Well-Child Assessment for Primary Care Providers

Margaret R. Colyar, DSN, ARPN, C-FNP/C-PNP. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company, 601 pp., $42.95.

A shortage of current texts on advanced well-child health assessment was the stimulus for this reference. The book examines the application of physical and developmental assessment knowledge and skills to the pediatric client.

Three sections cover well-child assessment - first by body systems, second by age groups, and third by commonly used laboratory and diagnostic procedures.

Section I provides a pediatric focus on techniques used to assess each body system. Drawings and photos illustrate the techniques. Two chapters on assessment of the surgical abdomen and assessment of congenital anomalies foster skill enhancement.

Section II focuses on developmental stages and provides special features on assessment of premature infants, sports physical examinations, cultural assessments, and issues related to international adoptions. The next section reviews laboratory and diagnostic tests common to pediatric primary care, with special emphasis on pediatric procedures. The book touches on respiratory procedures, interpretation of x-rays, and assessment of attention deficit disorders.

NP students learning to perform well-child assessments and practicing NPs searching for a quality clinical guide may find this reference highly useful.