Obstetrics

This chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties describes the obstetrics specialty, including antenatal care and screening. Medical conditions in pregnancy are investigated, including hyperemesis gravidarum, sickle-cell disease, cardiac disease, psychiatry, epilepsy, anaemia, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, jaundice, malaria, renal disease, respiratory disease, connective tissue disease, hypertension, thromboprophylaxis, thrombophilia, and venous thromboembolism. Antenatal problems are explored, leading on to a discussion of labour and delivery, postnatal care, and obstetric emergencies.

Paediatrics

This chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties explores the specialty of paediatrics. It discusses emergencies such as life support, anaphylaxis, and cardiac arrest. It explores taking a history, physical examination, and how to deal with fever and common problems, including non-accidental injury. It discusses common viral infection and respiratory issues such as asthma and cystic fibrosis, as well as gastrointestinal and genitourinary issues such as abdominal pain and distension, diarrhoea, malnutrition, malformations, nephrotic syndrome, and renal disease. It explores neurology from epilepsy to headache, and cardiology from congenital heart disease to heart murmurs. It discusses haematology and immunology, endocrinology, and growth. It ends with a detailed discussion of neonatology, from examination to common illnesses, daily requirements to breastfeeding, jaundice to haemolytic disease, and respiratory distress to the neonatal intensive care unit, respiratory support, and sudden unexplained infant death.

Ophthalmology

This chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties explores the specialty of ophthalmology. Starting with an ophthalmic glossary, it describes in depth how to assess the eyes and flags some key points to remember. Eye conditions such as acute glaucoma, acute anterior uveitis, episcleritis, corneal ulcers, ophthalmic shingles, conjunctivitis, and allergic eye disease are investigated. Tears and lacrimation are explored, along with blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, and orbital swelling. Retinal problems such as retinoblastoma, loss of vision, primary open-angle glaucoma, cataract, macular degeneration, and retinal detachment are described, moving on to visual field defects, squint, and pupil problems. Systemic disease and diabetes mellitus are explored, as well as ocular disease in pregnancy, the effect of drugs on the eye, and tropical eye disease. A look at vision rounds off the chapter, with refraction, contact lenses, refractive procedures, and blindness, before a glimpse of the possible future for the eye.

Dermatology

This chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties explores the specialty of dermatology. It works up from the basics of dermatology through describing a lesion and patterns of skin disease to itch and signs of systemic disease. Cancer is reviewed, including common skin cancers and premalignant tumours and malignant melanoma. Psoriasis is explored, along with eczema, skin infections, acne vulgaris, rosacea, drug eruptions, photosensitivity, urticaria, ulcers, HIV, infestations, and psychodermatoses.

Trauma

This chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties explores trauma. It looks at describing an X-ray and whether a patient needs an X-ray or computed tomography scan. It discusses management and complications of fractures as well as complex regional pain syndromes. It explores trauma to the arm, shoulder, elbow, and forearm, as well as distal radial and ulnar fractures, and hand fractures and injuries. It reviews proximal femoral fractures and hip fractures in the elderly, as well as injuries to the knee, and ankle and foot strains and fractures. It describes injuries to the face, neck, and eye, as well as nerve injury, including testing peripheral nerve motor functions, dermatomes and peripheral nerves, nerve compression and syndromes, injuries to the brachial plexus, and spinal cord injury.

Anaesthesia

This chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties explores the specialty of anaesthesia. It reviews preoperative assessment, sedation, drugs used to induce anaesthesia, inhalational anaesthetic agents, intravenous anaesthetic agents, and muscle relaxants. It explores the practical conduct of anaesthesia, Difficult Airway Society (DAS) guidelines, maintaining and monitoring, rapid sequence induction aspiration, and intubation technique. It examines some complications of anaesthesia, end of anaesthesia, recovery, pain, and postoperative nausea and vomiting, and describes regional anaesthesia, including peripheral nerve blocks and neuraxial anaesthesia.

Eponymous syndromes

This chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties explores 80 eponymous syndromes most likely to be encountered or discussed in medical school or Foundation Programme rotations.

General practice

This chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties explores the specialty of general practice. It explores common reasons for seeing a general practitioner (GP), general practice in the UK, differences between GPs and specialists, pressures of primary care, primary care models, primary care teams, and the concept of universal primary care. It discusses consultation models, patient-centredness, decision-making, continuity of care, and risk management. It reviews compliance and concordance in prescribing, as well as protocols, targets, and guidelines, telephone consulting, and home visits. It describes commonly encountered chronic disease and frailty as well as minor illness, medically unexplained symptoms, time off work, and fitness to work, drive, and fly. It investigates UK benefits for disability and illness and confirmation and certification of death. It examines social class and inequalities in health as well as social, psychological, and physical elements, prevention of disease, screening, and health education. It explains cardiovascular disease risk assessment, how to manage smoking cessation, alcohol and drug misuse, obesity, sleep problems, exercise, healthy eating, alternative/holistic medicine, and the GP’s role in dealing with intimate partner violence. It discusses GPs as managers and commissioners, as well as new ways of extending primary care, and expert patients.

Gynaecology

This chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties describes the gynaecology specialty, including history and examination, sexual health and dysfunction, gynaecological anatomy, genital abnormalities, and female genital mutilation. It also explores menstruation, polycystic ovarian syndrome, menorrhagia, premenstrual syndrome, menopause, and HRT (hormone replacement therapy). It discusses pregnancy, including termination, miscarriage, and ectopic pregnancy. It investigates the vulva, vaginal discharge, PID (pelvic inflammatory disease), the uterus, pelvic pain, dyspareunia, fibroids (uterine leiomyomata), and endometriosis. It explores subfertility and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. It describes contraception and sterilization, as well as incontinence and prolapse. It investigates vulval lumps, ulcers, carcinoma, and cervical screening. It describes cancer, including vaginal, ovarian, and endometrial, as well as benign ovarian tumours and gynaecological surgery.

Pre-hospital emergency medicine

This chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties explores the specialty of pre-hospital emergency medicine. It reviews pre-hospital emergency medicine in general, including activation of the emergency services and major trauma networks in the UK. It gives practical advice on assessment on arrival at the scene, hazards to consider, triage, and initial patient assessment before going into specifics including how to deal with shock, the entrapped patient, pre-hospital analgesia, splintage and manipulation, and injuries to the head, spine, and chest. It explores pre-hospital care of special interest groups and emergency anaesthesia, traumatic cardiac arrest, and how to approach a major incident. It investigates the importance of public health, and how to develop lasting resilience as a member of the pre-hospital emergency team.