Offering quick access to the pathological conditions most commonly seen in the physician's office, this portable text/reference is ideal for administrative and clinical medical assistants who have responsibilities such as billing, coding, telephone screening, taking patient examinations, understanding diagnostic and treatment procedures, and putting together patient education programs. Reflecting the latest changes in the field, this fourth edition describes over 500 conditions and disorders, and includes ICD-9-CM codes for each disease entry. A companion workbook enhances understanding with exercises, patient screening, patient teaching critical thinking questions and certification exam review questions. A companion web site offers A&P web links. Enrichment boxes show how information relating to a disease or system applies to everyday life. ICD-9-CM codes are included for each disease entry, offering practice in looking up codes in an ICD-9-CM reference. Current medical information on the most commonly encountered clinical disorders is condensed and simplified for easier application. Full-color illustrations reinforce the text and clarify key information. A consistent format for disease entries follows the real-life progression of a patient's care and treatment, with this format:. Description Symptoms and Signs Patient Screening (Unique!) Etiology Diagnosis Treatment Prognosis Prevention Patient Teaching. Appendix on pharmacology includes a chart format in which commonly prescribed drugs are listed by group and includes the drug name, intended therapeutic objective, side effects, and general comments. Alerts provide safety precautions and advice for dealing with the common diseases presented in a physician's office. Review challenges reinforce content and help students see where they may need additional study. Real-life challenges provide actual cases with questions, relating chapter content to a real-world case. Orderly Function A&P reviews of specific body systems now include clearer descriptions and more illustrations, helping students compare systems in normal and disease states. Coverage of Avian Flu describes how diseases emerge from the animal to the human world, and prepares medical assistants for the potential dangers of this disease. Key Terms include pronunciations and are broken down into prefixes, roots and suffixes.