Infectious Diseases: Focus on Clinical Diagnosis by H. ThadepalliReview by: Ronica KlugeInfection Control, Vol. 3, No. 3 (May - Jun., 1982), p. 260Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiologyof AmericaStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30142219 .

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BOOK REVIEWS

Infectious Diseases - Focus on Clinical Diagnosis. H.

Thadepalli, editor, Garden City, New York: Medical Examina- tion Publishing Co., 1980, 848 pp., $26.50.

In the early 1970s there were perhaps a half-dozen textbooks dealing speci- fically with infectious diseases. Thadepalli's book represents part of the marked proliferation of infectious diseases texts since that time. His contribution was ostensibly written to deal primarily with clinical diagnosis. The title leads one to expect a listing of clinical "pearls" to be derived from the history and physical examination, and strong emphasis on differential diag- nosis. Most of the chapters instead deal with laboratory diagnosis, important to be sure, but not what the title promised!

The chapters are uneven in style and content, a problem inherent in the multi-authored text. The roentgeno- gram reproductions are not of very good quality, but the other photo- graphs are generally satisfactory. The book contains a large number of tables which the reader will find valuable. The section on diagnostic procedures is particularly useful. Most of the chapters are well-referenced although an occasional chapter has none; much of the viral section does not contain up-to-date references.

This book cannot be recommended as the the single infectious diseases reference for the practicing physician's

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shelf. However, students, house offi- cers and others may find it a quick study, and the book is inexpensive.

Ronica Kluge, M.D. Director, Department of Medicine

TUniversity of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, Texas

Infection Control - A Policy and Procedure Manual. Barbara Cwiklo-Van Offeren, R.N., M.S.N. Milwaukee: Chem Bio Corp., 171 pages.

The book Infection Control - A Policy and Procedure Manual covers many aspects of infection control. However, it is really not clear as to who its audience should be. The subtitle, "Infection control: A policy and pro- cedure manual for nursing homes or long term health care facilities (can be adapted for hospitals or acute health care facilities)," leads the reader to believe this is a reference primarily for nursing homes; however, as you read through the manual it becomes ob- vious that the author is more familiar with the hospital setting than with the extended health care facility. Examples are: In Part I, the author suggests that a permanent member of the Infection Control Committee be a pathologist. Most nursing homes have trouble getting the attending physician to attend the meeting, much less a pa- thologist. The author suggests that a Central Supply representative be an ad

hoc member. Again, it is not common practice to have a Central Supply Department in an extended health care facility. Part II discusses surveillance activities. There is no space devoted to the specific problems of nosocomial infections that extended health care facilities have, and the reader has no idea as to the average rate of noso- comial infection in this type of facility. Because of the patient's long term stay, surveillance can be somewhat different in the extended health care facility. These specific issues are not discussed.

The author continually discusses the nurse epidemiologist's role in the extended health care facility without dialogue to the effect that most facili- ties do not have a full time nurse epidemiologist. Possibly a section could have been devoted to how other personnel assume this role when there is no one else available.

In the analysis of the data section, the denominator for calculating the attack rate is based on the average census of the facility. This is correct for the extended health care facility. However, most acute care facilities would use either admissions or dis- charges. The author fails to mention this point. This is important if the book is to live up to its expectations, that is it can be used for acute settings and extended health care facilities.

Another example of the manual being primarily oriented to the acute care facility is that there is a section on incineration of contaminated waste. Most extended health care facilities do

Book Reviews

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