Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine is an American textbook of internal medicine. [1] First published in 1950, it is in its 21st edition (published in 2022 by McGraw-Hill Professional ISBN 978-1264268504) and comes in two volumes. Although it is aimed at all members of the medical profession, it is mainly used by internists and junior doctors in this field, as well as medical students. It is widely regarded as one of the most authoritative books on internal medicine and has been described as the "most recognized book in all of medicine." [2]
The work is named after Tinsley R. Harrison of Birmingham, Alabama, who served as editor-in-chief of the first five editions and established the format of the work: a strong basis of clinical medicine interwoven with an understanding of pathophysiology.
It was published in 1950 by Blakiston. [3] Creator and editor Tinsley Harrison's quotation appeared on the first edition of this book in 1950:
No greater opportunity or obligation can fall the lot of a human being than to be a physician. In the care of suffering he needs technical skill, scientific knowledge and human understanding. He who uses these with courage, humility and wisdom will provide a unique service to his fellow man and will build an enduring edifice of character within himself. The physician should ask of his destiny no more than this and he should be content with no less.
Blakiston was acquired by McGraw-Hill in 1954. [4]
The 17th edition of the textbook is dedicated to George W. Thorn, who was editor of the first seven editions of the book and editor in chief of the eighth edition. He died in 2004.
The 18th edition of the book ( ISBN 978-0071748896) was edited by Anthony Fauci, Dennis Kasper, Stephen Hauser, J. Larry Jameson and Joseph Loscalzo. New chapters added include "Systems Biology in Health and Disease," "The Human Microbiome," "The Biology of Aging," and "Neuropsychiatric Illnesses in War Veterans."
The 19th edition of the book was edited by Dennis Kasper, Anthony Fauci, Stephen Hauser, Dan Longo, J. Larry Jameson and Joseph Loscalzo.
AL.com in December 2014 wrote that it was still "a best-selling internal medicine text in the United States and around the world," and that it had been reprinted 16 times and translated into 14 languages. [3]
The 20th edition of the book, edited by Dennis Kasper, Anthony Fauci, Stephen Hauser, Dan Longo, J. Larry Jameson and Joseph Loscalzo, was released on 17 August 2018. [5]
The 21st edition of the book was released on 28 March 2022. [6]
Part 1: The Profession of Medicine
Part 2: Cardinal Manifestations and Presentation of Diseases
Section 1: Pain
Section 2: Alterations in Body Temperature
Section 3: Nervous System Dysfunction
Section 4: Disorders of Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat
Section 5: Alterations in Circulatory and Respiratory Functions
Section 6: Alterations in Gastrointestinal Function
Section 7: Alterations in Renal and Urinary Tract Function
Section 8: Alterations in the Skin
Section 9: Hematologic Alterations
Part 3: Pharmacology
Part 4: Oncology and Hematology
Section 1: Neoplastic Disorders
Section 2: Hematopoietic Disorders
Section 3: Disorders of Hemostasis
Part 5: Infectious Diseases
Section 1: Basic Considerations in Infectious Diseases
Section 2: Clinical Syndromes: Community-Acquired Infections
Section 3: Clinical Syndromes: Health Care-Associated Infections
Section 4: Therapy for Bacterial Diseases
Section 5: Diseases Caused by Gram-Positive Bacteria
Section 6: Diseases Caused by Gram-Negative Bacteria
Section 7: Miscellaneous Bacterial Infections
Section 8: Mycobacterial Diseases
Section 9: Spirochetal Diseases
Section 10: Diseases Caused by Rickettsiae, Mycoplasmas, and Chlamydiae
Section 11: Viral Diseases: General Considerations
Section 12: Infections Due to DNA Viruses
Section 13: Infections Due to DNA and RNA Respiratory Viruses
Section 14: Infections Due to Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Other Human Retroviruses
Section 15: Infections Due to RNA Viruses
Section 16: Fungal Infections
Section 17: Protozoal and Helminthic Infections: General Considerations
Section 18: Protozoal Infections
Section 19: Helminthic Infections
Part 6: Disorders of the Cardiovascular System
Section 1: Introduction to Cardiovascular Disorders
Section 2: Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disorders
Section 3: Disorders of Rhythm
Section 4: Disorders of the Heart
Section 5: Coronary and Peripheral Vascular Disease
Part 7: Disorders of the Respiratory System
Section 1: Diagnosis of Respiratory Disorders
Section 2: Diseases of the Respiratory System
Part 8: Critical Care Medicine
Section 1: Respiratory Critical Care
Section 2: Shock and Cardiac Arrest
Section 3: Neurologic Critical Care
Part 9: Disorders of the Kidney and Urinary Tract
Part 10: Disorders of the Gastrointestinal System
Section 1: Disorders of the Alimentary Tract
Section 2: Nutrition
Section 3: Liver and Biliary Tract Disease
Section 4: Disorders of the Pancreas
Part 11: Immune-Mediated, Inflammatory, and Rheumatologic Disorders
Section 1: The Immune System in Health and Disease
Section 2: Disorders of Immune-Mediated Injury
Section 3: Disorders of the Joints and Adjacent Tissues
Part 12: Endocrinology and Metabolism
Section 1: Endocrinology
Section 2: Sex- and Gender-Based Medicine
Section 3: Obesity, Diabetes Mellitus, and Metabolic Syndrome
Section 4: Disorders of Bone and Mineral Metabolism
Section 5: Disorders of Intermediary Metabolism
Part 13: Neurologic Disorders
Section 1: Diagnosis of Neurologic Disorders
Section 2: Diseases of the Central Nervous System
Section 3: Nerve and Muscle Disorders
Section 4: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Section 5: Psychiatric and Addiction Disorders
Part 14: Poisoning, Drug Overdose, and Envenomation
Part 15: Disorders Associated with Environmental Exposures
Part 16: Genes, the Environment, and Disease
Part 17: Global Medicine
Part 18: Aging
Part 19: Consultative Medicine
Part 20: Frontiers
Part 21: Video Collection
Part 22: Supplementary Topics
Part 23: Atlases
Part 24: Clinical Procedure Tutorials
The following is the list of editors, showing which editions they were an editor. Shaded boxes denote the chief editor of that edition. [7]
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
T. R. Harrison | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
W. R. Resnick | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
M. M Wintrobe | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||
G. W. Thorn | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||
R. D. Adams | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||
P. B. Beeson | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||
I. L. Bennett, Jr. | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||
E. Braunwald | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||
K. J. Isselbacher | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||
R. G. Petersdorf | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||
J. D. Wilson | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||
J. B. Martin | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
A. S. Fauci | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||
R. Root | X | ||||||||||||||||||||
D. L. Kasper | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||
S. L. Hauser | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||
D. L. Longo | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||
J. L. Jameson | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||
J. Loscalzo | X | X | X | X | X |
A disease is a particular abnormal condition that adversely affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism and is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that are associated with specific signs and symptoms. A disease may be caused by external factors such as pathogens or by internal dysfunctions. For example, internal dysfunctions of the immune system can produce a variety of different diseases, including various forms of immunodeficiency, hypersensitivity, allergies, and autoimmune disorders.
Transverse myelitis (TM) is a rare neurological condition wherein the spinal cord is inflamed. The adjective transverse implies that the spinal inflammation (myelitis) extends horizontally throughout the cross section of the spinal cord; the terms partial transverse myelitis and partial myelitis are sometimes used to specify inflammation that affects only part of the width of the spinal cord. TM is characterized by weakness and numbness of the limbs, deficits in sensation and motor skills, dysfunctional urethral and anal sphincter activities, and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system that can lead to episodes of high blood pressure. Signs and symptoms vary according to the affected level of the spinal cord. The underlying cause of TM is unknown. The spinal cord inflammation seen in TM has been associated with various infections, immune system disorders, or damage to nerve fibers, by loss of myelin. As opposed to leukomyelitis which affects only the white matter, it affects the entire cross-section of the spinal cord. Decreased electrical conductivity in the nervous system can result.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the virus SARS-CoV-1, the first identified strain of the SARS-related coronavirus. The first known cases occurred in November 2002, and the syndrome caused the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak. In the 2010s, Chinese scientists traced the virus through the intermediary of Asian palm civets to cave-dwelling horseshoe bats in Xiyang Yi Ethnic Township, Yunnan.
Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are infections of blood caused by blood-borne pathogens. The detection of microbes in the blood is always abnormal. A bloodstream infection is different from sepsis, which is characterized by severe inflammatory or immune responses of the host organism to pathogens.
Melena is a form of blood in stool which refers to the dark black, tarry feces that are commonly associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The black color and characteristic strong odor are caused by hemoglobin in the blood being altered by digestive enzymes and intestinal bacteria.
Signs and symptoms are the observed or detectable signs, and experienced symptoms of an illness, injury, or condition.
Gastrointestinal diseases refer to diseases involving the gastrointestinal tract, namely the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and rectum; and the accessory organs of digestion, the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.
Aspiration pneumonia is a type of lung infection that is due to a relatively large amount of material from the stomach or mouth entering the lungs. Signs and symptoms often include fever and cough of relatively rapid onset. Complications may include lung abscess, acute respiratory distress syndrome, empyema, and parapneumonic effusion. Some include chemical induced inflammation of the lungs as a subtype, which occurs from acidic but non-infectious stomach contents entering the lungs.
Acanthocyte, in biology and medicine, refers to an abnormal form of red blood cell that has a spiked cell membrane, due to thorny projections. A similar term is spur cells. Often they may be confused with echinocytes or schistocytes.
Valvular heart disease is any cardiovascular disease process involving one or more of the four valves of the heart. These conditions occur largely as a consequence of aging, but may also be the result of congenital (inborn) abnormalities or specific disease or physiologic processes including rheumatic heart disease and pregnancy.
Neuritis, from the Greek νεῦρον), is inflammation of a nerve or the general inflammation of the peripheral nervous system. Inflammation, and frequently concomitant demyelination, cause impaired transmission of neural signals and leads to aberrant nerve function. Neuritis is often conflated with neuropathy, a broad term describing any disease process which affects the peripheral nervous system. However, neuropathies may be due to either inflammatory or non-inflammatory causes, and the term encompasses any form of damage, degeneration, or dysfunction, while neuritis refers specifically to the inflammatory process.
Blood in stool looks different depending on how early it enters the digestive tract—and thus how much digestive action it has been exposed to—and how much there is. The term can refer either to melena, with a black appearance, typically originating from upper gastrointestinal bleeding; or to hematochezia, with a red color, typically originating from lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Evaluation of the blood found in stool depends on its characteristics, in terms of color, quantity and other features, which can point to its source, however, more serious conditions can present with a mixed picture, or with the form of bleeding that is found in another section of the tract. The term "blood in stool" is usually only used to describe visible blood, and not fecal occult blood, which is found only after physical examination and chemical laboratory testing.
Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), also known as bronchoalveolar washing, is a diagnostic method of the lower respiratory system in which a bronchoscope is passed through the mouth or nose into an appropriate airway in the lungs, with a measured amount of fluid introduced and then collected for examination. This method is typically performed to diagnose pathogenic infections of the lower respiratory airways, though it also has been shown to have utility in diagnosing interstitial lung disease. Bronchoalveolar lavage can be a more sensitive method of detection than nasal swabs in respiratory molecular diagnostics, as has been the case with SARS-CoV-2 where bronchoalveolar lavage samples detect copies of viral RNA after negative nasal swab testing.
Ménétrier disease is a rare, acquired, premalignant disease of the stomach characterized by massive gastric folds, excessive mucus production with resultant protein loss, and little or no acid production (achlorhydria). The disorder is associated with excessive secretion of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-α). It is named after a French physician Pierre Eugène Ménétrier, 1859–1935.
Coccidioides is a genus of dimorphic ascomycetes in the family Onygenaceae. Member species are the cause of coccidioidomycosis, also known as San Joaquin Valley fever, an infectious fungal disease largely confined to the Western Hemisphere and endemic in the Southwestern United States. The host acquires the disease by respiratory inhalation of spores disseminated in their natural habitat. The causative agents of coccidioidomycosis are Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii. Both C. immitis and C. posadasii are indistinguishable during laboratory testing and commonly referred in literature as Coccidioides.
Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. It can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the throat.
There are several forms of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. These include asymptomatic infections, the primary infection, infectious mononucleosis, and the progression of asymptomatic or primary infections to: 1) any one of various Epstein–Barr virus-associated lymphoproliferative diseases such as chronic active EBV infection, EBV+ hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, Burkitt's lymphoma, and Epstein–Barr virus positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified); 2) non-lymphoid cancers such as Epstein–Barr virus associated gastric cancer, soft tissue sarcomas, leiomyosarcoma, and nasopharyngeal cancers; and 3) Epstein–Barr virus-associated non-lymphoproliferative diseases such as some cases of the immune disorders of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosis and the childhood disorders of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome and acute cerebellar ataxia.
Post-viral cerebellar ataxia also known as acute cerebellitis and acute cerebellar ataxia (ACA) is a disease characterized by the sudden onset of ataxia following a viral infection. The disease affects the function or structure of the cerebellum region in the brain.
The stages of HIV infection are acute infection, latency, and AIDS. Acute infection lasts for several weeks and may include symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, inflammation of the throat, rash, muscle pain, malaise, and mouth and esophageal sores. The latency stage involves few or no symptoms and can last anywhere from two weeks to twenty years or more, depending on the individual. AIDS, the final stage of HIV infection, is defined by low CD4+ T cell counts, various opportunistic infections, cancers, and other conditions.
The symptoms of COVID-19 are variable depending on the type of variant contracted, ranging from mild symptoms to a potentially fatal illness. Common symptoms include coughing, fever, loss of smell (anosmia) and taste (ageusia), with less common ones including headaches, nasal congestion and runny nose, muscle pain, sore throat, diarrhea, eye irritation, and toes swelling or turning purple, and in moderate to severe cases, breathing difficulties. People with the COVID-19 infection may have different symptoms, and their symptoms may change over time. Three common clusters of symptoms have been identified: one respiratory symptom cluster with cough, sputum, shortness of breath, and fever; a musculoskeletal symptom cluster with muscle and joint pain, headache, and fatigue; and a cluster of digestive symptoms with abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. In people without prior ear, nose, or throat disorders, loss of taste combined with loss of smell is associated with COVID-19 and is reported in as many as 88% of symptomatic cases.