating knowledge of the condition at the end. At the end of each case is a small section entitled ‘Global Issues’ which presents relevant information regarding the condition in other parts of the world - a useful and manageable amount of information regarding the epidemiology of the condition on a global scale. Each case also features relevant pictures, radiographs and tables that act as useful visual aids. All in all, this is an excellent book to use at any stage in medical training, and its surprising breadth and depth within so few pages makes it worth the buy.

Posted 6th Jan 2011

Andrew Gough, University of Manchester

This book has almost a 100 cases covering anything from a case of 'chest pain' to the rarer cases such as a man bitten by a snake. It covers all subjects of medicine and all age ranges, and has been developed to cover international aspects of medicine - so you learn about global issues. Although clearly it can't cover anything, there is sufficient breadth in the book to take the reader through a 'tour of medicine' whilst at the same time helping them hone their diagnostic skills. The cases are structured so that you read the presenting problem and then formulate a differenital diagnosis, you then get the results of the examination, before going on to look at further investigations, making the final diagnosis and then discussing treatment options. There are also numerous illustrations and photographs. Overall, I think the book is great. For me, I think it will be of most use revising for finals as I think it's a great book to develop skills in making differential diagnoses as well as developing knowledge about patient management. A couple cases a day over a couple months would allow you to cover a lot, and they don't take too long either!

Posted 16th Jul 2010