Book excerpt: The Oxford American Handbook of Clinical Medicine Second Edition covers all areas of internal medicine and surgery, offering up-to-date advice on examination, diagnostic testing, common procedures, and in-patient care. Students, residents, nurses, and clinicians will find the handbook to be a succinct, comprehensive, and affordable introduction to clinical medicine in the popular format of the Oxford American Handbooks in Medicine series. The second edition includes a thorough updating of diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines, updated information on key clinical trials, numerous new images, and new information on palliative care. This handbook has everything you need for on-the-spot access to evidence-based clinical management guidelines.