- Email: [email protected]
Everything a GP should know
BOOK
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
REVIEWS
Zhang, Z. and Martineau, D. (1996) J. Virol. Methods 60, 29–37 Rose, T.M. et al. (1997) J. Virol. 71, 4138–4144 Don, R.H. et al. (1991) Nucleic Acids Res. 19, 4008 Fredericks, D.N. and Relman, D.A. (1996) Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 9, 18–33 Kurtzke, J.F. (1993) Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 6, 382–427 Challoner, P.B. et al. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 92, 7440–7444 Perron, H. et al. (1997) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 94, 7583–7588 Rice, G.P. (1992) Curr. Opin. Neurol. Neurosurg. 5, 188–194 Gao, S.J. and Moore, P.S. (1996) Emerg. Infect. Dis. 2, 159–167 Lipkin, W.I. et al. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 87, 4184–4188 VandeWoude, S. et al. (1990) Science 250, 1278–1281 Bode, L. et al. (1995) Nat. Med. 1, 232–236 Schweinfest, C.W. et al. (1990) Genet. Anal. Tech. Appl. 7, 64–70 Lisitsyn, N. and Wigler, M. (1995) Methods Enzymol. 254, 291–304 Lisitsyn, N., Lisitsyn, N. and Wigler, M. (1993) Science 259, 946–951
Everything a GP should know Infection (Oxford General Practice Series) by L. Southgate et al. Oxford University Press, 1997. £27.50 pbk (viii + 468 pages) ISBN 0 19 262092 4
I
nfection is the latest edition to a series of books designed for general practitioners (GPs). Not being a GP myself, I have not had the pleasure of reading any of the other books in this series, but if Infection is anything to go by, they must be valued very highly by their readership. I do not feel completely unqualified to review this book, however, having more than one GP in my immediate family! The book is organized into infections of the various systems of the
How to treat a pathogen Medical Microbiology (3rd edn) by P.R. Murray et al. Mosby, 1997. $54.00 pbk (x + 719 pages) ISBN 0 8151 9035 2
T
his is the third edition of a standard American textbook on medical microbiology. Like its previous editions, it is
TRENDS
IN
26 Hubank, M. and Schatz, D.G. (1994) Nucleic Acids Res. 22, 5640–5648 27 Simons, J.N. et al. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 92, 3401–3405 28 Linnen, J. et al. (1996) Science 271, 505–508 29 Dron, M. and Manuelidis, L. (1996) J. Neurovirol. 2, 240–248 30 Diatchenko, L. et al. (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 93, 6025–6030 31 Evans, A.S. (1976) Yale J. Biol. Med. 49, 175–195 32 Henle, G., Henle, W. and Diehl, V. (1968) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 59, 94–101 33 Durst, M. et al. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 80, 3812–3815 34 Kuo, G. et al. (1989) Science 244, 362–364 35 Rivers, T.M. (1937) J. Bacteriol. 33, 1–12 36 VanDevanter, D.R. et al. (1996) J. Clin. Microbiol. 34, 1666–1671 37 Wada, K. et al. (1992) Nucleic Acids Res. 11, 2111–2118 38 Smith, T.F., Waterman, M.S. and Sadler, J.R. (1983) Nucleic Acids Res. 11, 2205–2220 39 Martin, F.H. et al. (1985) Nucleic Acids Res. 13, 8927–8938
body, with other sections on general principles, such as the prevention of infections, the response of the body to infection, investigation and treatment. It concludes with several chapters on generalized infections, infection during travel abroad, and HIV. Each chapter is well referenced, with further reading for those with a greater depth of interest, thus providing a more than adequate source of knowledge for even the most conscientious GP. As a scientist/clinician interested in the field of respiratory infection, I felt that there were one or two shortcomings in the chapters dealing with this subject; in particular, I felt that the role of virus infections in sore throat and otitis media was rather underemphasized and that insufficient attention was paid to the problem of overprescribing of antibiotics for viral infections. Despite being the cause of the major-
ity of upper respiratory tract infections, rhinoviruses hardly featured at all, and there was disappointingly little on the newer macrolide antibiotics and on the spectrum of activity of new classes of antibiotics, such as quinolones (for example, ciprofloxacin). Notwithstanding these criticisms, these chapters, and the book as a whole, provide a very informative, educated and well-reasoned approach to an important subject. Infection will be of interest to medical students, GPs, and those advising GPs on the treatment of infection, although its enjoyable style of writing also lends itself to the lessexperienced reader.
beautifully produced with colour line drawings and is lucidly written by experts. The format is unchanged from previous editions, with sections on microbial physiology, pathogenesis, chemotherapy and systematic treatises on the pathogens. There are also case studies and questions at the end of each chapter, which have the dual purpose of putting the text into context for the trainee physician and testing knowledge
retention. In general, the book is up to date; for example, there is a discussion on combination therapy for HIV. However, in some chapters, the lack of references from the past 10 years is surprising because there have been so many major advances in medical microbiology. In addition, I am in favour of discontinuing the term ‘slow viruses’ for prions; although some doubt exists about the latter,
MICROBIOLOGY
166
Sebastian L. Johnston University Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton, UK SO16 6YD
VOL. 6 NO. 4 APRIL 1998
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
REVIEWS
Zhang, Z. and Martineau, D. (1996) J. Virol. Methods 60, 29–37 Rose, T.M. et al. (1997) J. Virol. 71, 4138–4144 Don, R.H. et al. (1991) Nucleic Acids Res. 19, 4008 Fredericks, D.N. and Relman, D.A. (1996) Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 9, 18–33 Kurtzke, J.F. (1993) Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 6, 382–427 Challoner, P.B. et al. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 92, 7440–7444 Perron, H. et al. (1997) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 94, 7583–7588 Rice, G.P. (1992) Curr. Opin. Neurol. Neurosurg. 5, 188–194 Gao, S.J. and Moore, P.S. (1996) Emerg. Infect. Dis. 2, 159–167 Lipkin, W.I. et al. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 87, 4184–4188 VandeWoude, S. et al. (1990) Science 250, 1278–1281 Bode, L. et al. (1995) Nat. Med. 1, 232–236 Schweinfest, C.W. et al. (1990) Genet. Anal. Tech. Appl. 7, 64–70 Lisitsyn, N. and Wigler, M. (1995) Methods Enzymol. 254, 291–304 Lisitsyn, N., Lisitsyn, N. and Wigler, M. (1993) Science 259, 946–951
Everything a GP should know Infection (Oxford General Practice Series) by L. Southgate et al. Oxford University Press, 1997. £27.50 pbk (viii + 468 pages) ISBN 0 19 262092 4
I
nfection is the latest edition to a series of books designed for general practitioners (GPs). Not being a GP myself, I have not had the pleasure of reading any of the other books in this series, but if Infection is anything to go by, they must be valued very highly by their readership. I do not feel completely unqualified to review this book, however, having more than one GP in my immediate family! The book is organized into infections of the various systems of the
How to treat a pathogen Medical Microbiology (3rd edn) by P.R. Murray et al. Mosby, 1997. $54.00 pbk (x + 719 pages) ISBN 0 8151 9035 2
T
his is the third edition of a standard American textbook on medical microbiology. Like its previous editions, it is
TRENDS
IN
26 Hubank, M. and Schatz, D.G. (1994) Nucleic Acids Res. 22, 5640–5648 27 Simons, J.N. et al. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 92, 3401–3405 28 Linnen, J. et al. (1996) Science 271, 505–508 29 Dron, M. and Manuelidis, L. (1996) J. Neurovirol. 2, 240–248 30 Diatchenko, L. et al. (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 93, 6025–6030 31 Evans, A.S. (1976) Yale J. Biol. Med. 49, 175–195 32 Henle, G., Henle, W. and Diehl, V. (1968) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 59, 94–101 33 Durst, M. et al. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 80, 3812–3815 34 Kuo, G. et al. (1989) Science 244, 362–364 35 Rivers, T.M. (1937) J. Bacteriol. 33, 1–12 36 VanDevanter, D.R. et al. (1996) J. Clin. Microbiol. 34, 1666–1671 37 Wada, K. et al. (1992) Nucleic Acids Res. 11, 2111–2118 38 Smith, T.F., Waterman, M.S. and Sadler, J.R. (1983) Nucleic Acids Res. 11, 2205–2220 39 Martin, F.H. et al. (1985) Nucleic Acids Res. 13, 8927–8938
body, with other sections on general principles, such as the prevention of infections, the response of the body to infection, investigation and treatment. It concludes with several chapters on generalized infections, infection during travel abroad, and HIV. Each chapter is well referenced, with further reading for those with a greater depth of interest, thus providing a more than adequate source of knowledge for even the most conscientious GP. As a scientist/clinician interested in the field of respiratory infection, I felt that there were one or two shortcomings in the chapters dealing with this subject; in particular, I felt that the role of virus infections in sore throat and otitis media was rather underemphasized and that insufficient attention was paid to the problem of overprescribing of antibiotics for viral infections. Despite being the cause of the major-
ity of upper respiratory tract infections, rhinoviruses hardly featured at all, and there was disappointingly little on the newer macrolide antibiotics and on the spectrum of activity of new classes of antibiotics, such as quinolones (for example, ciprofloxacin). Notwithstanding these criticisms, these chapters, and the book as a whole, provide a very informative, educated and well-reasoned approach to an important subject. Infection will be of interest to medical students, GPs, and those advising GPs on the treatment of infection, although its enjoyable style of writing also lends itself to the lessexperienced reader.
beautifully produced with colour line drawings and is lucidly written by experts. The format is unchanged from previous editions, with sections on microbial physiology, pathogenesis, chemotherapy and systematic treatises on the pathogens. There are also case studies and questions at the end of each chapter, which have the dual purpose of putting the text into context for the trainee physician and testing knowledge
retention. In general, the book is up to date; for example, there is a discussion on combination therapy for HIV. However, in some chapters, the lack of references from the past 10 years is surprising because there have been so many major advances in medical microbiology. In addition, I am in favour of discontinuing the term ‘slow viruses’ for prions; although some doubt exists about the latter,
MICROBIOLOGY
166
Sebastian L. Johnston University Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton, UK SO16 6YD
VOL. 6 NO. 4 APRIL 1998