Volume 11 Issue 1 (February) - Australasian Society for Ultrasound ...

REVIEWS
Book reviews
Clinical Sonography: A Practical Guide
Authors/Eds Roger C Sanders and
Tom Winter
Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
Approx Cost $A140
This text will be familiar to sonographers,
being a prescribed text for
a number of local ultrasound courses.
The 4th edition, in which Roger
Sanders shares principle authorship
with Thomas Winter, and 27 other
contributors, has been published nine
years after the third edition, and developments
in the profession, and in ultrasound
technology and systems have
been reflected in the text.
As is remarked on in the preface
n Attributes of a sonographer are
increasingly being defined, as befits
a growing profession
n Criteria for accreditation of ultrasound
laboratories have been
defined
n Guidelines for virtually all sonographic
examinations have been
laid out; and
n The Society of Diagnostic Medical
Sonographers has approved a code
of ethics.
Reference to new technologies has
been made throughout, with mention
being made to higher frequency transducers
(up to 20 MHz), 3D imaging,
harmonics, compound imaging,
extended field of view imaging and
PACS.
The book aims to provide practical
guidance to sonographers and radiologists.
It is divided into 62 chapters and
44 appendices, an increase from the 57
and 36, respectively, of the 1998 edition.
There are chapters on physics and instrumentation,
abdominal imaging, small
parts, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics
and neonates, vascular, musculoskeletal,
procedures preliminary reporting,
malpractice, and accreditation.
New chapters have been included
on ankle and feet, malpractice accreditation
and ergonomics.
Rather than approach a topic
anatomical region by region, where
pathologies are listed and discussed,
the authors have looked at the presentation,
placing the patient and
the pathology into an actual clinical
context, therefore, we have chapters
entitled Right Upper Quadrant Pain,
First Trimester Bleed, and Pain and
Swelling in the Limbs
Each chapter contains a brief list
of ultrasound abbreviation, keywords
and definitions and a list of relevant
lab values. It is then divided as follows:
The Clinical Problem, Anatomy,
Technique, Pathology, Pitfalls, Where
to look, and a suggested reading list,
in short, each of the components one
would need to complete a successful
diagnostic examination
The inclusion of laboratory values
(LFTS and their differential diagnoses,
renal function tests, thyroid function
test, etc), was particularly pleasing,
given that many departments now have
more ready access to this information
via their computer systems, and
a familiarity with abnormal pathology
results can only enhance our ability to
tailor the examination to the clinical
problem.
To paraphrase the author, such additional
information elevates the average
sonographer to ‘Top Flight’ – one
who continues to exercise intellectual
curiosity.
Some chapters have been almost
completely rewritten, in particular, there
is a superb revision of the Breast chapter,
with reference to AT Stavros (Breast
Ultrasound, Lippincott Williams and
Wilkins 2004), also the Neonatal head,
Spine, Pediatric Abdominal Masses and
Carotid chapters.
A notable change from the previous
edition has been the inclusion of
ultrasound images. These replace the
diagrams previously used and include
800 black and white, and 48 full color
images.
All of the chapters have been
enhanced by the addition of these
images, the obstetric and gynecology
chapters in particular.
The musculoskeletal chapters were
beautifully presented with transducer
placement and pathology diagrams
and photographs, high resolution sonograms,
even intraoperative images
accompanying the text.
There is so much more to admire
about this text, despite a very small
number of the ultrasound images
being a little dark, and some of the
color image pages being bound out
of sequence. The Couinaud Bismuth
designation of segmental liver anatomy
was described, but an actual diagram
would have been useful.
A notable part is the Appendices. In
the previous edition, they were printed
at the back and included biometric
tables, as well as very detailed AIUM
guidelines for completing most examinations,
including equipment, scanning
protocols, and documentation. All very
useful, especially for the student. They
are mentioned throughout the book,
but were only available through an
online student resource centre.
The idea, as suggested by the author,
was that the student could assess the
resource centre at any time and print
them up as needed. This could only be
accessed by logging on and entering a
12 unit code on the inside page of the
cover, which was revealed by scratching
off a concealed panel – meaning
the faculty resources are restricted to
the adopter of the text.
I was able to successfully log on to
the site, but was denied access, despite
repeated attempts using the code in
the review copy I was given. I am not
sure how students using copies borrowed
from libraries would be able to
use this system, given the restrictions
described.
This minor issue aside, Clinical
Sonography is a text one will return to
again and again, simply because of
its day-to-day usefulness. It gives the
technical information, the lab workup,
scan techniques and the differential
diagnoses.
It advocates an approach whereby
the patient is looked on as a whole
rather than pathology in isolation.
Judy Lees (GDU)
Royal Melbourne Hospital
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­48 ASUM Ultrasound Bulletin 2008 February 11 (1)