Transfusion Medicine: Second Edition

Transfusion Medicine: Second Edition

330 BOOK REVIEWS pathologists, obstetricians, neonatologists and geneticists will find this volume equally useful in their daily practice. C. W. Cho...

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330

BOOK REVIEWS

pathologists, obstetricians, neonatologists and geneticists will find this volume equally useful in their daily practice. C. W. Chow Anatomical Pathology Royal Children’s Hospital Parkville, Victoria Transfusion Medicine: Second Edition JEFFREY MCCULLOUGH. Elsevier Churchill Livingstone, Philadephia, 2005. ISBN 0-443-06648-5, Softcover, pp viii+584, AU$110 In his preface to the second edition of this book, Jeffrey McCullough expresses the desire to provide a ‘concise but comprehensive’ text that will be useful ‘not only for those working in transfusion medicine…but also for those who use blood and need quick and concise answers to their questions and problems’. In much of this we believe that he is fundamentally successful. Whilst this book may be inadequate for established haematologists and transfusion specialists, it would clearly be a useful addition to the library of those starting their career in these fields and for those whose day-to-day practice impinges upon issues relating to the procurement and use of blood products. The 20 chapters of the book can be roughly divided into three sections, progressing from the donor to the transfusion laboratory and then to the patient. The first section covers the history of blood transfusion, blood donors, the blood supply and production of blood components. A potential disadvantage of this section is its base upon US practice. However, the chapters covering donor medical assessment and apheresis are widely applicable. The second section covers laboratory issues including testing of donated blood for infectious agents, blood groups, blood grouping and antibodies, the provision of red cells and quality programs. The relatively

Pathology (2005), 37(4), August

brief coverage of platelet antigens and platelet cross matching, in comparison to that of red cells, is a deficiency of this section. Those requiring more than a brief overview of this field would need to access more specialised sources. The final and largest section, encompassing approximately one-half of the book’s 500 pages, is a series of chapters covering the clinical aspects of transfusion medicine. Topics covered include the clinical use of blood components, techniques of transfusion, complications and transfusion transmitted diseases, HLA, therapeutic apheresis, haemopoietic growth factors and cellular engineering. A series of special clinical situations including pregnancy, paediatric and neonatal patients and a variety of disease states is also included. The breadth of topics reviewed is wide and comprehensive although, again for those wanting more detail, the depth maybe lacking. We found this book to be well organised and clearly written. The frequent use of tables and, to a lesser extent, black and white illustrations, aids data organisation and comprehension. Each chapter is followed by a comprehensive and up-to-date reference list, which will be a useful starting point for those needing more detailed information on specific topics. In summary, we can readily recommend this book to those beginning a career in haematology or transfusion medicine as well as those practitioners with an interest in transfusion medicine. It would also be a useful addition to the reference library of any transfusion laboratory, haematology ward or apheresis unit. John Gibson and Nicholas Viiala Institute of Haematology Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Camperdown, New South Wales