 |
Indian Pediatrics 1999;36: 1189 |
Book Review |
Neonatal Formularly, 10th edition, Compiled by the Northern Neonatal Network. BMJ, Publishing Group, 1998, Pages 272, Price Pound Sterling 19.95. This is one of the easy to read comprehen-sive book on neonatal pharmacopeia. The book has four distinct sections, and the first section is a concise wealth of practical guidelines not easily available in other books. Because of lack of information, most of the mistakes occur on drug prescriptions, administrations or storage. The section must be available at all the times for physicians, nurses and pharmacists dealing with neonates. There is specific and precise information on drug dilution, intravenous administration and adverse reactions. The second section "Making Choices", not present in earlier editions of this book, is a very welcome inclusion since it has dealt with important issues like bacterial infections, pain relief, circulatory control, clots and emboli, etc. These are the daily needs and often the precise information is not available in a concise form. The last two sections deal with actual drugs, their usage, physiological and pharmacological effects, dosage and useful tips on how to handle, store and dispense. Amongst the drugs, often ignored drugs like blood, blood products, oxygen, milk formulae (unfortunately the ones not available in India) and phototherapy have found adequate mention. In the section of drug monographs, the interaction of various drugs and fluids is of particular importance since this is often the clinical situation and precise guidance is often difficult to obtain unless one scans text books of pharmacology. This book is heavily weighted towards local conditions and hence provides all the relevant information like prices, available packages and many addresses useful for handling any untoward situation. The information is still useful in our context, especially when it provides an insight into how an efficient system should function. However, an Indian reader would be interested to know the Indian counter-parts including brand names, price structure and whom to contact in difficult situation. Overall, the text is written very well in a clear easily readable manner. It is well referenced and supplied with information on further reading. I find this manual quite useful for clinical practice and all the neonatal units would benefit by having a copy. Anil Narang, Indian Pediatrics 1999;36: 1190 Emergency Abdominal Surgery, Editors: Jones PF, Krukowski ZH, Youngson GG. London, Weinham, New York, Tokyo, Mel-bourne, Madras, Chapman and Hall Medical, 1998, pp 556, Price Pound Sterling 45. The present third edition of this book spread over 556 pages and 15 sections has been written primarily for the surgical trainee and those responsible for general surgical emergencies, as day-by-day companion in this demanding field. This multi-authored book reviews all aspects of the subject, including the acute abdomen of infancy and childhood, obstructions and inflammations of the small and large bowel, alimentary tract hemorrhage and perforation, urological and vascular emergencies, the acute abdomen in pregnancy and abdominal injuries. Each chapter can be read through as a review of the subject. In controversial situations, opinions are discussed and a practical time of action described in details. The book has 93 illustrations (mainly line diagrams) and 9 tables which are brilliantly done making the subject under discussion so much easier. The hallmark of the book is simplicity and readability. An exhaustive list of upto date references are also available. `Physiological Indices in Childhood' in the section `Emergency abdominal surgery in infancy and childhood' is very welcome inclusion as the surgical trainees having no formal training in pediatrics often lack in the `basics'. This book would interest pediatricians also as they are involved in the diagnosis and early management of abdominal emergencies. Two areas definitively need improvement. One some coloured illustations may be added. Another suggestion is that few topics of neonatal emergency abdominal surgeries, that can be easily handled by the general surgeons, should be included. To conclude, this book is a `must have' for all surgical trainees and the general surgeons who are still practicing all superspecialized areas of this subject without any specific training in each of them. Y.K. Sarin, |
