Second edition
Edited by Ronni Wolf, Lawrence Parish and Jennifer Parish
Published CRC Press published 2017
ISBN 978-1-4987-2931-4
Price £79.20
I remember many years ago, a very experienced dermatologist telling me that one big plus of being a dermatologist is that there is little emergency work to be involved in. Well times have moved on and this book provides a valuable insight into emergency dermatology. In fact, this book gives a fascinating and a very specific insight into a particular branch of dermatology that is maybe not seen or highlighted that often. There are 36 chapters covering a number of disparate dermatological emergencies. Topics include “acute skin failure” “acute severe bullous dermatoses” and “cutaneous signs of poisoning” Many of the conditions and situations covered are simply fascinating and this book makes superb reading. The global contributors have provided great insight into this sub specialty.
I have not seen a book cover this specific topic before and it does it very well. Admittedly, it is not common to see dermatological emergencies but this book is a welcome support to any healthcare professional who has to manage such a situation. Simply reading the book and coming across unusual but life-threatening situations is an educational experience. I read the section on Fournier Gangrene and vividly recall a patient I saw many years ago with this condition. It is not a huge book, coming in at just over 350 pages but is easy to dip in and read a specific section, such as one the on Fournier Gangrene.
It is well written and as would be expected from a dermatology book, contains high quality illustrations. I would suspect that a full-time dermatologist would be interested in owning this excellent book. The price also includes access to an electronic version and all you have to do is rub off the covering on the inside front cover to obtain access to the code. This adds to the usefulness of an interesting and educational book and I am sure if you are involved in the management of a patient who has an emergency dermatology issue, then this book could be very helpful indeed. It is not cheap but for the right owner, it could prove to be a most useful investment.
Dr Harry Brown
July 2018