Department Chair's Note
Medicine and health care delivery continue to evolve based on the significant advances in biomedical science, improvements in patient safety and quality, and diversity of health care settings.
It has become more important than ever for physicians to have rapid access to new evidence to guide clinical practice. Tremendous advances in science have led to new molecular diagnostics, more sensitive biomarkers, and novel therapies that improve patient outcomes. The Washington Manual® of Medical Therapeutics provides an excellent source of information focused on practical clinical approaches to the diagnosis, investigation, and treatment of common medical conditions regularly encountered by internists. The online and in-print versions of The Washington Manual® ensure that it will continue to be of enormous assistance to interns, residents, medical students, and other practitioners. The Washington Manual® provides an important resource of medical information and efficient approaches to transfer new knowledge into evidenced-based patient care.I am very grateful to the authors, who include outstanding house officers, fellows, and attendings at Washington UniversityZBarnes-Jewish Hospital. Their efforts and exceptional skills are evident in the quality of the final product. In particular, I am proud of our editors: Drs. Siri Ancha, Christine Auberle, Devin Cash, Mohit Harsh, John Hickman, and Carole Kounga, and Executive Editor Thomas M. Ciesielski, who have produced another outstanding edition of The Washington Manual® of Medical Therapeutics. I also thank Dr. Dominique Cosco for her leadership of our residency training program. I am confident that this edition will meet its desired goal of providing practical knowledge that will be directly applied to improving patient care.
Victoria J. Fraser, MD Adolphus Busch Professor of Medicine Chair, Department of Medicine Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, Missouri