 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Dean and Professor, Ohio Northern University, Ada, Ohio
Published Online, March 28, 2006. www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1G610
Format: Most of the chapter topics are arranged under the name of the infectious organism and further subdivided into the nature of the organism; the epidemiology, including pathogenesis and pathologic manifestations of the disease; and the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, therapy, and prevention of the infection.
Audience: The editors state that "we have directed the book to all students of medicine interested in the case and well being of children and hope to include among our readers medical students, microbiologists, and health care workers."
Purpose: The 69 authors and 4 editors fulfill their goal with a complete and current survey of infectious diseases acquired either in utero or during the first month of life. In each chapter there is emphasis on epidemiology, diagnosis, prevention, and management of infectious diseases of the fetus and neonate.
Content: The text is arranged into 5 sections that are further divided into 37 chapters. The sections are general information (5 chapters), bacterial infections (15 chapters), viral infections (10 chapters), protozoan, helminthic, and fungal infections (4 chapters), and diagnosis and management (3 chapters). The last chapter of the edition ("Clinical Pharmacology of Antibacterial Agents") gives practical and informative recommendations on the use of antiinfectives in neonates and infants. The information is therapeutically current and discusses differences in drug absorption, metabolism, distribution, and elimination. It is a valuable compilation of knowledge for the practicing neonatologist and neonatal nurse. The pediatric/neonatal pharmacist would regard this chapter as minimal with regard to proper dosing and monitoring of serum concentrations. However, the scope of this chapter does fulfill the editors' intention.
Usability: This text will be a definitive survey of infectious diseases in the newborn and should therefore be included in every neonatal library.
Highlights: Each chapter contains an extensive bibliography with current citations to relevant primary literature.
Comparison with Previous Edition or Version: The last revision of this text was in 2001. This edition was written in the spring of 2005. Major revisions of the chapters stress the importance of new information about infections of the fetus and newborn infant.
Comparison with Other Related Books or Products: This is a comprehensive text on infectious diseases in the fetus and neonate. It will not serve as a "bassinet" reference text for immediate information retrieval. Rather, this book will be found in the nursery's library as an informative resource for review and consultation after a preliminary diagnosis has been developed. That having been said, it is a textbook that has attempted to incorporate the latest understanding of an infectious disease and has an extensive bibliography to enable the practitioner to readily research the originally published evidence for additional information.
Reviewer's Summary: This is a reference that belongs in every pediatric and neonatal care facility. It will serve all healthcare practitioners involved with pediatrics and infectious diseases. While the information on pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and elimination is brief, it does provide useful information. A pharmacy practitioner should be aware of recommendations for drug use, but also be armed with additional information lying outside the scope of this text.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
