Product Review

Going well beyond first aid, this manual describes medical secrets used by an experienced African mission doctor and former assistant professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School. The tips are pragmatic, affordable, and useful for anyone from medics to laypersons, but are particularly aimed at people who work and live in remote areas with scarce resources. The subjects cover antibiotic therapy, advanced care of complex wounds, laceration closure with glue, malaria, oral rehydration therapy, fecal transplantation, and more. Each chapter contains references for further reading and is written in a concise style that maximizes useful information. The material is specifically aimed at people who work in complex environments away from centralized resources — military special forces, extreme travelers, open water sailors, expedition members, humanitarian aid workers, and anyone who lives in the developing world. The material is useful to anyone who wishes to become more medically knowledgeable and self-sufficient, regardless of circumstance. While it does not substitute for skilled physician care, it will allow readers an understanding of how medical decisions are made by experts and in some cases, how to provide intermediate or complex medical care when a physician is not available.