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Antibiotics in the tropics: Antibacterial therapy with limited resources
102 diseaseof the spine causingparaplegia.The combined treatmentby surgicaldrainageand mebendaaole: a case report. spine, 9, 648-653. Rahmetulla,A., Bryceson,A. D. M., M&anus, D. P. &
Ellis, D. S. (1987). Albendazole in the treatment of hydatid disease.Joumcl of the Royal Societyof Medicine, 80. 119-120. Rap&i, G. L., De Simone, F., Caturelli, E., Sabelli, C., Anti, M. & Fedeli, G. (1987). The albendazole treatment @-he._qatic hydatidosis.ItaliunJownal of Gastroenterology, 19, 56.
Rausch, R. L., Wilson, J. F., McMahon, B. J. &
O’Gorman,M. A. (1986).Consequences of continous
mebendazoletherapy in alveolar hydatid divwith a summary of a ten-year clinical trial. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 80, 40-19. Saimot, A. G., Cremieux, A. C., Hay, J. M., Meuhnans, A., Giovanangeli, M. D., Delaitre, B. & Coulaud, J. P.
(1983).Albendazoleasa Potentialtreannentfor human hydatidosis. Lmcet, ii, 652456.
1I Book Review
1I
Antibiotics in the Tropics: Antibacterial Therapy with Limited Resources. S. Enenkel and W. Stille. Berlin & Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, 1988. 328 pp. Price DM 98. ISBN 3 540 18683 2. The authors of this text are, respectively, a paediatrician and a physician in internal medicine at Frankfurt am Main. The over-riding reason for writing it was to ‘define the rules of antibacterial chemotherapy practised under conditions of limited resources’; it is intended therefore ‘for everyone concerned with the use of antibiotics in developing countries, including doctors, medical assistants, pharmacists, officials in health ministries, and medical students’; Recommendations on antibiotic usage are based on the World Health Oraanization (WHO) list of essential drugs (1983: TG Use of lhmtia~ Drugs. Technical Report Series, No. 685. Geneva: World Health Organization). The objectives are thus wholly commendable. Part I is devoted to the principles of antibiotic therapy; aswell aslisting many antibiotics (with their pharmacokinetics, doses, sideeffects, et&), informahon on resistance patterns in developing countries and also cost are summarized; data on combination therapy and contraindications to usage are also included, albeit briefly. There are 3 comprehensive tables which give details of appropriate antibiotics (not all of them in the WHO list) for a long list of micro-organisms; this however presupposes that facilities are available for microbiological
Schiller, C. F. (1966).CompEcations of Ecki~~cus nguei
cyst
3oumal of theAmencanMedtcal Assocwtm, 195,
Sciarino., E:, Fusco, G., Lo Iacono, O., Viridone, R. & Pagharo, L. (1987). Medical treatment with albendazole for hepatic hydatidosis. Italian 3oumal of Gastmenmolo19, (Supplement3), 75 (abstract P. 100). T oc?omv, T., Vutova, K., Petkov, D., Mechkow, G. &
Kolev, K. (1988). Albendazoletreatment of human
echinomccus. Transactkmsof theRoyal Societyof Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 82, 45U59. Wilson,J. F., Rausch, R. L., McMahon, B. J., Schantz, P. M., Trujillo, D. E. & O’Gorman~,M. A. (1987).
Albendazoletherapyio alveolarhyclauddisease:a repon
of favorable results in two patients after short-term therapy. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 37, 162-168. Received 22 August 1988
June 1988; accepted for publication 5
identification. Part II (which occupies about 85% of the book) consists in the main of a system-oriented approach to antibiotic therapy of various diseases common to developing countries; however, certain infections, e.g. rickettsial diseases, relapsing fever, plague, mycobacterial and fungal infections, are deemed to warrant separate attention. The last chapter of all reviews agents which have been used in an attempt to combat the various opportunitistic infections associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Bach of the 37 chapters is completed with -a list of references, the longest comnrisinn no less than 8 1. the vast maioritv of which will -of ~&use not be readily obtainable .in most trll;:;g counmes. The 7.page mdex is barely How well therefore have the authors fulfilled their objectives? They have certainly collected and collated a mountain of data relating to many aspects of antibiotics and their usage; however, by no meansall (including many of the antibiotics listed) will be appropriate or relevant to the developing country scene. While physicians and pharmacists, and perhaps some of those in health ministries in the ‘Third World’, will find this a valuable source book, I very much doubt that it will be of much value to medical assistants (let us at least try to keep our feet on the ground). Why, in any case,do we need a whole book devoted to antibiotics? These are frequently well covered in standard medical texts. And the price is high for a paper-backedproduction. Overall, it can be recommended but only with reservations. G. C. Cook
Ellis, D. S. (1987). Albendazole in the treatment of hydatid disease.Joumcl of the Royal Societyof Medicine, 80. 119-120. Rap&i, G. L., De Simone, F., Caturelli, E., Sabelli, C., Anti, M. & Fedeli, G. (1987). The albendazole treatment @-he._qatic hydatidosis.ItaliunJownal of Gastroenterology, 19, 56.
Rausch, R. L., Wilson, J. F., McMahon, B. J. &
O’Gorman,M. A. (1986).Consequences of continous
mebendazoletherapy in alveolar hydatid divwith a summary of a ten-year clinical trial. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 80, 40-19. Saimot, A. G., Cremieux, A. C., Hay, J. M., Meuhnans, A., Giovanangeli, M. D., Delaitre, B. & Coulaud, J. P.
(1983).Albendazoleasa Potentialtreannentfor human hydatidosis. Lmcet, ii, 652456.
1I Book Review
1I
Antibiotics in the Tropics: Antibacterial Therapy with Limited Resources. S. Enenkel and W. Stille. Berlin & Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, 1988. 328 pp. Price DM 98. ISBN 3 540 18683 2. The authors of this text are, respectively, a paediatrician and a physician in internal medicine at Frankfurt am Main. The over-riding reason for writing it was to ‘define the rules of antibacterial chemotherapy practised under conditions of limited resources’; it is intended therefore ‘for everyone concerned with the use of antibiotics in developing countries, including doctors, medical assistants, pharmacists, officials in health ministries, and medical students’; Recommendations on antibiotic usage are based on the World Health Oraanization (WHO) list of essential drugs (1983: TG Use of lhmtia~ Drugs. Technical Report Series, No. 685. Geneva: World Health Organization). The objectives are thus wholly commendable. Part I is devoted to the principles of antibiotic therapy; aswell aslisting many antibiotics (with their pharmacokinetics, doses, sideeffects, et&), informahon on resistance patterns in developing countries and also cost are summarized; data on combination therapy and contraindications to usage are also included, albeit briefly. There are 3 comprehensive tables which give details of appropriate antibiotics (not all of them in the WHO list) for a long list of micro-organisms; this however presupposes that facilities are available for microbiological
Schiller, C. F. (1966).CompEcations of Ecki~~cus nguei
cyst
3oumal of theAmencanMedtcal Assocwtm, 195,
Sciarino., E:, Fusco, G., Lo Iacono, O., Viridone, R. & Pagharo, L. (1987). Medical treatment with albendazole for hepatic hydatidosis. Italian 3oumal of Gastmenmolo19, (Supplement3), 75 (abstract P. 100). T oc?omv, T., Vutova, K., Petkov, D., Mechkow, G. &
Kolev, K. (1988). Albendazoletreatment of human
echinomccus. Transactkmsof theRoyal Societyof Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 82, 45U59. Wilson,J. F., Rausch, R. L., McMahon, B. J., Schantz, P. M., Trujillo, D. E. & O’Gorman~,M. A. (1987).
Albendazoletherapyio alveolarhyclauddisease:a repon
of favorable results in two patients after short-term therapy. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 37, 162-168. Received 22 August 1988
June 1988; accepted for publication 5
identification. Part II (which occupies about 85% of the book) consists in the main of a system-oriented approach to antibiotic therapy of various diseases common to developing countries; however, certain infections, e.g. rickettsial diseases, relapsing fever, plague, mycobacterial and fungal infections, are deemed to warrant separate attention. The last chapter of all reviews agents which have been used in an attempt to combat the various opportunitistic infections associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Bach of the 37 chapters is completed with -a list of references, the longest comnrisinn no less than 8 1. the vast maioritv of which will -of ~&use not be readily obtainable .in most trll;:;g counmes. The 7.page mdex is barely How well therefore have the authors fulfilled their objectives? They have certainly collected and collated a mountain of data relating to many aspects of antibiotics and their usage; however, by no meansall (including many of the antibiotics listed) will be appropriate or relevant to the developing country scene. While physicians and pharmacists, and perhaps some of those in health ministries in the ‘Third World’, will find this a valuable source book, I very much doubt that it will be of much value to medical assistants (let us at least try to keep our feet on the ground). Why, in any case,do we need a whole book devoted to antibiotics? These are frequently well covered in standard medical texts. And the price is high for a paper-backedproduction. Overall, it can be recommended but only with reservations. G. C. Cook