AORN JOURNAL FEBRUARY 1990, VOL. 51, NO 2

standards as a surgical scrub. The author compares the medical asepsis for routine handwashing to that of a surgical scrub.

Four chapters deal with the practice of surgical asepsis. The chapters are directed at the practices in the operating room, but they take into account the invasive procedures performed in intensive care units, procedural laboratories, emergency rooms, and treatment areas. Establishing and maintaining a sterile field is clearly defined along with decontamination and instrument processing.

The book concludes with 101 ways to cut infection control costs. There is something here for every department.

Adages are cleverly applied to infection control throughout the book. The author also uses quotes from authors and publications that apply to the subject. One of the concluding quotes was “learning is finding out what you already know. Doing it is demonstrating that you know it.”

Each chapter has a summary and references. I recommend this book for all health care

professionals. It contains significant information for the practice of basic skills that are the cornerstones of safe practices for the patient and personnel.

To obtain a copy of the book, contact the Everett Companies, Whittington St, Bossier City, LA 71112.

CHARLCXTE H. OWEN, RN, BSN, CNOR

HUMANA HOSPITAL NORTHSIDE OR NURSE MANAGER

ST PETERSBURG. FLA

Nursing the Critically Ill Adult third ed By Nancy M. Holloway, ed 1988, 634 pp $39.95 clothbound

A look at the title could mislead the reader into believing that only intensive care nurses would benefit from reading it. Nurses who deal with seriously ill patients will value the insights provided; however, nurses who care for the patients on the medical and surgical units will have a much better understanding of why the patients are reacting in certain patterns.

The book explores most areas of critical care using nursing diagnoses; a subjective, objective, assessment, and plans (SOAP) breakdown; and useful examples from actual situations. It is easy reading, but it provides enough background information to be a reference book. This would be a good book to read before caring for critically ill patients and for reference when specific questions arise during clinical practice.

The format of this book has a cross-reference of diseases and their nursing diagnoses. For questions about a specific illness, the book lists which nursing diagnoses are usually involved with the disease and vice versa. By looking at a nursing diagnosis, the nurse will be able to understand how a specific disease causes certain problems.

The book has charts of most critical areas complete with instructions for use. Charts include acid-based disturbances, clotting factors, electro- cardiogram strips, and anatomical drawings. An extensive bibliography is included at the end of each chapter.

This book is a worthwhile addition to any library used by nurses. It is available from Addison- Wesley Publishing Co, 2725 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94205.

DIANNA PACK, RN, MA, CRNA NURSE ANESTHETIST

ST FRANCIS HOSPITAL NEW CASTLE, PA

REFERENCE BOOKS

Nurse’s Manual of Laboratory Tests By June Cella, Juanita Watson 1 9 8 9 , 5 2 4 ~ ~ $18.95 paperback

Any nurse who has been intimidated by a laboratory test or by a pathology department report will value this manual. Using a concise style, the authors list everything nurses need to know about laboratory tests.

The first section of each chapter provides background information on the origin of the test. A basic but complete explanation orients the reader to the specimen contents. For example, the blood is broken down into types of cells as well

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