Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and the Immune Response

disease in a patient who looks well, by aggressive treatment of mild or moderate attacks and by the standardization of a protocol for the management of these severe attacks." Of topical interest is the chapter on the role of the gastroenterologist with the HIV-infected patient. The author examines the responsibilities of the physician for managing the multiple clinical presentations, ranging from dysphagia to diarrhea to weight loss. Tumors are also described in detail, including Kaposi's sarcoma and lymphomas among others. A timely review of management practices is included at the end. The chapter on imaging the jaundiced patient relates the critical role of the ultrasound machine, but it cautions that "considerable experience is still needed to unravel the anatomy and pathomorphology of obstructive jaundice." The surgical aspects of acute pancreatitis are considered in a strong chapter on the subject, whose author wisely describes the surgical complications and presents the method for detecting a pseudocyst and an abscess with imaging techniques. The number of patients with acute pancreatitis in this country is rising, and the health care manager should know the possible therapeutic modalities available. The final section of the book looks at pharmacological considerations regarding peptic ulceration. One chapter reviews the evidence that campylobacter infections cause a high proportion of non-autoimmune gastritis, and it suggests that the evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of a causative role. Another chapter considers the role of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the etiology of peptic ulceration. The last three chapters of the text describe the control of intragastric acidity with H2-receptor antagonists, the recent developments in duodenal ulcers, and the significance of gastroduodenal bicarbonate secretion. This text presents a broad range of topics that will probably appeal to the gastroenterologist or surgeon who wishes to keep abreast of the most recent clinical developments. It also provides an interesting perspective on the state of Britain's health care objectives and the differences in describing and managing gastrointestinal diseases.