Product Description

Delirium, stupor and coma are common clinical states that confront clinicians in almost every medical specialty. With appropriate diagnosis and treatment, coma can often be treated successfully. Conversely, delay in diagnosis and treatment may be lethal. This monograph provides an update on the clinical approach that was laid out in the previous 3 editions. It describes an approach for the physician at the bedside to diagnose and treat alterations of consciousness, based on pathophysiologic principles. The book begins with a description of the physiology of consciousness and the pathophysiology of disorders of consciousness. It continues with a description of the approach to a patient with a disorder of consciousness, emphasizing the bedside examination, but including the use of modern imaging techniques. The important structural and metabolic causes of coma are reviewed in detail. It then describes the emergency treatment, both medical and surgical, of patients with specific disorders of consciousness and their prognosis. New chapters describe the approach to the diagnosis of brain death and the clinical physiology of the vegetative state and minimally conscious state, as well as the ethics of dealing with such patients and their families.
The book is aimed at medical students and residents, in fields from internal medicine and pediatrics to emergency medicine, surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, who are likely to encounter patients with disordered states of consciousness. It includes historical background and basic neurophysiology that is important for those in the clinical neurosciences, but also lays out a practical approach to the comatose patient that is an important part of the repertoire of all clinicians who provide emergency care for patients with disorders of consciousness.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #79646 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-11
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

Review

"The 4th edition is every bit as wonderful as the preceding 3, only with much more information...It is a wonderful clinical guide with clear descriptions of pathophysiology and application of modern technology for diagnosis."--Lewis P. Rowland, M.D., Columbia University Medical Center
"No book in any area of clinical neurology has paralleled the dominance of Plum and Posner. The Fourth Edition will sustain this preeminence and is a must for neurologists, neurosurgeons, intensivists, and emergency room physicians. We should all be grateful to the authors for presenting us with this updated gem."--Robert B. Daroff, MD, Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals Case Medical Center
"Fred Plum and Jerome Posner wrote the first edition of The Diagnosis of Stupor and Coma to provide practical guidance and the current edition is an admirable and pleasing successor. On the basis of pedigree, coherence, and thoroughness, it is currently the last word on the subject."--New England Journal of Medicine
"Plum and Posner's book...exceeded those traditional territories and included the study of a wide range of endocrine and metabolic disorders...This is a great book and a fitting tribute to him who inspired it."--Brain
"Plum and Posners Diagnosis of Stupor and Coma is an essential text for the practicing neurologist, for the general intensivist or hospitalist, for the neurointensivist or neurosurgeon, and for the many students, residents, and fellows in the neurosciences. It stands the test of time, highlighting the legacy of Drs Plum and Posner, who have contributed so much to the field of neurology and to the training of generations of neurologists."--Wade Smith, Annals of Neurology
"This is an excellent text, and the substantial changes since the third edition easily justify the purchase of a new copy."--Doody's
"A necessity for all trainees involved in the care of the stuporous or comatose patient. This volume provides a clear framework from which to approach these clinical situations, and is highly recommended for neurosurgery residents and attendings alike."--Journal of Neurosurgery
"Over 50 years after its first edition, this book remains a gem among neurological monographs. Beyond maintaining a contemporary status, it has matured like good wine, improving over time to provide the reader with the best available summary of disorders of consciousness available on the market today...It belongs in every personal and institutional library."--European Neurology
"The book is a treasure trove of information, one of those books I will always be learning from...Everyone interested in the clinical aspects of disorders of consciousness should own a copy of this book."--Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
"The book is very readable and carefully arranged, and an appropriate index allows relevant content to be found quickly. The well-balanced selection of illustrations, including computed tomographic and magnetic resonance images, enriches the content and the graphics aid understanding...The fourth edition represents an excellent portrayal of the complex subject of consciousness disorders."--Archives of Neurology

Book Info
Cornell Univ., New York City, NY. Reprint of the c1982 edition. Provides a clinically slanted volume to help the reader understand and diagnose severe brain dysfunction as it exists and as it evolves in the seriously ill patient. Previous edition is not cited. Softcover. DNLM: Brain diseases--Diagnosis.

About the Author
Jerome B. Posner is Evelyn Frew American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Fred Plum is University Professor, Department of Neurology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University. Clifford B. Saper is Professor at the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Nicholas Schiff is Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience at Weill Medical College, Cornell University.

Customer Reviews

there is no way around
If you are working in the field of acute neurology you will finally need this book telling you what you could or should know in unconscious patients. Its a clear "eye-opener" for doctors.

A Classic
Plum and Posner is a classic book to be read by every doctor atleast once in his/her lifetime. I was fortunate to use the third edition of this book during my postgraduate days and later in practice. Now the fourth edition is even greater to read, expanded, uptodate and remains very clinical as the previous edition. It will be a very valuable addition to those who care for acute neurological patients. There is no other book like this and it will be a classic forever. The neurological community will always remain thankful to the authors for bringing out this new edition.

The publishers have failed us miserably for the fragile binding used. The pages keep coming away as you read the book. It is very unfortunate that they have made this kind of compromise. They should have known that this book is meant for the trenches and not for the coffee table.