Neonatology Questions and Controversies: Infectious Disease, Immunology, and Pharmacology, 2nd Edition

By: William E. Benitz, MD, James L. Wynn, MD; Brian P. Smith, P. Brian, MD, MPH, MHS; Richard A. Polin, MD

ISBN: 9780323879064

Publication Date: October 30, 2023

Reviewer: Maradith L Skalak, MD (Tulane University School of Medicine)

Description

This book is one of a seven-volume series and covers a selection of topics in neonatal infectious disease, immunology, and pharmacology aimed towards supporting the clinical care of neonates. The text includes flow charts and decision trees to aid in medical decision-making. The eBook is available in addition to the print version. The previous edition was published in 2018.

Purpose

The purpose of this book is to provide useful and up-to-date clinical information about the unique physiology and pathophysiology of neonates as regards immunology, infections, and drug metabolism. Recognizing that neonates are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases, this text covers a range of topics to provide support to clinicians in the field of neonatology or pediatrics caring for infants. This book adds a useful perspective for practicing physicians, covering an array of specific infections and medications that clinicians are likely to encounter. The companion eBook increases the accessibility of the text, with options to increase the size of the text or to have the text read aloud.

Audience

The primary audience of this book is practitioners of clinical medicine caring for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit, newborn nursery, or even general pediatrics office. Students in pediatric or neonatal medicine will find this text useful as well, as it provides relevant information regarding the screening and treatment for a number of infections which are commonly encountered in the neonatal period. With an emphasis on clinical decision-making, this book achieves its aims of increasing knowledge and support for clinicians caring for vulnerable infants. The contributors include a wide range of respected clinicians and researchers in the fields of pediatrics, infectious disease, and neonatology.

Features

The book includes three sections: infectious disease, pharmacology, and immunology. The infectious disease chapters cover many common congenital and postnatal infections likely to be encountered in the neonatal period and include current information regarding clinical presentation, screening, and treatment based on the most up-to-date literature available. The pharmacology chapters review commonly utilized drugs in the neonatal population, with special attention to the differences in hepatic and renal function in the neonatal period. There are just two chapters in the immunology section, reviewing immunologic disorders and infectious markers in neonatal sepsis. The material is in a clear and concise format which is easy to read. There are a number of tables and flow charts in this text, which summarize recommendations regarding the screening or management of various infections. While this book provides thorough and clinically relevant guidance regarding the selected topics, it is not a comprehensive neonatal infectious disease or immunology text.

Assessment

This book is a useful text for pediatric physicians or practitioners, offering clear and relevant guidance to clinicians in the care of neonates and infants.

In selecting only a few neonatal infectious diseases and immunology topics, the authors highlight some of the most relevant or common conditions to provide high-yield information to aid in clinical decision-making. Compared to many neonatal physiology or pathophysiology texts, this book has more of an emphasis directly on screening and treatment of infectious diseases. As the field of neonatology evolves rapidly, this updated edition is justified and there are many current references throughout the text. Pertinent to the field of infectious diseases, a new chapter dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic is new to this edition.

©Doody’s Review Service, 2024, Maradith L Skalak, MD (Tulane University School of Medicine)

Doody’s Score: 97 – 5 Stars!

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