|
Pocket Book of Infectious Disease Therapy
|
|---|
Fourth edition. John G. Bartlett. 262 pages. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins; 1994. $13.00.
Many of us in medicine carry "ectopic brains." Some of these are homemade through the diligent recording of lists of differential diagnoses and therapies. Others are composed of published condensed collections of tables that are generally not for people with near-vision problems. John Bartlett has updated one of these collections with the fourth edition of his book. The obvious book with which Bartlett's can be compared is Jay Sanford's Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy, which has been the standard for more than 20 years. Which should one carry, if either?
Like Sanford's, Bartlett's book is primarily a compendium of tables. Most of these tables are adapted from previously published reviews by acknowledged authorities such as that by the American Thoracic Society on treating tuberculosis and that by the American Heart Association on preventing bacterial endocarditis. Both books are comprehensive, up-to-date, and full of useful information about when and how to use antimicrobial agents. Because the tables are better organized and the print larger, Bartlett's book is less cluttered and more user-friendly. In addition to the tables on therapy, Bartlett's book also includes useful lists and outlines of numerous infectious disease topics, including defining diagnoses for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, the differential diagnosis of aseptic meningitis, and travel-related concerns. However, this text is more than twice as large as Sanford's, although both fit in a coat pocket.
I would carry one. Which one? If the primary use will be to look up a specific treatment fact, either book should be fine, although the size of Sanford's is more convenient. If the book will also be used for an overview of a topic, Bartlett's is better organized for that purpose.
Article
