Infection

by Southgate, Lesley; Lockie, Cameron; Heard, Shelley; Wood, Martin

• ISBN13: 9780192620927
• ISBN10: 0192620924
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-11-27
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

A significant number of patients seen by general practitioners are suffering from infections. Although many of these are minor and self-limiting, they provide an important opportunity for improving the doctor's own understanding of the patient's response to illness, and for enabling the GP toeducate the patient in ways in which certain infections may be prevented. Infectious diseases are also a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the modern developed world and, with more people travelling internationally than ever before, there is an increased risk of the spread of serious,non-endemic disease. An important part of the primary health care team's work is directed towards the prevention of infection through health education, immunization, or a combination of both these approaches. Infection provides a unique insight into the role of infection, seen from the combined perspective of GPs, an infectious diseases physician, and a medical microbiologist. It provides detailed information on the wide range of infections which are seen by GPs, including trivial viral infections,life-threatening acute bacterial meningitis, and imported infections such as malaria or typhoid fever. Included are case histories which reflect common practice both in primary care and within the hospital setting, as well as proposed guidelines for the management of infections which may present ingeneral practice. Throughout the authors emphasize the role of teamwork as well as prevention in contemporary primary care through improved patient education.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Sir Kenneth Calman
1 A history of infection	1	(4)
2 The prevention of infections	5	(49)
3 The response of the body to infection: symptoms, signs, and science	54	(25)
4 The investigation of infection	79	(14)
5 The treatment of infection	93	(31)
6 Infections of the head and neck	124	(49)
7 Infections of the lower respiratory tract	173	(33)
8 Infections of the central nervous system	206	(34)
9 Infections of the gastrointestinal tract	240	(31)
10 Infections of the urinary tract	271	(30)
11 Infections of the genital tract	301	(31)
12 Infections of the bones and joints	332	(12)
13 Skin and soft tissue infections	344	(23)
14 Generalized infections	367	(27)
15 The prevention of infection during travel abroad	394	(44)
16 Human immunodeficiency virus and AIDS	438	(14)
Epilogue	452	(1)
Index	453