Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History-Taking – Eleventh Edition

Book Preface

Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking is designed forstudents of health professions who are learning to talk with patients, to perform their physical examinations, and to apply clinical reasoning to understanding and assessing patient concerns. The 11th edition has many new features to facilitate student learning. As with previous editions, these changes spring from three sources: the queries and feedback of students and teachers; the goal of making the book easier to read and more efficient to use; and the abundant new evidence that underpins the techniques of interviewing, examination, and promoting health.

Bates’ 11th helps students build on basic knowledge of human anatomy and physiology as they acquire the timeless skills of patient assessment. Throughout the Guide, we emphasize common or important problems rather than the rare and esoteric. Occasionally, physical signs of rare disorders are included if they hold a solid niche in classic physical diagnosis or represent a disorder that is critical to the life of the patient. Each chapter explicitly reflects a strong evidence-based perspective, listing key citations that closely align content with new evidence from the health care literature. Color helps readers find chapter sections and tables more easily, and highlights insets of key information and special tips for challenging aspects of examination such as examining the eye or assessing the jugular venous pressure. More than 200 new and revised photographs and drawings have been added to better illustrate key points in the accompanying text. All tables remain vertical so readers can page through the chapters more easily without turning the book to its side.

Bates’ 11th: Special Highlights and Changes in Brief The 11th edition features extensive new content, substantial revisions, and many new photos and illustrations to help students master the important skills of patient assessment. As in the past two editions, the 11th edition comprises three units: Foundations of Health Assessment, Regional Examinations, and Special Populations.

●● Unit 1, Foundations of Health Assessment. Chapter 1, Overview: Physical Examination and History Taking, and Chapter 2, Clinical Reasoning, Assessment, and Recording Your Findings, follow a logical sequence that introduces students to the overall process of history taking and physical examination and a case example of the written record for a comprehensive assessment and for an office progress note. Discussion and tables clarify the differences between subjective and objective data and between comprehensive and focused examinations. There are guidelines for ensuring a succinct and well-organized clinical record and how to analyze clinical data, as well as details about needed equipment and standard and universal precautions to minimize infection. Chapter 2 explores the process of clinical reasoning and methods for assessing clinical data. Chapter 3, Interviewing and the Health History, has been reorganized to better lead students through the techniques of skilled interviewing. Chapter 3 now contains sections on the Fundamentals of Skilled Interviewing; the Sequence and Context of the Interview, including the cultural context of the interview; Advanced Interviewing; and Ethics and Professionalism. Look for new content on motivational interviewing to help patients address health promotion through changing lifestyle and behaviors.

●● Unit 2, Regional Examinations. This unit, spanning Chapters 4 through 17, again begins with the important general survey of the patient and techniques for accurate measurement of the vital signs in Chapter 4. This chapter provides evidence-based information on current guidelines for assessing obesity and nutrition and managing acute and chronic pain. Because assessment of mood, affect, and mental health begins at the outset of every patient encounter, Chapter 5, Behavior and Mental Status follows, with new information on personality disorders and the major mental health issues affecting our population.