Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics - Satoskar - 24th Edition - No Cost Library
Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics- Satoskar - 24th Edition
Author(s): Satoskar, Nirmala, Bhandarkar
Publisher: Elsevier, Year: 2015
Book Review:
This textbook, not entirely new to many of the pharmacologists, is commonly used by MBBS students at undergraduate level. As mentioned in their preface, the writers attempted to prune the 14th Edition, revised it, and expanded it in the process. They took caution during the analysis to incorporate their fellow colleagues' experience in clinical specialties, likely with the goal of making pharmacotherapy issues more relevant, insightful and substantive. The addition of description tables in frames, which are definitely captivating, is an appreciable and significant change. In certain cases the definitions were changed to a palatable type of points instead of running text.
This would boost the preservation of the details in the reader's minds and could be easily retrieved. A positive change is the addition of a new "Drugs and The Body" segment that includes additional detail but is not comprehensive. The section on endocrinology has gained significant recognition and has undergone excellent analysis. Particularly the chapters on "lnsulin and oral antidiabetic agents" and on "Gonadotropins, Estrogens and Progestins" are well written providing valuable information on various currently available drugs, keeping pace with the changing treatment regimens. As indicated in the preface, the pathophysiological aspects of certain diseases are included in the key topics such as hypertension, inclusion of EDRF information, cardiac muscle electrophysiology, ion channel function inclusion, cytokines and diarrhoea. Throughout the beginning the "Dosage Note" is a welcome addition. While the writers took a great deal of pain in upgrading this novel, there is still room for the requisite improvements.
Lack of diagrams / schematic representations / flow maps is one of the big lacunas. Presence of these will inspire the readers with the available Description tables and make reading this book a pleasure. These can be carried out using the new technologies in various colors emphasizing the important points and that too especially on a document of better quality than the one actually used. Font selection is not effective. In many places the titles are in smaller fonts than the sub titles. The names of the drugs are in capital letters. All these factors somehow are not pleasing to the eyes. It would be more appropriate and beneficial if the demerits/side effects of the drugs/treatment are arranged in the order of high risk to low risk. For example, under the heading “complications of blood transfusion” AIDS find the last place in the book, rather it should be placed first considering its present danger. In certain chapters, like quinolones, the information available is insufficient. It is very difficult to digest the presence of some prominent proprietary names of certain drugs that too in the summary table in a good text book like this. Though the authors have mentioned in their preface that this should not be construed as their recommendations. It will certainly influence the readers to a greater extent.
The authors are also aware that hardly few readers go through the preface of a book prior to reading its contents. The data on de-addiction therapy on various drugs which are liable to cause dependence is scarce under their respective chapters. Some statements like “The treatment of morphine dependence, in principle, is similar to that of alcohol or barbiturates” (P 135) is misleading. This generalization is possible only as far as psychological counselling therapy is concerned but not for pharmacotherapy such as aversion therapy is feasible only for alcohol but not for others. A separate section on “De-addiction” is necessary as drug abuse is becoming more common now a days. In the light of the recent revised curriculum suggested for MBBS by the Medical Council of India, it is necessary to include certain additional chapters on “Environmental toxicology”, “Essential drug Concept” and the basic principles on “Gene therapy”. On the whole, this revised fifteenth edition has undergone a healthy revision including updated information catering the needs of the Undergraduates. Possibly, if the suggested points are made available to the readers through the forthcoming edition, no doubt, the authors aim of publishing this book will be achieved near total.
Lack of diagrams / schematic representations / flow maps is one of the big lacunas. Presence of these will inspire the readers with the available Description tables and make reading this book a pleasure. These can be carried out using the new technologies in various colors emphasizing the important points and that too especially on a document of better quality than the one actually used. Font selection is not effective. In many places the titles are in smaller fonts than the sub titles. The names of the drugs are in capital letters. All these factors somehow are not pleasing to the eyes. It would be more appropriate and beneficial if the demerits/side effects of the drugs/treatment are arranged in the order of high risk to low risk. For example, under the heading “complications of blood transfusion” AIDS find the last place in the book, rather it should be placed first considering its present danger. In certain chapters, like quinolones, the information available is insufficient. It is very difficult to digest the presence of some prominent proprietary names of certain drugs that too in the summary table in a good text book like this. Though the authors have mentioned in their preface that this should not be construed as their recommendations. It will certainly influence the readers to a greater extent.
The authors are also aware that hardly few readers go through the preface of a book prior to reading its contents. The data on de-addiction therapy on various drugs which are liable to cause dependence is scarce under their respective chapters. Some statements like “The treatment of morphine dependence, in principle, is similar to that of alcohol or barbiturates” (P 135) is misleading. This generalization is possible only as far as psychological counselling therapy is concerned but not for pharmacotherapy such as aversion therapy is feasible only for alcohol but not for others. A separate section on “De-addiction” is necessary as drug abuse is becoming more common now a days. In the light of the recent revised curriculum suggested for MBBS by the Medical Council of India, it is necessary to include certain additional chapters on “Environmental toxicology”, “Essential drug Concept” and the basic principles on “Gene therapy”. On the whole, this revised fifteenth edition has undergone a healthy revision including updated information catering the needs of the Undergraduates. Possibly, if the suggested points are made available to the readers through the forthcoming edition, no doubt, the authors aim of publishing this book will be achieved near total.
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