The Oxford Textbook of Geriatric Medicine is the definitive international textbook on a medical discipline of ever-increasing importance. It provides a reference on all aspects of the medical care of older persons. There is detailed clinical information on every disease, given with reference to the changes that take place with ageing, and the resultant appropriate management and prevention in older patients.

There are major sections on common problems such as falls, incontinence, and delirium. There is full coverage of ethical issues, outcomes, long-term institutional care, communication with patients, the provision of services, community-orientated support services, and the contribution of non-medical specialists to the care of old people.

There are outstanding sections on autonomic dysfunction, nutrition, back pain, measurement of quality of life, healthy life expectancy, arterial disease, failure to thrive, sexuality, perioperative care, special problems such as elder abuse, driving, and a 'useful information' section containing tests and scales.

The need to balance, for the individual patient, the potential for benefit from modern technology with the risk of ill-effects is central to the practice of medicine in an ageing society. The contributors give clear advice on management, based on a review of the available evidence and emphasizing where data are limited, and all chapters have been edited by clinicians actively involved in the day-to-day problems of caring for older people.

The Oxford Textbook of Geriatric Medicine takes a fully international perspective, with specialist contributors from many countries. It will provide every physician involved in the care of older patients with a comprehensive resource on all the clinical problems they are likely to encounter, as well as on related psychological, philosophical and social issues.

Contents/contributors
Section 1: The ageing of populations and communities
Section 2: Biological aspects of ageing
Section 3: Infections
Section 4: Injuries
Section 5: Clinical pharmacology and ageing
Section 6: Nutrition and ageing
Section 7: Endocrine and metabolic disorders
Section 8: Gastroenterology
Section 9: Cardiovascular disorders
Section 10: Cancer: an overview
Section 11: Stroke
Section 12: The ageing respiratory system
Section 13: Joints and connective tissue
Section 14: Disorders of the skeleton
Section 15: Nephrology and the genitourinary system
Section 16: Disorders of the blood
Section 17: Skin disease
Section 18: Neurology and psychology
Section 19: Voluntary muscle
Section 20: Psychiatric aspects of the medicine of later life
Section 21: Perioperative assessment and management
Section 22: Legal and ethical issues in geriatric medicine
Section 23: Services
Section 24: Exercise and lifestyle
Section 25: Assessing quality of life
Section 26: Special problems
Section 27: Useful information