The authors in the preface of Text Atlas of Wound Management acknowledge that this is a challenging and difficult area of medicine. Their book aims to deconstruct and simplify the management of different types of wound by showing us real life examples. In doing so they provide a comprehensive review of different wound aetiologies, principles of management and new techniques to deal with them.
By using clinical vignettes they allow the reader to imagine they are at the bedside, dealing with the same problems and challenges as the authors. They have adopted an informal and narrative approach to the book using lots of pictures to illustrate cases. This aids in making the book more accessible to all healthcare professionals.
The book is divided into eight major categories. Each category represents an organised and comprehensive database of knowledge pertinent to a specific type of wound or wound management. The multiple illustrations available allow learning by pattern recognition. The first six sections deal with the different types of wound which healthcare professionals come into contact with on a daily basis: acute wounds, wound infections, neuropathic, vascular and inflammatory ulcers, and neoplasms. Sections seven and eight bring us into the present day and deal with new techniques for wound management and procedures evolving from ongoing clinical trials.
Each chapter is introduced with the history and principles of the particular wound to be discussed in the chapter ahead along with a summary of key clinical points. The chapter is then beautifully presented with numerous colour photographs and impressive medical illustrations, which aid in communicating recognition of the types of wound and their management on a practical level. There are also summary text boxes to highlight the history of the patient presented and the management that occurred for them. The text of each chapter is written in a clear and concise manner and the concepts presented are based on recognition of the type of wound, underlying aetiology and ways to manage the wound and restore underlying function.
The content clearly draws on the mastery that the international body of authors have amassed during their illustrious careers as well as their expert knowledge in the domain of wound management. As a core surgical trainee I felt that this book guided me through the world of wound management, which is an area that is not taught at an undergraduate level. It introduced me to ways to recognise wounds and instigate their healing whilst keeping me focused on the pathogenesis which underlies them.
