It’s true I could probably surf the net for hours and find cool places (and I do) and talk about them (and I will) but I really can’t survive the work day without my pocket references. There are two main companies out there that I rely on. Some of their references are the same, many are not. What does differ is their approach. This week I’m going to talk about Unbound Medicine and their offerings. Their best-selling products in the medical segment are:

5-Minute Clinical Consult (5MCC), Integrated with Diagnosaurus   
The Merck Manual Plus Davis’s Drug Guide   
Harrison’s Practice for PDA  
Unbound Surgery  

Their unique platform allows you to access their medical content wherever and whenever you need it. Many of their products offer Web, Wireless, and PDA access for one price. You can download the product to your PDA, as well as access it online on the web or through a wireless device. For many products, they offer updates for 1 year and then renewal subscriptions from there. You never lose your PDA access once you download it. Some of the more technical information about their platform can be found here.   

Recently they included the iPhone/iTouch in their list of wireless devices that can be used; however it can only be used when connected to the internet as you cannot install programs on the iTouch/iPhone. They offer free Medline, and you can view their entire catalog here.

What do you use for your references? How often do you access the internet from your pda to use a reference online? With the iPhone/iTouch it is mandatory, however I prefer to have my references on my handheld and rarely go online to access information.

You can win a FREE one-year subscription to Taber’s Online!

Unbound Medicine recently released Taber’s Online—web access to the world’s best-selling health-sciences dictionary. Now healthcare students and professionals can use the Internet to search more than 56,000 entries quickly and efficiently.

The new Taber’s Online features extensively cross-linked terms & topics, 2,500 audio pronunciations, customized bookmarks, and a Taber’s “Word of the Day” RSS feed. The sophisticated search includes full-text, advanced, and “sounds like” searching. In one click, use Taber’s terms to instantly search more than 17 million journal articles with Unbound Medline.

Visit www.tabers.com to explore the faster, easier to use, more accessible Taber’s Online. Begin your search there, or sample some of our free terms: Abetalipoproteinemia, Babinski's reflex, Familial Mediterranean fever, Halitosis, Ultrasound.
You can win a FREE ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to Tabers!!! Take this quiz.  All the ones who have the correct answers will be put into a raffle.

Taber's Online—now powered by Unbound Medicine—is faster, easier to use, and more accessible than ever. Visit www.tabers.com for help with the quiz below. Send in your answers, and you could win a 1-year subscription to Taber’s Online.

1. Choose the best definition for Balantidium coli:
A. genus of flagellate parasitic protozoa
B. largest protozoan parasite of humans
C. genus of ciliated protozoa

2. What is a bacterium?
A. specialized structure within a cell that performs a distinct function
B. pathogen made of nucleic acid inside a protein shell
C. one-celled organism without a true nucleus or cell organelles

3. Choose the most appropriate definition for Candida:
A. any fungal infection of the bronchi or bronchial tubes
B. yeasts that develop a pseudomycelium and reproduce by budding
C. lesion of the skin or mucous membranes

4. What is Darier's sign?
A. skin change produced when the skin lesion in urticaria pigmentosa is rubbed briskly
B. yellow staining of the skin around the umbilicus
C. dramatic movements of the arms across the torso

5. What is Fasciola hepatica?
A. lung infection caused by Streptococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella
B. parasite that lives on the outer surface of the body, such as fleas, lice, or ticks
C. common liver fluke

6. Choose the most appropriate definition for “koilonychias”:
A. discoloration of the base, or lunulae, of the fingernails
B. fungal infection of the nails marked by thickening, scaling, and discoloration of the nail bed
C. dystrophy of the fingernails in which they are thin and concave with raised edges

7. What is sarcoidosis?
A. chronic multisystem disease characterized by noncaseating granulomas and lymphocytic alveolitis
B. systemic, fungal, respiratory disease caused by Histoplasma capsulatum
C. genus of fungi of the family Moniliaceae

8. Choose the best definition for “Telangiectasia”:
A. vascular lesion formed by dilatation of a group of small blood vessels
B. rare, progressive, autosomal recessive, degenerative disease characterized by severe photosensitivity
C. acute infectious disease marked by a "dewdrop on a rose petal" pattern rash

9. What is an Unna's  boot ?
A. type of cast bar used between upper femoral casts to maintain abduction
B. boot-like dressing of the lower extremity used for treating chronic ulcers of the leg
C. basket-weave bandage made of adhesive tape

10. What is naproxen?
A. beta-adrenergic blocking agent
B. calcium channel blocker, administered orally or intravenously
C. orally administered apropionic acid of therapeutic class nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent