Focuses on both treatment and prevention of medical problems in a rural setting

This practical guide provides family physicians with a comprehensive resource on rural and agricultural medicine. Readers are introduced to the characteristics of the agricultural environment and the hazards that farm workers face. The full spectrum of injuries and conditions unique to the field is covered, including chemical injuries, orthopedic conditions, infectious diseases, plant related diseases, bites, and environmental injuries. This clinical text also emphasizes prevention. The content is current and reflects changing agricultural practices, including advances in the use of safety equipment and in physical and biological monitoring.

The Agricultural Environment.- Food Safety and Agricultural Medicine.- Overview of Hazards for Those Working in Agriculture.- Occupational Regulation.- Education and Training as Intervention Strategies.- Personal Protective Equipment and Safety Engineering of Machinery.- Disability in Agriculture.- Physical Monitoring.- Biological Monitoring.- Drug Programs and Testing.- Work Site Visits.- Children in Agriculture.- Chemical Exposure: An Overview.- Fertilizers and Nutrients.- Plant Growth Regulators.- Pesticides.- Neurological Injuries in Agriculture.- Dermatological Conditions.- Agricultural Respiratory Diseases.- Renal and Hepatic Disease.- Disease and Injury Among Veterinarians.- The Mental Health of Agricultural Workers.- Neurotoxicity of Chemicals Commonly Used in Agriculture.- Repetitive Motion Injuries.- Trauma in the Agricultural Setting.- Diseases from Plants.- Diseases from Animals, Poultry, and Fish.- Diseases from Soil.- Emerging Zoonotic Agents of Concern in Agriculture.- Arthropod Bites and Stings.- Mammal Bites.- Reptile Bites.- Heat, Cold, and Water Immersion Injuries.- Injuries from Electromagnetic Energy.- Acoustic Injuries in Agriculture.- Reproductive Hazards.