The Rational Clinical Examination: Evidence-based Clinical Diagnosis

In the tradition of the famous "Users' Guides to the Medical Literature," The JAMA series "Rational Clinical Examination" was created to bring the principles of evidence-based medicine to the diagnostic process. Featuring specific clinical questions, numerous case examples, and precise summaries of available evidence, the RCE series was an instant hit.

Now for the very first time in book form, completely updated with new literature analyses, here is a uniquely practical, clinically relevant approach to the use of evidence in the content of physical examination. Going far beyond the scope of traditional physical examination texts, this invaluable resource compiles and presents the evidence-based meanings of signs, symptoms, and results from physical examination maneuvers and other diagnostic studies. Page after page, you'll find a focus on actual clinical questions and presentations, making it an incomparably practical resource that you'll turn to again and again.

Importantly, the high-yield content of "The Rational Clinical Examination" is significantly expanded and updated from the original JAMA articles, much of it published here for the first time. It all adds up to a definitive, ready-to-use clinical exam sourcebook that no student or clinician should be without.

FEATURES All the expert perspectives on the application of evidence-based medicine principles-with all the authority of the pioneering JAMA Rational Clinical Examination series Packed with updated, new, and previously unpublished information from the original JAMA articles Standardized template for every issue covered, including: Case Presentation;Why the Issue Is Clinically Important; Research and Statistical Methods Used to Find the Evidence Presented; The Sensitivity and Specificity of Each Key Result; Resolution of the Case Presentation; and the Clinical Bottom Line Completely updated with all-new literature searches and appraisals supplementing each chapter Full-color format with dynamic clinical illustrations and images Real-world focus on a specific clinical question in each chapter, reflecting the way clinicians approach the practice of evidence-based medicine More than 50 complete chapters on common and challenging clinical questions and patient presentations Not-to-be-missed coverage of the principles of evidence-based medicine and physical diagnosis, with the concepts of specificity and sensitivity applied to the patient encounter Also available: JAMAevidence.com, a new interactive database for the best practice of evidence based medicine