Clinical Pathophysiology Made Ridiculously Simple: Spiral Bound Edition

I am a nursing student who learns things by understanding them on a deep level (causes, patterns, connections) rather than by memorizing isolated fragments. So this book is excellent for someone like me.Unlike the assigned textbook for pathophysiology, this book begins its survey of the clinical problems that can affect each body system with a "big picture" preview--and always in the simplest, clearest language possible. Here, for instance, is how the pulmonary system chapter begins: "What problems could affect the alveolar sac and/or airways? 1. The sac is already filled with something other than air. 2. The sac does not open adequately. 3. The sac is unable to expire adequately due to either obstruction of the airways or decreased elastic recoil of the sac itself." The rest of the chapter simply fills in the details of these three possibilities.Moreover, the book is filled with extremely useful devices for remembering and organizing the information presented. There are on virtually every page very clear diagrams, pictures, or formulas that capture a central concept in a memorable figure. For instance, a figure depicting the renal system, with blood supply, nephron, and collecting system (ureter, etc) uses little pointing hands to show the classification of kinds of acute renal failure: prerenal, intrinsic, and postrenal. Second, the book has many helpful mnemonics. For instance, "aldosteRoNe causes Reabsorption of Na (sodium)."Finally, the book provides detailed but wonderfully clear and simple explanations of virtually every pathophysiological problem, including many of the major diagnostics for distinguishing them. Moreover, it frequently uses questions in the text to give the reader a chance to think about the problem. For instance, in discussing hyperthryroidism, the author points out the two main mechanisms: "The thyroid over-secretes thyroid hormone (primary) or the pituitary over-stimulates the thyroid to secrete thyroid hormone (secondary). One needs only one lab value to distinguish between primary and secondary hyperthyroidism. Which one? Think about negative feedback. If the thyroid itself secretes lots of hormone 'without being told to,' this would increase negative feedback on the pituitary. So in primary hyperthyroidism TSH will be low."Plainly, one cannot come to this book without an adequate background in basic anatomy and physiology. Nor does the book presume to provide detailed coverage of everything, as Guyton and Hall do. But it is the best short overview of pathophysiology I have ever seen, and it helped me tremendously in understanding and therefore thinking critically about clinical problems.

I love this series of books! A lot of students struggle with pathophysiology. (Personally, I find pharmacology more difficult, but that's neither here nor there.) Anyone struggling to understand pathophysiology or anyone just wanting to read pathophysiology simplified - as much as it can be - needs to read this book. While written primarily for college and medical school students - I'm working on a MS is Advanced Biosciences - even intelligent and engaged high school biology and physiology students should be able to understand this book. It describes the disease process according to each system of the body. For example, on the first page, we begin to read an anatomical overview of the heart, then we jump right into heart failure and its causes. The book continues describing most everything that can adversely affect the heart and how to treat it, then it dives into the pulmonary system, the renal system, the gastrointestinal system, etc. There's nothing extraneous, but there's nothing left out, either. (As the author points out in the preface, you won't find information on histopathology, epidemiology, diagnostic algorithms, treatment protocols, and psychosocial medicine in this book. This book is dedicated to what causes disease and how to treat it. That's it. And that's all I wanted, at least from this book.) Even my non-medical, non-scientific sister could understand this book, though she really wasn't interested in it. I've maintained a 4.0 average in my Advanced Pathophysiology class, and I really have to credit this book for much of that grade. (I love my textbook, but it can be daunting at times.) I read this book before my class began, and I refer to it often during class projects and the writing of papers. The only thing I wish were different is that the book were spiral bound. However, if you're a college student, or even a high school student studying human physiology, I think you'll find this book very helpful. I've been recommending it too all my classmates, and the ones who've read it love it! I think you will, too.

My CNO told me to buy this book, she had received it as a gift from one of her mentors when she was studying for her MSN. This author wrote himself a book to break down physiology into plain terms, basically as a study aid. I‘ve been a practicing RN for nearly two decades, and now as an APRN student, I am using this book to cross reference and as a study aid, and I love it! Highly recommend!

This book is very WELL WRITTEN. The title is a bit of a misnomer because pathophYSIOLOGY is actually ridiculously complicated, BUT this book explains it well. I gave the book 4 stars rather than 5 as the entire book is black and white and the graphics are very very basic, so if you're a person into great charts and needs pictures, the book isn't for you. If you need great writing, get the book.

For those of you who are in school for healthcare, this book does a fantastic job of breaking down complicated topics for pathophysiology. I take it everywhere I go. They give great examples, charts, and some mnemonics. I tell anyone I know who is in school for medicine to buy it. It has really helped me to understand organ system topics.

I just opened it I just read it and I already understand more from it than from my textbooks thanks for making this book. I have been crying thinking I was going to fail out of nursing school because I just couldn’t wrap my mind around the pathophysiology. Thank you so much !

This book is an invaluable tool for medical students who need things put succinctly. I couldn’t have made it through without it, to be totally candid.