This well-organized text contains a wealth of information on a very basic level. The text is supplemented by FirstAidNet, an integral Web site that allows students access to additional and updated information online. A CD-ROM is also available.
Virtually every emergency, including emergency childbirth, is covered in this book. Chapters 1 through 4 provide an overview of anatomy and patient assessment, with guidelines for responding to an emergency. Chapters 5 and 6 describe the latest cardiopulmonary resuscitation standards and the treatment of shock. Chapters 12 and 13 provide a good overview of extremity injuries, including some of the most common athletic injuries. I found chapter 22, on wilderness first aid, to be especially interesting. This chapter offers helpful guidelines for reducing finger, shoulder, and patellar dislocations in wilderness situations. Also included are useful topics such as facing medical emergencies in the wilderness, dealing with poisonous insect bites, and managing environmental conditions. The appendixes provide current information on the use of automatic external defibrillators and the administration of a patient's emergency medications, such as nitroglycerin and epinephrine.
The illustrations are informative, and the numerous tables list not only what to do in an emergency, but also what not to do, thereby debunking many "old wives' tales." One down side in the text is the use of "hero citations," which are short paragraphs describing a situation in which someone saved another's life. These citations serve no real purpose.
This book is well written and easy to follow. It is clearly the best first-aid text on this level that I have seen and would make a good supplemental text for beginning students. Experienced certified or student athletic trainers will gain little from this text and are better off taking a paramedic course if they want additional knowledge in emergency medical care.