Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd
Blue Sky Offices Shoreham, 25 Cecil Pashley Way, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5FF, UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44 (0)1273 434 943
Email: [email protected]
Oxford Handbook of Rheumatology
Edited by Gavin Clunie, Elena Nikiphorou, Nick Wilkinson and Deepak Jadon
5th Edition published by Oxford University Press (July 2025)
ISBN 978-0-19-888515-3
Price £38.99
This is another excellent product from the Oxford Medical Handbook series, and to be honest, that is no great surprise. Every member of the series that I have seen so far follows the same template, which translates into a handbook that is ever so useful and practical.
This book has a standard vinyl cover, which protects the paper contents. This is practical as it is likely to be used more than a standard textbook, though, of course, the converse can also happen. Following the standard Oxford Medical Handbook template has been hugely successful so far, and this book is no exception.
Like many other handbooks in the series, although compact, it runs to a significant 780 pages, including the index. In practice, it lies between a standard handbook and a textbook, but retains the dimensions of a handbook, albeit thicker. There are also 26 colour plates in the centre of the book, which are always interesting to look at. However, the book’s core content does not disappoint.
It is an excellent musculoskeletal reference source, probably too much for medical students but ideal for resident doctors, senior clinicians, nursing staff and the primary healthcare team. It is full of practical advice and clinical information, presented in a concise, easy-to-read format. It does not take long to read around a specific topic, which allows a clinician to face a patient with that problem and feel more confident in managing it. I also like the extensive use of bullet points throughout the text, and this makes it easier for the user to quickly digest the material.
So now, down to the practicalities: take two conditions that can present in both primary and secondary care, namely Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis. These two important conditions are covered from Page 480 onwards. Bullet points are sensibly used, and the text headings are logical, such as epidemiology, pathology, investigation, and treatment.
The writing style is easy to understand and straightforward, and it does not take a busy clinician long to grasp the main points, refresh their knowledge, and assemble all this information to help their patient. It also makes the job more enjoyable when you have clarity of thought, as well as improving clinical skills and thought processes.
I could go on and on, but you get the gist. This is an excellent book and very keenly priced as well. If you want a clinically focused book on this topic, then this comes highly recommended.
