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Protecting the vulnerable
396
NURSEEDUCATIONTODAY
Caring for Children with HIV and AIDS Rosie Claxton & Tony Harrison Edward Arnold 1991 205pp illus ISBN 0 340 55256 5 f12.95
Protecting the Vulnerable Margaret Brazier & Mary Lobjoit Routledge 1991 183pp 1SBN 0 415 04697 1 E30.00
This very comprehensive book is written by a variety of professional ‘experts’ in many areas of work in the held of Paediatric HIV disease and its related problems. It deals specifically with aspects of managing care for the child, family and community. Some chapters are very theoretical, but throughout, the text is sensitively written and non-judgemental. The first three chapters deal with the epidemiology, diagnosis and medial management of children with HIV disease and are very informative. They are illustrated with clear, relevant diagrams and tables, which prove useful to clarify an extremely complex topic! Each chapter can ‘stand alone’, covering for example: legal and ethical issues; community and social care of child; community and social care of child/family; infection control, etc. Haemophilia and HIV infection in childhood is particularly well covered, as is the assessment and psychological support for children, families and carers. Well edited with excellent cross-referencing throughout, it emphasises the essential family centred, team-work, multi-disciplinary approach to provision of care, concluding with several very moving accounts from various family members affected by HIV disease and an excellent resource list of organisations and groups. Highly recommended for all interested in HIV and AIDS and child care. A definite asset to any library.
‘The field of bio-ethics,
as it is becoming
known,
is
currently attracting considerable media attention, of which this book is an example. It is also a example of the huge variation in standards, of both material and argument, resulting from such widespread exposure. The focus of this book tends more towards ‘the vulnerable’ than their protection, indeed, the ethical standards advocated by some contributors provide negligible protection. An example is found in the first chapter on ‘very premature babies’. Ignoring the misleading terminology, this paper comprises an explanation of, or apology for, dispensing with informed consent in certain health care settings. Although the subtitle relates to health care, the contributors focus on the ethics of medical care in a range of settings. One exception to this observation is the contribution by Heather Draper on sterilisation for contraception, which adopts academic objectivity to interrogate the issues raised by this topic. While the focus on medical ethics in some contributions may be appropriate, others, such as the paper on patients’ rights to information, clearly have a far wider relevance. If this book is thought to represent the ‘state of the art’ in bio-ethics, there should, due to the unacceptable concepts and the complacency with which they are presented, be profound concern among health care providers. Fortunately this book represents only a disparate collection of individuals’ views.
JANETRAND
ROSEMARY MANDEK
SRN RSCN RCNT
MSc PhD RGN SCM MTD
NURSEEDUCATIONTODAY
Caring for Children with HIV and AIDS Rosie Claxton & Tony Harrison Edward Arnold 1991 205pp illus ISBN 0 340 55256 5 f12.95
Protecting the Vulnerable Margaret Brazier & Mary Lobjoit Routledge 1991 183pp 1SBN 0 415 04697 1 E30.00
This very comprehensive book is written by a variety of professional ‘experts’ in many areas of work in the held of Paediatric HIV disease and its related problems. It deals specifically with aspects of managing care for the child, family and community. Some chapters are very theoretical, but throughout, the text is sensitively written and non-judgemental. The first three chapters deal with the epidemiology, diagnosis and medial management of children with HIV disease and are very informative. They are illustrated with clear, relevant diagrams and tables, which prove useful to clarify an extremely complex topic! Each chapter can ‘stand alone’, covering for example: legal and ethical issues; community and social care of child; community and social care of child/family; infection control, etc. Haemophilia and HIV infection in childhood is particularly well covered, as is the assessment and psychological support for children, families and carers. Well edited with excellent cross-referencing throughout, it emphasises the essential family centred, team-work, multi-disciplinary approach to provision of care, concluding with several very moving accounts from various family members affected by HIV disease and an excellent resource list of organisations and groups. Highly recommended for all interested in HIV and AIDS and child care. A definite asset to any library.
‘The field of bio-ethics,
as it is becoming
known,
is
currently attracting considerable media attention, of which this book is an example. It is also a example of the huge variation in standards, of both material and argument, resulting from such widespread exposure. The focus of this book tends more towards ‘the vulnerable’ than their protection, indeed, the ethical standards advocated by some contributors provide negligible protection. An example is found in the first chapter on ‘very premature babies’. Ignoring the misleading terminology, this paper comprises an explanation of, or apology for, dispensing with informed consent in certain health care settings. Although the subtitle relates to health care, the contributors focus on the ethics of medical care in a range of settings. One exception to this observation is the contribution by Heather Draper on sterilisation for contraception, which adopts academic objectivity to interrogate the issues raised by this topic. While the focus on medical ethics in some contributions may be appropriate, others, such as the paper on patients’ rights to information, clearly have a far wider relevance. If this book is thought to represent the ‘state of the art’ in bio-ethics, there should, due to the unacceptable concepts and the complacency with which they are presented, be profound concern among health care providers. Fortunately this book represents only a disparate collection of individuals’ views.
JANETRAND
ROSEMARY MANDEK
SRN RSCN RCNT
MSc PhD RGN SCM MTD