The Right Test A Physician's Guide to Laboratory Medicine

This is the second edition of a guide to the appropriate ordering of tests for a wide variety of medical problems and to screening programs, covering the areas most commonly encountered in general internal medicine. The author's goal is to provide parameters "to help achieve the best patient care at the lowest cost," which is a laudable goal all practitioners should strive to attain. The author does meet this objective to a large extent. This book is meant for the general practitioner, though it is probably more helpful to the student and resident because of its relatively basic information. Most general practitioners already know the majority of information contained in this book. There are only 3 illustrations, but there are several tables and graphs that are clear and helpful. The references are current and drawn from excellent sources, and the bibliographies are appropriately complete. As the author intended, the book is very user-friendly, with an organized table of contents, bold-faced type for all recommendations, and concise discussions. Overall, the book is a good reference for appropriate test ordering, though in most sections it does not contain any new or insightful information from which the average practitioner would benefit. The author should refrain from making therapeutic recommendations, because several of his are either controversial or possibly even incorrect. The sections listing other lab tests that may be abnormal in a given condition are not helpful.