Clinical cases in obstetrics, gynaecology and women’s health. Caroline M de Costa, Paul Howat. Sydney: McGraw-Hill, 2007 (xv + 256 pp). ISBN 978 0 07 471640 3.

Clinical cases in obstetrics, gynaecology and women’s health is the kind of book I would have liked to have had when I was a medical student or junior resident. Well written and in a conversational tone, de Costa and Howat outline an approach to those common questions that arise in clinical practice. The book extends the type of cases presented to medical students as part of problem-based learning to a higher level of complexity, and pleasingly incorporates the emotional, social and psychological aspects of care that are often absent from standard obstetric and gynaecology textbooks.

Each case provides an up-to-date overview of the topic area and concludes with references which, while not cited in the text, are accompanied by useful suggestions for further reading. Readers are kept engaged with highlighted boxes and clinical pearls, and for those undertaking a diploma in obstetrics and gynaecology, the multiple choice questions at the end of the book are a useful way to test your knowledge.

Targeted at the level of medical student and junior doctor, general practitioners very experienced in women’s health may find the content a little simplistic, and there are some omissions, such as preconception care and counselling regarding an unplanned pregnancy. However, for those who want to know what current practice is or should be in clinical scenarios that arise in day-to-day practice, Clinical cases in obstetrics, gynaecology and women’s health will be very useful.