More than two million medical students, doctors and other health professionals from around the globe have owned a copy of Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine. Today's readers rely on Davidson's to provide up-to-date detail of contemporary medical practice, presented in a style that is concise, beautifully illustrated and easy to read. Davidson's not only provides all of the factual knowledge required to practice medicine, but also explains it in the context of underlying principles, basic science and research evidence, and shows the reader how to apply their knowledge to manage patients who present with problems rather than specific diseases.

The underlying principles of medicine are described concisely in the first part of the book, and the detailed practice of medicine within each sub-specialty is described in later system-based chapters. Each system-based chapter begins with an overview of the key elements in the clinical examination 'Sections on 'Presenting Problems' explain the approach to patients presenting with the most common complaints in each sub-specialty. Over 150 'Evidence Based Medicine' boxes highlight the conclusions from major clinical trials. Horizontal themes, such as ageing and pregnancy, are highlighted throughout. The text uses both SI and non-SI units to make it suitable for readers throughout the globe. The text is beautifully and extensively illustrated, with over 1000 illustrations, clinical photographs and imaging techniques.

A new editorial team leads this edition with Dr Nicki College and Professor Brian Walker joined by Professor Stuart Ralston, Head of the School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. A substantial group of new contributors bring new experience and ideas to the content and presentation of the textbook. New 'Practice Point' summaries detail the practical skills that medical students and junior doctors must acquire, from nasogastric tube insertion to the interpretation of ECGs and arterial blood gases. New 'In pregnancy' boxes examine the main issues to consider when the patient is a pregnant woman. New 'Emergency Boxes' are highlighted to emphasise the core knowledge needed to manage acutely ill patients. The global perspective has been enhanced with the assistance of the International Advisory Board and authors recruited from around the globe.