The Hands-on Guide to Clinical Reasoning in Medicine
Hands-on Guides Series

The Hands-on Guide to Clinical Reasoning in Medicine is the perfect companion to your time on clinical placements, providing an easy-to-read, highly visual guide to help develop your clinical decision making skills, and transfer your knowledge into practice. Packed full of useful tips, key boxes, exercises and summaries that are designed to help you apply the knowledge gained in clinical practice.

Divided into the common clinical placements that you would find yourself in: Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Neurology, Geriatrics, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Endocrinology and Rheumatology, each chapter covers the diagnosis of common clinical conditions, as well as decision-making in their investigation and management.

Written for medical students in their clinical years, as well as new doctors and advanced nurse practitioners, The Hands-on Guide to Clinical Reasoning in Medicine provides students with an accessible resource for honing their clinical reasoning skills.

Take the stress out of clinical decision making with The Hands-on Guide!

Foreword, ix

Preface, xi

Acknowledgements, xiii

Reviewers, xv

Abbreviations, xvii

Normal Reference Ranges, xix

Icons Explained, xxi

About the Companion Website, xxiii

1 Introduction: The Skeleton Laid Bare, 1

Part I Respiratory Medicine, 11

2 History Taking: A Breath of Fresh Air, 13

3 Clinical Examination: The Rustle of Leaves, 20

4 Interpretation of Chest Radiographs: The Light Through the Tunnel, 22

5 Interpretation of Arterial Blood Gases and Pleural Fluid Results: Needling it Out, 26

6 Chronic Cough, 30

7 Acute Breathlessness, 37

8 Acute Chest Pain, 45

9 Acute Haemoptysis, 50

Part II Cardiovascular Medicine, 55

10 History Taking: The Three Pillow Dilemma, 57

11 Clinical Examination: The Orchestra of Sounds, 62

12 Interpretation of Chest Radiographs: Let There Be Light, 67

13 Interpretation of Electrocardiograms: The Rhythm of Life, 70

14 Palpitations, 75

15 Worsening Breathlessness, 80

16 Vague Systemic Symptoms, 85

17 Acute Chest Pain, 89

18 Blurring the Margins, 94

Part III Nephrology, 99

19 History Taking: Blood in the Urine, 101

20 Clinical Examination: Why Is the Kidney Failing?, 107

21 Renal Investigations: The Case of the Frothy Urine, 110

22 Hypertension, 115

23 Haematuria, 120

24 Oedema, 124

25 Non‐Specific Symptoms, 128

Part IV Endocrinology, 133

26 History Taking: Why Am I Losing Weight Doctor?, 135

27 Clinical Examination: Looking at the Person as a Whole, 137

28 Investigations: Seeing the Wood for the Trees, 143

29 Weight Gain, 147

30 Palpitations, 151

31 Weight Loss, 155

32 Thirsty and Confused, 159

Part V Neurology, 163

33 History Taking: What a Headache, 165

34 Clinical Examination: Walking Straight, 169

35 Investigations: The Light Bulb, 178

36 Headache, 185

37 Diplopia, 190

38 Leg Weakness, 195

39 Unilateral Weakness, 201

Part VI Geriatric Medicine, 205

40 History Taking: The Haze of Confusion, 207

41 Clinical Examination: Why Do I Keep Falling?, 212

42 Urinary Continence, 215

43 Falls, 220

44 Acute Confusion, 225

45 Dementia, 231

Part VII Gastroenterology, 237

46 History Taking: Where is the Pain?, 239

47 Clinical Examination: I Have Turned Yellow Doctor!, 246

48 Investigations: Journey to the Centre of the Abdomen and Beyond, 250

49 Weight Loss and Diarrhoea, 257

50 Jaundice, 262

51 Haematemesis and Melaena, 266

52 Abdominal Pain, 271

Part VIII Rheumatology, 277

53 History Taking: My Joints Hurt, 279

54 Clinical Examination: A Hot Swollen Joint, 282

55 Investigations: A Glimpse into the Creaky Bones, 286

56 Muscle Aches, 291

57 Joint Pain, 296

58 Back Pain, 301

59 Multi‐System Disease, 305

Part IX Common Clinical Conditions, 311

60 Common Clinical Conditions, 313

61 Respiratory Block, 314

62 Cardiology, 318

63 Nephrology, 323

64 Neurology, 326

65 Gastroenterology, 330

66 Geriatric Medicine, 333

67 Endocrinology, 335

68 Rheumatology, 337

Index, 338

Mujammil Irfan MBBS, MRCP(UK), MSc Medical Education, SCE Respiratory Medicine, is a Consultant Respiratory Physician in Copenhagen, Denmark.