The Medical Abacus

Clinical practice is a unique blend of science and art. It draws upon a wide range of biological, physical, and sociological disciplines. Associated with many of these disciplines are mathematical formulas for the manipulation of specific data. But these formulas are distributed throughout each discipline's literature. The Medical Abacus brings together those formulas that are useful in clinical practice in a single reference. It includes key mathematical formulas, from acid-base balance to risk-evaluation statistics, with clear explanations of how to use them and interpret their results. Well organized and portable, this is the only book that brings all the essential formulas of medical practice together in one place, explains them in uncomplicated terms, and indexes them by disease. Only simple arithmetic and algebra are used, no advanced mathematics beyond the occasional logarithm, square root, or component is used. The data required for these formulas are readily available from the routine clinical laboratory. David Rifkind condenses a lifetime of clinical experience into this reference. The pocketsize format and easy layout make The Medical Abacus an essential companion for anyone involved in medical practice.