Antibiotics Basics For Clinicians: Choosing the Right Antibacterial Agent Alan R. Hauser

The book Antibiotic Basics For Clinicians: Choosing the Right Antibacterial Agent is designed to accomplish the daunting task of creating a basic review on a complicated, multifaceted topic. The book is divided into 4 sections: Bacterial Basics, Antibacterial Agents, Definitive Therapy, and Empirical Therapy. Each chapter has several review questions, with answers provided in the back of the text. In addition, 12 clinical cases are provided, as are 50 overall review questions, both with discussion and answers. There are also numerous dosage tables provided. The author's intention is that the book will serve as a guide to antibacterials for medical students, residents, and practicing physicians and that it will provide a bridge between didactic knowledge acquired during the first 2 years of medical school and the entrenched prescribing habits acquired by clinicians. The author states that a busy student or physician can read the book in 1–2 weeks.

The author has accomplished his goals, because this book is an excellent primer on antibacterials and provides information in an abbreviated, nonlofty manner. The chapters are written in a way that “skimming of sections” to get to the important information is not required; the authors pares the information down to the essentials. The book also adds an extra layer of knowledge usually acquired between course work and seasoned clinical experience. In the area of infectious diseases, students and residents are often flummoxed by having to choose among different antibiotics and to identify the most appropriate choice for a given situation. This book reinforces fundamental principles to consider and apply when choosing appropriate antibacterial ther apy. Find more at the https://farmacy-houses.com

Engaging methods are used to present material: figures display the sites of infection for various organisms; charts display the antimicrobial activity of agents, with CAUTION, GO, and STOP signs for each type of organism class (e.g., quinolones for anaerobic bacteria is given a caution sign); mechanisms of resistance are displayed visually in figures; and memorization cues are provided for topics such as the antimicrobial activity of the cephalosporins.

At times, the book can oversimplify topics, but this is not so much a weakness of the book as much as it is a collateral effect in accomplishing the main goal in providing a basic guide to antibacterials. For example, acquiring a comprehensive list of potential adverse effects (e.g., linezolid and peripheral/optic neuropathies) would require referring to other resources. In addition, there are a few instances in which major antibacterial indications are not listed for a particular agent (e.g., trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia).

If students, residents, and practicing physicians invest their time in reading this book, they will be rewarded with a good antibacterial review that brings together microbiology, pharmacology, and disease state management that will make the question “which antibiotic should this patient be receiving” less overwhelming.

Future volumes planned by the author include antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics, which would provide a complete spectrum of infectious diseases treatment.