The Washington Manual of Outpatient Internal Medicine, 2e

Book Preface

The Washington Manual of Outpatient Internal Medicine. This book is intended to serve as a companion to the 34th edition of The Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics and allows for a more in-depth focus on the practice of medicine in the ambulatory setting. We are, as ever, indebted to the editors and authors of previous editions who created such a strong foundation upon which to build this new edition.
The focus of The Washington Manual of Outpatient Internal Medicine is to provide a reference that covers common ambulatory problems encountered in each medical subspecialty. Recognizing that many of the presentations seen in the outpatient setting fall outside of the traditional internal medicine subspecialties, we have included chapters on topics such as dermatology, neurology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and psychiatry written by specialists in these fields. In keeping with the tradition of other Washington Manual publications, all chapters are authored by the outstanding house staff and faculty at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine—we are humbled by their passion, skill, and dedication to this, and all, Washington Manual publications.
The second edition has been updated to reflect the most current literature and medical practices. We have continued to use a standard chapter template with a bulleted style that incorporates tables and figures for easy reference. Online and mobile access to this edition is available through Inkling electronic books. This provides readers with an interactive and fully searchable version of the text.
As always, the editors are deeply indebted to the staff at Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins for their unwavering support and guidance. In particular, we would like to thank Rebecca Gaertner and Kristina Oberle for their limitless patience. Within our division, Katie Sharp works tirelessly with editors and authors to ensure an outstanding product, and we are profoundly grateful for her contribution. We have also received tremendous support from within the Department of Medicine—specifically, the Chairman of Medicine, Vicky Fraser, and Melvin Blanchard, the Chief of the Division of Medical Education.
Heather F. Sateia, MD
Thomas M. De Fer, MD