Free medical books: 100 Cases in Clinical Medicine, Third Edition
100 Cases in Clinical Medicine, Third Edition
Most doctors think that the most memorable way to learn medicine is to see patients. It is
easier to recall information based on a real person than a page in a textbook. Another important
element in the retention of information is the depth of learning. Learning that seeks
to understand problems is more likely to be accessible later than superficial factual accumulation.
This is the basis of problem-based learning, whereby students explore problems
with the help of a facilitator. The cases in this book are designed to provide another useful
approach, parallel to seeing patients and giving an opportunity for self-directed exploration
of clinical problems. They are based on the findings of history taking and examination,
together with the need to evaluate initial investigations such as blood investigations, X-rays
and electrocardiograms.
These cases are no substitute for clinical experience with real patients, but they provide a safe
environment for students to explore clinical problems and their own approach to diagnosis
and management. Most are common problems that might present to a general practitioner’s
surgery, a medical outpatients clinic or a session on call in hospital. There are a few more
unusual cases to illustrate specific points and to emphasize that rare things do present, even if
they are uncommon. The cases are written to try to interest students in clinical problems and
to enthuse them to find out more. They try to explore thinking about diagnosis and management
of real clinical situations.
The first 20 cases are arranged by systems, but the next 80 are in random order since, in
medicine, symptoms such as breathlessness and pain may relate to many different clinical
problems in various systems. We hope you enjoy working through the problems presented
here and can put the lessons you learn into practice in your student days and
subsequent career.
Author:
Professor of Medical Education,
King’s College London School of Medicine at Guy’s,
King’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals, London, UK
James Pattison MA DM FRCP
Consultant Nephrologist,
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust,
London, UK
Christopher Kosky MBBS FRACP
Consultant Physician,
General and Respiratory Medicine & Sleep Disorders,
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust;
Honorary Senior Lecturer, King’s College London, UK
100 Cases Series Editor:
Janice Rymer MD FRCOG FRANZCOG FHEA
Dean of Undergraduate Medicine and Professor of Gynaecology,
King’s College London School of Medicine, London, UK
Contents
Section 1: Systems-related cases 1
Cardiology 3
Respiratory 9
Abdomen 15
Liver 19
Renal 23
Endocrinology 27
Neurology 35
Rheumatology 39
Haematology 43
Infection
Section 2: General self-assessment cases
