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A colour atlas of respiratory diseases
Journal of Hospital Infection (1982) 3, 317-318
Book reviews A Colour Atlas of Respiratory Diseases. D. Geraint James and P. R. Studdy. Wolfe Medical Publications Limited (1981). Pp. 272. E45.
London,
Colour atlases, like cocktails, are colourful and fun but they are expensive. Thus the ingredients and the end results warrant close scrutiny. The latest Wolfe atlas is on respiratory diseases and the 25 chapters necessarily include topics of only glancing interest to those who work in hospital infection. But those dealing, albeit briefly, with pneumonia, pleural effusions, apical lesions, bronchiectasis and other infections are indeed tempting and informative. Normal and abnormal X-ray appearances are systematically arranged in the first few chapters and these will be useful for many readers. The chapter on tuberculosis includes memorable pictures of lupus vulgaris, abscess formation and the proper interpretation of Mantoux, Heaf and Tine testing. Once again it is the pictures of patients and their X-rays which seem to survive the modern printing process most satisfactorily and justify the compilation of this atlas. However, the photographs of microbiological culture plates are, to say the least, flat-no sparkleand would have been best omitted. Similarly, the photomicrography will not endear the microbiologist, and doubtless these pictures do not fairly reflect the original photographs, some of which were presumably acquired ‘duty-free’ from the numerous (56!) contributors. The role of the text in atlases still seems uncertain and it is occasionally unbalanced. Do we really need a whole page (16.5 pence) for the list (22 lines only) of the associated features of sarcoid? Whilst pneumonia is awarded only twelve pages. Not all would agree with the classification of pneumonia or the antibiotics of choice and there will certainly be raised eyebrows at the suggestion that cefoxitin is the drug of choice for Friedlander’s pneumonia. Overall I doubt that this atlas will in fact be complementary to the bedside studies of ‘the most helpful growing army of paramedical personnel’, but those medical students, postgraduates and nurses who can afford it will doubtless enjoy their copy and will acknowledge that it is occasionally useful and often refreshing. The purists may well revert to more comprehensive texts and their own transparencies. Department of Medical Microbiology, The London Hospital Medical College, Turner Street, London El 2AD
M. W. Casewell
Instructional$lm
project
A series of films has been produced under the direction of Professor F. Daschner collaboration with experts from other European countries and the U.S.A.* The titles are as follows: (1)
Techniques for prevention The film includes: urinary
in
and control of infections in hospital (duration 35 min). tract infection in the catheterized patient; wound treat-
* Professor G. A. J. Ayliffe, Birmingham; Dr 0. Jepsen, Copenhagen; Dr H. Langmaack, Freiburg; Dr B. NystrBm, Stockholm; Professor A. Reichelt, Freiburg; Dr M. Rotter, Wien; Dr G. Freiburg; Dr G. Wolff, Basel; Dr P. Rutishauser, Basei; Hygieneschwester E. Scherer-Klein, Meers, London and Dr A. Balows, CDC, Atlanta.
317
Book
318
ment in wards; pulmonary infusion therapy. (2)
Clinical bacteriology; 15 min).
(3)
Virus hepatitis;
(4)
Antibiotic
infection
reviews
in patients on mechanical systems; infection
collecting and processing specimens in the laboratory
dangers of infection and prevention
sensitivity
testing (duration
(duration
in
(duration
15 min).
18 min).
For further information contact Professor F. Daschner, stetter Strasse 55, 7800 Freiburg, West Germany.
University
Hospital,
Hug-
Book reviews A Colour Atlas of Respiratory Diseases. D. Geraint James and P. R. Studdy. Wolfe Medical Publications Limited (1981). Pp. 272. E45.
London,
Colour atlases, like cocktails, are colourful and fun but they are expensive. Thus the ingredients and the end results warrant close scrutiny. The latest Wolfe atlas is on respiratory diseases and the 25 chapters necessarily include topics of only glancing interest to those who work in hospital infection. But those dealing, albeit briefly, with pneumonia, pleural effusions, apical lesions, bronchiectasis and other infections are indeed tempting and informative. Normal and abnormal X-ray appearances are systematically arranged in the first few chapters and these will be useful for many readers. The chapter on tuberculosis includes memorable pictures of lupus vulgaris, abscess formation and the proper interpretation of Mantoux, Heaf and Tine testing. Once again it is the pictures of patients and their X-rays which seem to survive the modern printing process most satisfactorily and justify the compilation of this atlas. However, the photographs of microbiological culture plates are, to say the least, flat-no sparkleand would have been best omitted. Similarly, the photomicrography will not endear the microbiologist, and doubtless these pictures do not fairly reflect the original photographs, some of which were presumably acquired ‘duty-free’ from the numerous (56!) contributors. The role of the text in atlases still seems uncertain and it is occasionally unbalanced. Do we really need a whole page (16.5 pence) for the list (22 lines only) of the associated features of sarcoid? Whilst pneumonia is awarded only twelve pages. Not all would agree with the classification of pneumonia or the antibiotics of choice and there will certainly be raised eyebrows at the suggestion that cefoxitin is the drug of choice for Friedlander’s pneumonia. Overall I doubt that this atlas will in fact be complementary to the bedside studies of ‘the most helpful growing army of paramedical personnel’, but those medical students, postgraduates and nurses who can afford it will doubtless enjoy their copy and will acknowledge that it is occasionally useful and often refreshing. The purists may well revert to more comprehensive texts and their own transparencies. Department of Medical Microbiology, The London Hospital Medical College, Turner Street, London El 2AD
M. W. Casewell
Instructional$lm
project
A series of films has been produced under the direction of Professor F. Daschner collaboration with experts from other European countries and the U.S.A.* The titles are as follows: (1)
Techniques for prevention The film includes: urinary
in
and control of infections in hospital (duration 35 min). tract infection in the catheterized patient; wound treat-
* Professor G. A. J. Ayliffe, Birmingham; Dr 0. Jepsen, Copenhagen; Dr H. Langmaack, Freiburg; Dr B. NystrBm, Stockholm; Professor A. Reichelt, Freiburg; Dr M. Rotter, Wien; Dr G. Freiburg; Dr G. Wolff, Basel; Dr P. Rutishauser, Basei; Hygieneschwester E. Scherer-Klein, Meers, London and Dr A. Balows, CDC, Atlanta.
317
Book
318
ment in wards; pulmonary infusion therapy. (2)
Clinical bacteriology; 15 min).
(3)
Virus hepatitis;
(4)
Antibiotic
infection
reviews
in patients on mechanical systems; infection
collecting and processing specimens in the laboratory
dangers of infection and prevention
sensitivity
testing (duration
(duration
in
(duration
15 min).
18 min).
For further information contact Professor F. Daschner, stetter Strasse 55, 7800 Freiburg, West Germany.
University
Hospital,
Hug-