The Rehabilitation Specialist's Handbook.

The Rehabilitation Specialist's Handbook

Rothstein JM, Roy SH, Wolf SL. Philadelphia, PA 19103, FA Davis Co, 1991, paperback (vinyl coated), 1,019 pp, illus, $26.95.

This creatively prepared handbook will provide the busy clinician with a wealth of easily and quickly retrievable information so often required in the clinical setting. The authors have correctly identified that rehabilitation professionals are required to have a broad base of knowledge to satisfactorily. evaluate and treat the wide range of patient types requiring rehabilitation services.

That any clinician could recall from memory all of the information required of him or her is highly unlikely.. How many clinicians would he comfortable in evaluating a patient with a brachial plexus injury and making a distinction between an upper- or lower-plexus injury, after not having performed such an evaluation in a year? Or, when reading a physician's report, how many would know the difference between a Thompson test and a Homan's sign? How well will clinicians relate the more common perceptual and communication problems found in patients who are hemiplegic? Does the average clinician evaluate a sufficient number of patients who have had amputation to identify those essential things required in a prosthetic evaluation? Will the clinician know when asked if an adult-size wheelchair will fit through a 30-in door? Are clinicians often at a loss to remember the numerous drugs used in the treatment of the rheumatic disorders? Can they recall simple treatment directions in Spanish, French, italian, and German?

Few, if any of us, can retain the vast amount of information that physical therapists are often called upon to use. To this end, the authors have compiled much of this information in a handbook organized to provide a quick resource and reference. The book has been printed in a size that can be carried in a laboratory coat pocket, making it even more convenient for reference.

When I first saw the handbook, my impression was that the book was the rehabilitation specialist's answer to the Merck Manual. The authors clearly state that the text is not intended to replace more traditional reference sources, but instead, is intended to provide the busy clinician with a source of quick and readily available information. References have been included for each topic covered in the handbook.

Selecting given topic areas had to be a difficult decision for the authors because of the variety of materials rehabilitation professionals should have available to them. The topics chosen are appropriate and represent most aspects of rehabilitation services.

Included among the topic areas are Musculoskeletal Anatomy, Orthopaedics, and Orthopaedic Therapy; Neuroanatomy, Neurology, and Neurologic Therapy; Psychology and Psychiatry; Vascular Anatomy, Cardiology, and Cardiac Rehabilitation; Pulmonary Anatomy and Pulmonary Therapy; Modalities; Pediatrics; Amputees, Prosthetics, and Orthotics; Gait; Kinesiol ogy; Burns, General Medicine; AIDS; Wheelchairs and Standards for Access; General and Visceral Anatomy; First Aid; and Reference Tables, Conversion Charts, and Translations,

Those sections dealing with musculoskeletal anatomy, orthopedics, neuroanatomy, neurology, cardiology, and pulmonary anatomy have been covered in a rather comprehensive manner for a handbook of this type. Excluded ire treatment protocols and evaluation procedures that have yet to he validated. The authors state that they have attempted to include material that readers will find useful, not solely what they chose to endorse.

Doing justice to this handhook in l review is virtually an impossibility because of the scope of materials covered. The authors have certainly achieved their primary objective in a magnificent manner: "to provide the busy clinician with a readily available source of information." The value of this handbook will be realized when its use becomes commonplace in rehabilitation settings, as I predict it will. I envision that students, recent graduates, and experienced clinicians will all benefit from the availability and use of this handbook.

Charles M Magstro, PT, FAPTA Upland, Calif