Book Review Infection control in the Intensive Care Unit

“Infection Control In The Intensive Care Unit” by HK Saene, L Silvestri, MADe la Cal, and A Gullo, SpringerVerlag, 3 Edition, 2012, ISBN 9788847016002. «Infection Control In The Intensive Care Unit (ICU)», third edition, is a comprehensive book regarding the clinical microbiology of critically ill patients. It includes thirty chapters gathered under the same five different thematic networks as in the previous edition. As mentioned in the preface by the editors: “All statements are justified by the best available evidence. All authors have made efforts to avoid unsubstantiated expert opinion.” The first section entitled «essentials in clinical microbiology» addresses different basic topics such as distinction between carriage, colonization and infection. It also provides a classification of ICU infections as well as of the different microorganisms according to their pathogenicity. The second part is on «antimicrobials», providing an excellent overview of systemic antibiotics, antifungals, and compounds which are used enterally. The third section on «infection control in the ICU» discusses devices, antibiotic policies to be used in the ICU as well as infection outbreaks. The issue of selective digestive decontamination is also well addressed. The fourth section of this book presents the different types of infections, which may be encountered by practitioners, according to their specific localization (blood stream infections, pneumonia, peritonitis, mediastinitis, urinary tract infections and wounds). There are interesting chapters on infections occurring in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit, and those following organ transplantation. Finally, the fifth section encompasses several «special topics» including: the role of gut as the motor of systemic inflammation and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, non antibiotic measures to control ventilator associated pneumonia, the impact of gut mucosal protection and nutritional route on the occurrence of infections. Finally, antimicrobial resistance and ICU-acquired infections are specifically addressed. In summary, «Infection Control In The Intensive Care Unit», discusses all important aspects of infectious diseases relevant to the practice. This book will certainly be helpful to adult and pediatric critical care physicians, surgeons, and pharmacists, as well as clinical researchers performing in the intensive care unit.