Canadian Medical Association Complete Home Medical Guide: The Essential Reference for Every Home. Rev. ed.

Sarah Robertson is editor of the Canadian Book Review Annual.

First published in 2001, the physician-reviewed Complete Home Medical
Guide has been revised and updated to reflect recent medical advances
and the emergence of new diseases, from anthrax to SARS to West Nile
virus. Many of the guide’s articles direct readers to online medical
sites where further information can be obtained.

The book is divided into five parts. Part 1, “Taking Control of Your
Health,” examines the effects of genetic makeup and lifestyle on
health, and provides guidance on preventive health care and choosing
health-care providers. Part 2, “Assessing Your Symptoms,” features
70 question-and-answer charts covering common symptoms, from “not
feeling well” to “weight problems in children.” Part 3, “Looking
for Disease,” focuses on diagnostic and screening procedures, with
individual sections devoted to “Visiting Your Doctor,” “Testing
Samples,” and “Visualizing Internal Organs.” Part 4, “Your Body
and Disease,” looks at more than 700 diseases and disorders, with
particular attention paid to causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
options, prognosis, and prevention. Part 5, “Treating Disease,”
provides an overview of medical treatments, with individual sections on
“Drug Treatment,” “Surgery,” “Care and Therapies,” and
“First Aid.” An index, a drug glossary, and a list of health-related
online sites and addresses are included in the back matter.

The Complete Home Medical Guide has its limitations. For example, I was
unable to locate information on restless-leg syndrome, a fairly common
disorder. Both the home and physicians’ editions of The Merck Manual
offer more detail, but if you’re in the market for a user-friendly
medical reference, this attractively designed and lavishly illustrated
guide fits the bill.