|
|
Book Review
Infection Highlights 2000-01
Edited by Mark H. Wilcox
Health Press Limited, Oxford, UK, 2001, 98 pages
This 98-page paperback in the Fast Facts series contains concise updates
on a diverse group of topics in infectious diseases. Chapters cover newly
recognized and emerging infectious diseases problems including Escherichia
coli O157:H7, Helicobacter pylori, and Acinetobacter.
Other chapters provide therapeutic updates of a range of problems including
exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, HIV infection,
and onychomycosis. Most reviews are relevant to the clinician with the
exception of discussions on alternative treatments for methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and antibiotic-resistance genes in
plants. There are 12 chapters, and most of the authors are recognized
authorities in their areas.
Page borders are color-coded by chapter with matching color schemes for
tables. Each chapter contains a table of highlights with headings of
“What’s in,” “What’s out,” and frequently “What’s controversial,” or “What’s
needed.” This approach works with variable success. It does give a reader
whose thumbing through the book a quick look at the major issues. But
I can imagine authors struggling with what to include in this format leading
to unhelpful entries such as “Over-prescribing of conventional antibiotics”
under “What’s out” in a chapter on alternative treatments for MRSA. In
rapidly changing areas including HIV therapeutics, what was “in” at the
time of writing is already “out” or “controversial” by the time of this
review in the fall of 2001.
The chapters are, for the most part, well written and factual. The reviews
on Clostridium difficile diarrhea (authored by the editor) and
E. coli O157:H7 are especially well done. Unfortunately, the chapter
on HIV chemotherapy contains a few inexplicable errors. Lopinavir, a protease
inhibitor, is listed as a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor in
both a table and the text. The authors also states that the nucleotide
analogs, such as tenofovir are active in their native form. In fact,
they are prodrugs that require phosphorylation by cellular enzymes. The
HIV chapter is also the most dated, though I cannot fault the authors
for this, given the dynamic nature of the field.
The editor does not tell us the intended audience for the book, but it
appears to be geared for the infectious disease specialist rather than
the generalist. The reviews average about six small pages of text, and
the discussions are not sufficiently complete to serve as a background
source for the uninitiated. The editor writes that review articles are
often unwieldly or out-of-date at the time of publication. This text aims
to summarize new information concisely. Concise it is – but perhaps too
much so, as I came away from reading many of the reviews longing for more
depth. Nonetheless, this volume generally succeeds with providing “fast
facts” in a well-written and easy to read format.
James P. Steinberg
Emory University School of Medicine
|
