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Elsevier

Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine

  • 25th Edition - June 1, 2026
  • Latest edition
  • Editors: Mark W.J. Strachan, Stuart H. Ralston, Neeraj Dhaun, Rebecca Sutherland
  • Language: English

Since its first publication 75 years ago, Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine has kept pace with how modern medicine is taught, providing a wealth of trusted informati… Read more

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Description

Since its first publication 75 years ago, Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine has kept pace with how modern medicine is taught, providing a wealth of trusted information in an easy-to-read, concise, and beautifully illustrated format. Now in its 25th edition, this classic text with origins in Sir Stanley Davidson’s much admired lecture notes has been owned by more than two million medical students, doctors, and other health professionals around the globe. Carefully updated content describes the pathophysiology and clinical features of the most frequently encountered conditions in the major specialties of adult medicine, and explains how to recognise, investigate, diagnose and manage them.

Davidson’s serves readers everywhere as a core text that integrates medical science with clinical medicine, conveying key knowledge and practical advice in a highly accessible and readable format.

Key features

  • Part 1: Fundamentals of Medicine covers the principles of genetics, immunology, infectious diseases, population health, oncology and pain management, along with the core principles behind clinical decision-making and good prescribing. The Immunology chapter has a new section on biologic agents to ground these therapies in basic science
  • Part 2: Emergency and Critical Care Medicine covers poisoning and envenomation, medicine in austere environments, common presentations in acute medicine and the recognition and management of the critically ill
  • Part 3: Clinical Medicine covers the major medical specialties, each thoroughly revised and brought fully up to date. HIV/AIDS and stroke medicine has been fully integrated into the Infectious Disease and Neurology chapters, respectively, to improve readability. The chapter on Pain, Palliative, and Supportive Care contains new guidance on the management of chronic pain
  • Clinical Examination overviews summarise the main elements for each system; Presenting Problems sections provide a clear pathway for the assessment of and approach to the most common complaints in each specialty; Practice Point summaries detail the practical skills that medical students and resident doctors must acquire; Emergency boxes emphasise the core knowledge needed to manage acutely ill patients; In Old Age, In Pregnancy, and In Adolescence boxes highlight differences in the practice of medicine in these patient groups, and illustrate the interfaces between medical, obstetric, and paediatric services
  • Extensive illustrations include more than 1,000 diagrams, clinical photographs, and radiology and pathology images
  • Latest radiology images have been incorporated throughout the book, aided by a new, dedicated Davidson’s Imaging Editor
  • The global perspective is enhanced by an International Advisory Board of experts from 11 countries and by leading authors from around the world
  • Interactive self-assessment material in the accompanying eBook includes more than 150 questions and answers that test your understanding of chapter key points and help you prepare for exams
  • An eBook version is included with purchase. The eBook allows you to access all of the text, figures, and references, with the ability to search, make notes and highlights, and have content read aloud

Readership

Medical students; Junior doctors; MRCP candidates

Table of contents

Preface
Contributors
International Advisory Board
Acknowledgements
Introduction
PART 1 FUNDAMENTALS OF MEDICINE

1. Clinical decision-making

2. Clinical therapeutics and good prescribing

3. Clinical genetics

4. Clinical immunology

5. Nutritional factors in disease

6. Population health and epidemiology

7. Principles of infection

8. Oncology

9. Palliative and supportive care
PART 2 EMERGENCY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE

10. Acute medicine and critical illness

11. Poisoning

12. envenomation

13. Medicine in austere environments
PART 3 CLINICAL MEDICINE

14. Infectious disease

15. sexually transmitted infections

16. Cardiology

17. Respiratory medicine

18. Nephrology and urology

19. Clinical biochemistry and metabolic medicine

20. endocrinology

21. Diabetes mellitus

22. Gastroenterology

23. Hepatology

24. Haematology and transfusion medicine

25. Rheumatology and bone disease

26. Dermatology

27. Neurology and stroke medicine

28. Medical ophthalmology

29. Medical psychiatry

30. Maternal medicine

31. Adolescence, transition and young adult medicine

32. Older adult medicine and frailty

33. Laboratory reference ranges

Product details

  • Edition: 25
  • Latest edition
  • Published: June 12, 2026
  • Language: English

About the editors

MS

Mark W.J. Strachan

Affiliations and expertise
Consultant Endocrinologist, Metabolic Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh; Honorary Professor, University of Edinburgh, UK

SR

Stuart H. Ralston

Affiliations and expertise
Arthritis Research UK Professor of Rheumatology, University of Edinburgh; Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK

ND

Neeraj Dhaun

Affiliations and expertise
Professor of Nephrology, University of Edinburgh; Honorary Consultant Nephrologist, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh; Director, Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, Edinburgh, UK

RS

Rebecca Sutherland

Affiliations and expertise
Consultant in Clinical Infection, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK