Facts on File Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

HOW TO USE

THE FACTS ON FILE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Welcome to The Facts On File Encyclopedia of Health
and Medicine, a four-volume reference set. This
comprehensive resource is an indispensable refer-
ence for students, allied health professionals,
physicians, caregivers, lay researchers, and people
seeking information about health circumstances
and conditions for themselves or others. Entries
present the latest health concepts and medical
knowledge in a clear, concise format. Readers may
easily accumulate information and build a com-
plete medical profile on just about any health or
medical topic of interest or concern.

A New Paradigm for the

Health and Medical Encyclopedia

As the art and science of health and medicine con-
tinues to evolve, with complex and elegant discov-
eries and new techniques, medications, and
treatments emerging all the time, the need has
arisen for a new paradigm for the encyclopedia of
health and medicine—a rethinking of the old, and
increasingly outmoded, presentations. Carefully
researched and compiled, The Facts On File Encyclope-
dia of Health and Medicineoffers many distinguishing
features that present readers and researchers with
an organization as up-to-date and compelling as the
breakthrough information its entries contain.
Recognizing the current emphasis on present-
ing a truly integrative approach to both health
and disease, The Facts On File Encyclopedia of Health
and Medicine organizes content across volumes
within a distinctive format that groups related
entries by body system (for example, “The Cardio-
vascular System”) or by general health topic (for
example, “Genetics and Molecular Medicine”):

• Volume 1presents the sensory and structural
  body systems that allow the body to engage

with its surroundings and the external envi-

ronment.

• Volume 2 presents the cell- and fluid-based
  body systems that transport nutrients, remove
  molecular wastes, and provide protection from
  infection.


• Volume 3presents the biochemical body sys-
  tems that support cellular functions.


• Volume 4 presents topics that apply across
  body systems (such as “Fitness: Exercise and
  Health”) or that address broad areas within
  health care (such as “Preventive Medicine”).


• The appendixes provide supportive or additional
  reference information (such as “Appendix X:
  Immunization and Routine Examination
  Schedules”).

Following Research Pathways

The Facts On File Encyclopedia of Health and Medi-

cine’s organization and structure support the

reader’s and researcher’s ease of use. Many ency-

clopedia users will find all the information they

desire within one volume. Others may use several

or all four of the encyclopedia’s volumes to arrive

at a comprehensive, multifaceted, in-depth under-

standing of related health and medical concepts

and information. Researchers efficiently look up

information in The Facts On File Encyclopedia of

Health and Medicinein several ways.

Each section’s entries appear in alphabetical

order (except the entries in Volume 4’s “Emer-

gency and First Aid” section, which are grouped

by type of emergency). The researcher finds a

desired entry by looking in the relevant volume

and section. For example, the entry for acneis in

Volume 1 in the section “The Integumentary Sys-

tem” and the entry for stomachis in Volume 3 in

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