Am. Assn./Clinical Chemistry

An A-Z guide to pharmacogenomics.

Medicines that can be customized to meet the needs of individual patients offer significant advantages both in treatment and development of new drugs. This gives students and practitioners with a basic understanding of molecular biology the terms and techniques common to this fast-rising field. Sorted alphabetically, entries include acronyms as well as terms, each receiving a concise but accessible explanation and, when necessary, material about current research and findings. Product developer Catania includes terms that apply to other fields but which are also found in pharmacogenomics and provides graphics and photographs. This pocket reference can also serve as a study aid. (Annotation ©2006 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Contemporary practice in clinical chemistry.

Based on "the white book," this supplemental pathology textbook explains the principles behind the laboratory techniques for analyzing blood and urine, and reviews the physiology of body systems commonly tested. Topics of the 42 chapters include laboratory calculations, chromatography, immunoassays, the polymerase chain reaction, tumor markers, liver disease, blood gas analysis, thyroid disorders, pregnancy, toxicology, and assessment of hemostasis. (Annotation ©2006 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Point-of-care testing for managers and policymakers; from rapid testing to better outcome.

Recent technological advances have made it possible to deliver clinical diagnostic tests at the point of care, often eliminating the need to send materials to an off-site laboratory. This resource for healthcare managers and policymakers outlines the advantages of incorporating point-of-care testing (POCT) into the patient care pathway. Price (clinical biochemistry, Oxford U.) and St. John (a testing consultant in Perth, Western Australia) also explain how POCT needs to be organized to ensure the most reliable service. (Annotation ©2006 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Principles of forensic toxicology, 2d ed.

Suitable for use as a textbook for a one-semester course or as a laboratory reference, this volume covers the fundamental principles of forensic toxicology. The first section introduces forensic toxicology's various applications (postmortem, human performance, drug testing, etc.), while subsequent chapters cover its most common methods. Chapters in the third section deal in turn with a number of commonly encountered analytes. For the second edition, new chapters on methods validation, benzodiazepines, and GHB have been added. Levine (pathology, U. of Maryland School of Medicine) is a practicing toxicologist. (Annotation ©2006 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)