Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control by Elaine LarsonReview by: Frederic J. MarsikInfection Control, Vol. 6, No. 4 (Apr., 1985), pp. 172-173Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiologyof AmericaStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30142750 .

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Book Reviews

Harold P Lambart, MD, FACP and W. Edmond Farrar, MD, FACP Infectious Diseases

Illustrated Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders Co.,

1982, 316 pages, $99.50

Infectious Diseases Illustrated is an important addition to the libraries of all physicians. It will not supplant the major infectious disease textbooks but is an important complement to the information they provide.

The strengths of this book are the excellent photographs of a wide range of infectious diseases problems. The table of contents is logically sub- divided and well-defined so that spe- cific areas are clearly demarcated and easy to find. Each of the photographs is accompanied by text and line draw- ings which clearly illuminate the essence of each photograph. The text focuses primarily on the points detailed in the plate and is not intended to be an all-encompassing discussion of the problem, hence the need for an additional reference source to supplement the text in this book.

This is a well-prepared book with photographs of outstanding quality and an important addition to the medical literature.

Michael A. Apicella, MD SUNYAB, School of Medicine

Buffalo, New York

Elaine Larson, RN, PhD, FAAN Clinical Microbiology and

Infection Control Boston, Blackwell Scientific

Publications, Inc., 1984, 785 pages, $39.95

It is stated in the preface that this book is "designed for health care prac- titioners, such as nurses and infection control practitioners, as a basic gen- eral reference with clinical applica-

172

tions from the field of microbiology." Having read this, I reviewed the book with enthusiasm because of the need for such a text. This need particularly being among nurses who find them- selves in the role of infection control practitioner and yet have not mastered the microbiology with which they will be dealing.

The first three chapters deal with the basic subjects of "Classification of Microorganisms," "Bacteria: Struc- ture and Genetics," and "Viruses: Structure and Genetics." These chap- ters are fairly well-done, but the first chapter contains two obvious omis- sions. First, there is no mention of what microaerophilic organisms are and second, the fungus family deu- teromycetes is not indicated to contain disease-producing organisms.

Chapter 4 deals with "The Process of Infection: Host-Microorganism Interaction" and covers this topic ade- quately. Chapters 5 and 6 cover the area of immunology and would cer- tainly enhance the knowledge of those health care practitioners educated 5 or 10 years ago or would serve as a good review for those educated recently.

The next four chapters cover spe- cific groups of bacteria. The chapter on "Gram-Positive Cocci" is ade- quately prepared as is the chapter on "Gram-Positive Rods." The chapter on "Gram-Negative Enteric Bacteria" includes the Pseudomonas, Vibrio and Bacteroides genera which would have been better placed in chapters of their own to highlight their respective places in the microbiology arena. One wonders in looking at Table 9-9 as to why Pseudomonas maltophila is listed twice with different descriptive words as to its pathogenicity in humans. Per- haps this was a way of indicating that the answer is really not known. The chapter on "Other Gram-Negative Bacteria" is not well-done, it is a "hodge-podge" of organisms. For instance, Citrobacter and Enterobacter agglomerans are reviewed in this chap- ter rather than in the preceding chap- ter where the other Enterobac-

teriaceae were covered and the genus Aeromonas, which is not adequately covered, is in this chapter after having covered the genus Vibrio. Tax- onomically the author has placed Streptobacillus moniliformis in the Bac- teroidaceae family which is not substan- tiated by the most recent edition of Bergey's Manual.

The chapter, "Obligate Intracellular Bacteria: Chlamydias and Ricket- tsias,"* follows the format of most microbiology texts. The next chapter makes bedfellows of some very dif- ferent organisms namely "Mycobac- teria, Mycoplasma and Spirochetes." The section on Mycobacteria covers tuber- culosis and leprosy quite well but inad- equately covers infections caused by the other Mycobacteria. The sections on Treponemes and Leptospira are also adequate. However, the inclusion in the table listing "Diagnostic Tests for Treponema pallidum" of the IgM-FTA Abs test as a way of diagnosing active congenital syphilis needs to be amended to explain the drawbacks of this test.

Chapter 13 covers the fungal dis- eases. Quite a bit of detail is provided on the taxonomy of fungi and their mode of reproduction. It is question- able as to whether as much detail is needed on these two subjects in a text such as this one. More coverage should have been given to diagnosing fungal disease. For instance the state- ment is made that "serologic tests are not always useful in the diagnosis of blastomycosis because there is little cir- culating antibody. Complement fixa- tion tests may be positive in some indi- viduals." The fact that serologic tests are not always helpful is not denied, but no mention is made of the value of immuno-diffusion tests either alone or in combination with complement fixation for diagnosing infection caused by Blastomyces dermatitidis.

*The reviewer is writing the title of the chapter as it appears but notes that the proper spelling would be Chlamydiae and Rickettsiae.

Book Reviews

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Serologic testing for the other fungi should have been expanded in a sim- ilar fashion. B. dermatitidis is not always easy to culture and the use of other methods (FA, EM, etc.) for demon- strating this fungus as well as mention of the other systemic fungi in spec- imens would have been appropriate. One should be cognizant of the fact that B. dermatitidis, contrary to what the author says, is quite hazardous when grown in the laboratory. The most misleading information in the entire book is in this chapter. The inclusion of Pneuomcystis carinii as a yeast-like agent that was previously categorized as a sporozoan parasite could easily lead those just learning microbiology or those who are not microbiologists to believe that P. carinii is a fungus and not a parasite that may be a sporozoan.

The next six chapters deal with vir- uses and do an adequate job in a man- ner similar to a number of texts on microbiology.

One chapter is devoted to parasites. This is a very condensed version of chapters from a number of good med- ical microbiology texts. While con- densation of the material in this text is appropriate, it could have been done in a more comprehensive manner.

Chapter 21 deals with "Diagnostic Laboratory Methods: Bacteriology." Part of this chapter presents informa- tion pertinent to understanding how to collect specimens and transport them to the laboratory. The rest of the chapter attempts to make clinical microbiologists out of its audience by concentrating on various staining techniques, methods of cultivating organisms and flow diagrams for identification of bacteria. It is a chap- ter that could easily produce a number of pseudo-microbiologists. One state- ment that drew my attention and one for which a reference should have been listed is that Mycobacterium gor- donae causes illness similar to Mycobac- terium tuberculosis.

The next chapter deals admirably with "Diagnostic Laboratory Meth- ods: Virology." However, one has to question the appropriateness of such detail for the audience to which this book is intended.

The 15-page chapter on "Nos- ocomial Infections" is approximately /56 of this book that has in its title

INFECTION CONTROL 1985/Vol. 6, No. 4

"Infection Control." Granted that almost every chapter has dealt with infection and its control, the author would have been better off to make this chapter more comprehensive.

A chapter is devoted to "Sterilization and Disinfection," and the chapter immediately followingdeals with "Antimicrobial Agents." The portion of the information in this chapter dealing with modes of action of anti- microbials can be found in a variety of general microbiology texts. The remainder of the information about dosages of antimicrobials to use and when certain antimicrobials are used would be better learned from texts specifically dealing with these sub- jects. Statements such as "Ampicillin, for example, is active against Strep- tococcus faecalis and is used to treat enterococcal endocarditis" without any mention of using it in combina- tion with an aminoglycoside to treat this type of infection can be mislead- ing.

The final chapter should have been directed toward tying up a number of loose ends. Instead, the chapter pres- ents a hodge-podge of information

concerning vaccines, foodborne dis- eases and how to use VZIG. Again, as in some previous chapters there is at least one glaring error: sporotrichosis is listed in a table as an infe`ctious dis- ease that is frequently waterborne.

This book suffers from lack of con- tinuity brought about by lack of thought and organization. The edit- ing was done poorly, and there are a significant number of spelling errors. None of the subjects are covered in such a way as to be authoritative, and all are covered in too general a way with a number of notable errors or misleading information to be of little value to those first learning the field of infection control. The money that would be spent on this book would be better spent on a good microbiology text, a good pharmacology text, and a good book on infection control.

Frederic J. Marsik, PhD Director, Infectious Disease

Research Institute Associate Professor of Microbiology and

Internal Medicine Oral Roberts University

School of Medicine Tulsa, Oklahoma

Infection Control Practitioner

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, a 1000-bed tertiary care medical center internationally acclaimed as a center of excellence in specialized patient care, teaching and research, is currently seeking an Infection Control Pratitioner for an exceptional career opportunity. The candidate we seek will have a minimum of 3 years experience serving in an infection control role and be certified or certification- eligible by the Certification Board of Infection Control. Responsibilities will include establishing disease surveillance systems and infection control protocols, designing and conducting related educational programming and computer-supported investigation and research related to the infection control function. Qualified candidates are invited to send resume to: Thomas F. Keys, M.D., Hospital Epidemiologist, Department of Infectious Disease. An Equal Opportunity Employer, M/F.

THE CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION II

9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106

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