Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

How to Use xi
collect concise presentations of related information
for easy reference.
Each type of entry (mid-length and longer)
incorporates consistent elements, identified by
standardized subheadings:
• Entries for health conditions and diseases begin
with a general discussion of the condition and
its known or possible causes and then incorporate
content under the subheadings “Symptoms
and Diagnostic Path,” “Treatment Options and
Outlook,” and “Risk Factors and Preventive
Measures.”
• Entries for surgery operations begin with a general
discussion of the procedure and then incorporate
content under the subheadings “Surgical
Procedure,” “Risks and Complications,” and
“Outlook and Lifestyle Modifications.”
• Entries for medication classifications begin with
a general discussion of the type of medication
and its common uses and then incorporate content
under the subheadings “How These Medications
Work,” “Therapeutic Applications,” and
“Risks and Side Effects.”
• Entries for diagnostic procedures begin with a
general discussion of the test or procedure and
then incorporate content under the subheadings
“Reasons for Doing This Test,” “Preparation,
Procedure, and Recovery,” and “Risks and
Complications.”
Entries in Volume 4’s section “Emergency and
First Aid” are unique within the orientation of The
Facts On File Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine in
that they feature instructional rather than informational
content. These entries do not replace
appropriate training in emergency response
and first aid methods. Rather, these entries provide
brief directives that are appropriate for guiding
the actions of a person with little or no first aid
training who is first on the scene of an emergency.
Each volume concludes with a complete, full
index for the sections and entries within the volume.
Volume 4 of The Facts On File Encyclopedia of
Medicine contains a comprehensive index for all
four encyclopedia volumes that researchers can
use to quickly and easily determine which volumes
contain desired sections or entries.