The forty-first edition gives over 5000 definitions and descriptions of medical terms and concepts accompanied by appendices on important subjects such as Health Economics, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Common Medical Tests and an address list of support and professional organisations. All material has been checked and updated with new and substantially revised entries on: abortion, anaesthetics, assisted conception, breast screening, chronic fatigue syndrome (ME), clinical guidelines, clinical trials, evidence-based medicine, general practice, Gulf War syndrome, menopause, psychosomatic medicine.