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Mixed blessings: intensive care for newborns
Inknsrw care Numg (1990) 7,6%70 0 Longman Group UK Ltd 1990
BOOK REVIEWS
Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care H L Halliday, G McLure and M Reid Balliere Tindall, London, 1989,404 pages. Price 59.95 The third edition of this handbook is a welcome update in the neonatal intensive care field; not that the second edition was out of date, but probably too well thumbed through! The book is well illustrated, not only with figures and tables, but also with ‘how to’ diagrams, which could be used for teaching purposes. It is easy to read and is exceedingly well indexed, enabling the reader to refer to a desired subject quickly. The input achieved demonstrates a balanced view of neonatal intensive care, from a variety of leading neonatal and paediatric specialists. The short notes on nursing aspects as an innovation is a considerable success. They provide useful guidelines for experienced and inexperienced nurses alike, for a variety of situations. It should be remebered however, that the authors intend these to be short notes as an aid memoir, and not as a comprehensive guide to the nursing needs of neonates and their families. The inclusion of a section on AIDS sadly reflects the sudden occurence and dramatic input of this disease, spreading from mothers to their unborn children. Although brief, this section discusses aspects of perinatal care. It highlights women ‘at risk’ of being HIV-positive, and the possible consequences for both mother and child. This book is intended for nurses and doctors in the neonatal intensive care field, and they will certainly find it to be indispensible. With its compact size and at such a reasonable price, it must be the essential handbook for neonatal intensive care. GERALDINE M C MURPHEY RGN, RSCN, RN, RCNT, CNS
Intravenous Infusions: a Guide to Their Calculation Simon B Poole Radcliffe Medical Press Ltd, Oxford, 199 1, 135 pages. Price f8.50 Most truly good ideas combine a simple solution to a common problem. Simon B Poole has, in his book ‘Intravenous infusions: a guide to their calculations’ responded to a common problem. Who amongst those of us involved in the critical care situation have not experienced the frustration and self-doubt often present in the calculation and administration of
intravenous therapy. This book is obviously written out of pain of experience, one wonders why such a book has not been compiled before. The responsibility for the correct administration of IV drugs remains squarely on the shoulder of those prescribing and delivering the therapy. Here the book sensibly backs away, it is not written as a blue print from which all regimes can be taken. It offers the practitioner correct examples against which he/she may crosscheck. One point of criticism which must be raised. In some areas the assurance of safe practice can be uniformity of practice. Here, the book, at times, falls down. Where one equation will work for a number of drugs, i.e. those delivered in mcglkglmin, he gives us differing forms of equation. This is however a minor point. The book is clearly laid out, drugs arranged in alphabetical order, it is an easy form of reference. One that deserves to be in the pocket of many a houseman’s coat and part of the supportive literature held on critical care areas. CHRIS GREENGRASS RGN
Mixed Bless&s: Intensive Care for Newborns Jeanne H Guiliemin and Lynda L Holmstrom Oxford University Press, New York, 1990. Price 213.50 Having worked in a busy neonatal unit, as a nurse in varying capacities for 12 years, I think it would be true to say it is an area that holds certain mystery for other hospital staff, the public and certainly those finding themselves parents of a sick baby requiring its care. ‘Mixed Blessings’ goes a long way to dispel this mystery. It involves vividly the feeling of day to day life and running of a neonatal intensive care with its often emotionally charged stresses and tensions covering the following:- parent/baby, staff/baby, staff/patient and interstaff relationships. In an area of rapidly advancing knowledge and technology, it voices the concern of many working with neonates to strike the correct balance, within legal limits, between survival at all costs and quality of life in that survival. It acknowledges, with empathy, the baby as a potential toddler, child, then adult with a place to take in society. Also, ‘Mixed Blessings’ highlights with compassion parental feelings of helplessness and lack of control over the future of their offspring, often made worse by
69
70
INTENSIVE
CARE NURSING
geographical distance due to transfer to these specialist units. Some points made I have not found to be true in my experience, for example - claims that social circumstances of an infant may influence commitment to treat aggressively and care, but would make an interesting subject to debate.
I think this book would be a valuable ‘read’ and give insight to any wishing to work in an intensive care capacity with neonates.
Jo
GRE~INGRASS
RGN, RSCN
NOTICES
The British Association of Critical Care Nurses National Conference will be held at Owens Park; University of Manchester, 2-5 September, 1991. For further information contact: Susan Clark, Erryholme Crescent, Scunthorpe, South Humberside, DN15 7BY. Tel: 0724845000.
organ donation; infection and the ITU; neurology; staffing and training - an international view. For futher information contact: Cathryn Stokes, Conference Manager, Croxted Mews, 288 Croxted Road, London SE24 9DA UK. Tel: 081-671-7521. Fax: 081-671-1722.
The Second International Conference and Exhibition of the BritishJournal of Hospital Medicine, in conjunction with Nursing, is to be held at the Barbican Centre, London, September 9-13, 1991. Entitled ‘New Perspectives in Intensive Care, Critical Care 1991’, the conference will comprise of plenary sessions, breakfast meetings and workshops, some of the issues included are: cardiovascular failure;
The Accident Emergency Nursing Conference 199 1 will be held at the Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth, England, 15-19 April, 1991. The Conference is organised by the Accident Emergency Nurses Association in conjunction with Nursing. For further information contact: Cathryn Stokes, Conference Manager, Croxted Mews, 288 Croxted Road, London SE24 9DA, UK.
BOOK REVIEWS
Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care H L Halliday, G McLure and M Reid Balliere Tindall, London, 1989,404 pages. Price 59.95 The third edition of this handbook is a welcome update in the neonatal intensive care field; not that the second edition was out of date, but probably too well thumbed through! The book is well illustrated, not only with figures and tables, but also with ‘how to’ diagrams, which could be used for teaching purposes. It is easy to read and is exceedingly well indexed, enabling the reader to refer to a desired subject quickly. The input achieved demonstrates a balanced view of neonatal intensive care, from a variety of leading neonatal and paediatric specialists. The short notes on nursing aspects as an innovation is a considerable success. They provide useful guidelines for experienced and inexperienced nurses alike, for a variety of situations. It should be remebered however, that the authors intend these to be short notes as an aid memoir, and not as a comprehensive guide to the nursing needs of neonates and their families. The inclusion of a section on AIDS sadly reflects the sudden occurence and dramatic input of this disease, spreading from mothers to their unborn children. Although brief, this section discusses aspects of perinatal care. It highlights women ‘at risk’ of being HIV-positive, and the possible consequences for both mother and child. This book is intended for nurses and doctors in the neonatal intensive care field, and they will certainly find it to be indispensible. With its compact size and at such a reasonable price, it must be the essential handbook for neonatal intensive care. GERALDINE M C MURPHEY RGN, RSCN, RN, RCNT, CNS
Intravenous Infusions: a Guide to Their Calculation Simon B Poole Radcliffe Medical Press Ltd, Oxford, 199 1, 135 pages. Price f8.50 Most truly good ideas combine a simple solution to a common problem. Simon B Poole has, in his book ‘Intravenous infusions: a guide to their calculations’ responded to a common problem. Who amongst those of us involved in the critical care situation have not experienced the frustration and self-doubt often present in the calculation and administration of
intravenous therapy. This book is obviously written out of pain of experience, one wonders why such a book has not been compiled before. The responsibility for the correct administration of IV drugs remains squarely on the shoulder of those prescribing and delivering the therapy. Here the book sensibly backs away, it is not written as a blue print from which all regimes can be taken. It offers the practitioner correct examples against which he/she may crosscheck. One point of criticism which must be raised. In some areas the assurance of safe practice can be uniformity of practice. Here, the book, at times, falls down. Where one equation will work for a number of drugs, i.e. those delivered in mcglkglmin, he gives us differing forms of equation. This is however a minor point. The book is clearly laid out, drugs arranged in alphabetical order, it is an easy form of reference. One that deserves to be in the pocket of many a houseman’s coat and part of the supportive literature held on critical care areas. CHRIS GREENGRASS RGN
Mixed Bless&s: Intensive Care for Newborns Jeanne H Guiliemin and Lynda L Holmstrom Oxford University Press, New York, 1990. Price 213.50 Having worked in a busy neonatal unit, as a nurse in varying capacities for 12 years, I think it would be true to say it is an area that holds certain mystery for other hospital staff, the public and certainly those finding themselves parents of a sick baby requiring its care. ‘Mixed Blessings’ goes a long way to dispel this mystery. It involves vividly the feeling of day to day life and running of a neonatal intensive care with its often emotionally charged stresses and tensions covering the following:- parent/baby, staff/baby, staff/patient and interstaff relationships. In an area of rapidly advancing knowledge and technology, it voices the concern of many working with neonates to strike the correct balance, within legal limits, between survival at all costs and quality of life in that survival. It acknowledges, with empathy, the baby as a potential toddler, child, then adult with a place to take in society. Also, ‘Mixed Blessings’ highlights with compassion parental feelings of helplessness and lack of control over the future of their offspring, often made worse by
69
70
INTENSIVE
CARE NURSING
geographical distance due to transfer to these specialist units. Some points made I have not found to be true in my experience, for example - claims that social circumstances of an infant may influence commitment to treat aggressively and care, but would make an interesting subject to debate.
I think this book would be a valuable ‘read’ and give insight to any wishing to work in an intensive care capacity with neonates.
Jo
GRE~INGRASS
RGN, RSCN
NOTICES
The British Association of Critical Care Nurses National Conference will be held at Owens Park; University of Manchester, 2-5 September, 1991. For further information contact: Susan Clark, Erryholme Crescent, Scunthorpe, South Humberside, DN15 7BY. Tel: 0724845000.
organ donation; infection and the ITU; neurology; staffing and training - an international view. For futher information contact: Cathryn Stokes, Conference Manager, Croxted Mews, 288 Croxted Road, London SE24 9DA UK. Tel: 081-671-7521. Fax: 081-671-1722.
The Second International Conference and Exhibition of the BritishJournal of Hospital Medicine, in conjunction with Nursing, is to be held at the Barbican Centre, London, September 9-13, 1991. Entitled ‘New Perspectives in Intensive Care, Critical Care 1991’, the conference will comprise of plenary sessions, breakfast meetings and workshops, some of the issues included are: cardiovascular failure;
The Accident Emergency Nursing Conference 199 1 will be held at the Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth, England, 15-19 April, 1991. The Conference is organised by the Accident Emergency Nurses Association in conjunction with Nursing. For further information contact: Cathryn Stokes, Conference Manager, Croxted Mews, 288 Croxted Road, London SE24 9DA, UK.