obstetrics by ten teachers

1
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2003: 82: 101 Copyright C Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2003 Printed in Denmark . All rights reserved Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica ISSN 0001-6349 BOOK REVIEW Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2003; 82: 101. C Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2003 Campbell S, Lees C, editors. Obstetrics by Ten Teachers. 17th edn. 374 pages, illustrated. London: Arnold, 2000. Co-published in the USA: New York: Oxford University Press Inc. ISBN 0-340- 71986-9 (paperback), ISBN 0-340- 74082-5 (paperback, International Students’ Edition). Price: GBP 17.99. The first edition of Obstetrics by Ten Teachers was published in 1917 and was titled Mid- wifery . The sixteenth edition ap- peared in 1995, which I review- ed in Acta Obstetricia et Gyne- cologica Scandinavica (1996;75: 511) with high praise. The pres- ent and seventeenth edition of Obstetrics by Ten Teachers came 5 years later, hardly enough time for the previous edition to be outdated. Yet this is a completely new textbook. Only the size and volume have been retained. The editors are new, as are the contributors (with one exception: J. G. Grud- zinskas). Colors have been introduced, pleasing to the eye and of some possible didactic benefit. The editors, with little mod- esty, state that it is the most respected English language text- book on obstetrics, and they have done their best to live up to expectations. Inasmuch as it is possible to update the subject in 5years, they have succeeded. The book starts with a page of commonly used abbrevi- ations. I sometimes wonder why every new (and old) term in medicine has to be supplied with an abbreviation. Is it to save time in speaking and writing, or to maintain a secret pro- fessional jargon? Many are part of everyday language but others deserve oblivion. In any case, the page is useful. The authors have also included topical case histories, not least in the final section on medicolegal issues. I was particularly pleased to note that the authors have re- tained the old rule for dating pregnancy, using the last men- strual period except when dates are unreliable. In Norway, one sticks to ultrasound dating with almost religious fervor. Of course the ultrasound scan is well described and beautifully il- lustrated in the chapter on antenatal imaging and assessment of fetal well being. The mid-pregnancy scan, taken at 18–22 weeks, is said to be the most informative, but the most accurate dating is carried out between 11 and 14weeks. Another novel point of interest is that antenatal care with only four key visits for low-risk mothers is advocated, with clearly defined objec- tives at each visit. This is indeed the philosophy of the New World Health Organization Antenatal Care Model, which was introduced in 2001 following a large randomized trial. I am also prompted to compliment the editors for including statistics on the global situation concerning maternal mortality, but I get an odd feeling when looking at the figures for 1988 in the USSR (Table3.1), knowing that 1995 estimates for the world, includ- ing the Russian Federation, are readily available. The age-old description of the various shapes of the female pelvis has been retained, although with X-ray pictures of the pelvis rapidly disappearing it will not be of much practical value. Perhaps there will be a resurgence of interest with focus on the ethnic divergence of parturients in many societies? There is a paragraph on how to lower instrumental vaginal delivery rates, but no mention on the very high rate of cesarean section in, at least parts of, the UK, which ought to have been mentioned. The paragraph on cesarean section or vaginal breech was written before the results of the large international multicenter trial were known, and needs to be revised in the next edition. Both Kielland’s forceps and Løvset’s maneuver are described and illustrated, but the names are misspelt as Kjel- land and Loveset. The ‘10 teachers’ have swollen to twenty; there were 15 in the previous edition. The reader is not told who wrote what. It does not matter, as it is all well written. Some of the chapters end with a few references for further reading, with authors’ names occasionally found in the list of contributors; this may give a clue to authorship. I warmly recommend Obstetrics by Ten Teachers as an excel- lent textbook for medical students. Per Bergsjø

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Page 1: Obstetrics by Ten Teachers

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2003: 82: 101 Copyright C Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2003

Printed in Denmark . All rights reservedActa Obstetricia et

Gynecologica ScandinavicaISSN 0001-6349

BOOK REVIEW

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2003; 82: 101. C Acta Obstet GynecolScand 2003

Campbell S, Lees C, editors. Obstetrics by Ten Teachers. 17thedn. 374 pages, illustrated. London: Arnold, 2000.Co-published in the USA: New York: Oxford University PressInc. ISBN 0-340-71986-9 (paperback), ISBN 0-340-74082-5(paperback, International Students’ Edition). Price: GBP17.99.

The first edition of Obstetricsby Ten Teachers was publishedin 1917 and was titled Mid-wifery. The sixteenth edition ap-peared in 1995, which I review-ed in Acta Obstetricia et Gyne-cologica Scandinavica (1996;75:511) with high praise. The pres-ent and seventeenth edition ofObstetrics by Ten Teacherscame 5years later, hardlyenough time for the previousedition to be outdated. Yet thisis a completely new textbook.Only the size and volume havebeen retained. The editors are

new, as are the contributors (with one exception: J. G. Grud-zinskas). Colors have been introduced, pleasing to the eye andof some possible didactic benefit. The editors, with little mod-esty, state that it is the most respected English language text-book on obstetrics, and they have done their best to live up toexpectations. Inasmuch as it is possible to update the subject in5years, they have succeeded.

The book starts with a page of commonly used abbrevi-ations. I sometimes wonder why every new (and old) term inmedicine has to be supplied with an abbreviation. Is it to savetime in speaking and writing, or to maintain a secret pro-fessional jargon? Many are part of everyday language butothers deserve oblivion. In any case, the page is useful. The

authors have also included topical case histories, not least inthe final section on medicolegal issues.

I was particularly pleased to note that the authors have re-tained the old rule for dating pregnancy, using the last men-strual period except when dates are unreliable. In Norway, onesticks to ultrasound dating with almost religious fervor. Ofcourse the ultrasound scan is well described and beautifully il-lustrated in the chapter on antenatal imaging and assessmentof fetal well being. The mid-pregnancy scan, taken at 18–22weeks, is said to be the most informative, but the most accuratedating is carried out between 11 and 14weeks. Another novelpoint of interest is that antenatal care with only four key visitsfor low-risk mothers is advocated, with clearly defined objec-tives at each visit. This is indeed the philosophy of the NewWorld Health Organization Antenatal Care Model, which wasintroduced in 2001 following a large randomized trial. I am alsoprompted to compliment the editors for including statistics onthe global situation concerning maternal mortality, but I get anodd feeling when looking at the figures for 1988 in the USSR(Table3.1), knowing that 1995 estimates for the world, includ-ing the Russian Federation, are readily available.

The age-old description of the various shapes of the femalepelvis has been retained, although with X-ray pictures of thepelvis rapidly disappearing it will not be of much practicalvalue. Perhaps there will be a resurgence of interest with focuson the ethnic divergence of parturients in many societies?

There is a paragraph on how to lower instrumental vaginaldelivery rates, but no mention on the very high rate of cesareansection in, at least parts of, the UK, which ought to have beenmentioned. The paragraph on cesarean section or vaginalbreech was written before the results of the large internationalmulticenter trial were known, and needs to be revised in thenext edition. Both Kielland’s forceps and Løvset’s maneuver aredescribed and illustrated, but the names are misspelt as Kjel-land and Loveset.

The ‘10 teachers’ have swollen to twenty; there were 15 in theprevious edition. The reader is not told who wrote what. It doesnot matter, as it is all well written. Some of the chapters endwith a few references for further reading, with authors’ namesoccasionally found in the list of contributors; this may give aclue to authorship.

I warmly recommend Obstetrics by Ten Teachers as an excel-lent textbook for medical students.

Per Bergsjø