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| BOOK REVIEW |
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| Year : 2013 | Volume
: 45
| Issue : 6 | Page : 646 |
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Medical pharmacology
Varsha J Patel
Department of Pharmacology, Nathiba Hargovandas Lakhmichand Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| Date of Web Publication | 14-Nov-2013 |
Correspondence Address:
Varsha J Patel
Department of Pharmacology, Nathiba Hargovandas Lakhmichand Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
How to cite this article:
Patel VJ. Medical pharmacology. Indian J Pharmacol 2013;45:646 |
 Padmaja Udaykumar
Publishers: CBS Publishers & Distributors,
New Delhi,
Fourth Edition 2013,
pp. 668.
ISBN: 978-81-2311-6 (Hard bound)
Price: Rs. ???
The textbook 'Medical Pharmacology' by Dr. Padmaja Udaykumar, Professor and Head, Department of Pharmacology, at Fr. Muller Medical College, Mangalore has entered its fourth edition in a span of 9 years suggesting that the author commands good readership. Maintaining a concise, student friendly format in this revised edition is laudable. More than 25 new flow charts have been added.
Some of the aspects worth mentioning are simple color diagrams and flow charts which catch the attention and are easy to follow and reproduce for the readers. Tables like Methods of prolonging duration of action of drugs [Table 2.5], Compilation of some useful examples on pp. 55-57, Uses of adrenergic agonists [Table 10.2], Wound classification [Table 43.2], Causative organisms for infections, manifestations and treatment of superinfections [Table 43.3], Therapeutic uses of estrogens and progestins [Table 62.1], and Some commonly used radioactive material [Table 70.1] are well-prepared with a view to compile important information and can help remember the salient aspects of the topic.
Some other features of the book that grab your attention are yellow 'Key boxes' describing points not discussed in the text yet important for learners to know. 'Clinical pharmacology' boxes with colored titles serve the purpose of highlighting clinical and applied aspects of drug therapy of diseases.
Overall all sections and chapters under each section collectively represent undergraduate pharmacology well. However, at some places content is lacking in essential details. The concept of membrane transporters in general pharmacology section, pharmacovigilance in chapter on adverse drug reactions, combinations therapy in hypertension are conspicuous by their absence. The 'compare and contrast' boxes are well-prepared except for some which seem unimportant and occupying space which could be better utilized by other useful matter. Some examples are lignocaine and cocaine, nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin, atropine and scopolamine, and digoxin and digitoxin. Lastly, the green colored boxes with brief description of drug related cases aimed at highlighting some important take home message for prescription practices and drug therapy, are very relevant case descriptions and to the point. However, some of them point at medication errors and seem less relevant in the chapter where they are placed. They would serve better purpose if described under medication errors. Overall the book has some features that can attract the readers enough to pick up and own the book, is concise and is quite readable for under graduate students.
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