The Oxford Specialist Handbook of Infection in the Immunocompromised Host: A Comprehensive Guide

By Simon Fox, Brian Angus, Angela Minassian, Thomas Rawlinson

There is an increasing number of immunocompromised patients across a widening range of specialities in medicine. Patients with underlying malignancy, as well as transplant patients, are now living longer in a vulnerable immune state. The Oxford Specialist Handbook of Infection in the Immunocompromised Host is a comprehensive guide for medical staff caring for immunocompromised patients in a hospital setting. Divided into three sections, it is the ideal source for clear, up-to-date information needed on the ward.

Background of the Field

The book starts with a background of the field, providing a solid foundation for understanding the complexities of infection in immunocompromised hosts. It discusses the importance of diagnoses and empirical treatments, and highlights the diagnostic dilemmas encountered in a clinical setting.

Host-Centred Approach

The second section provides a ‘host’, or patient-centred, approach to presentations in different immunocompromised states. It covers the assessment, investigation, and management of clinical syndromes in patients with primary immunodeficiency, HIV infection, immunodeficiency as a result of therapeutic immunosuppression, haematological and solid organ malignancy, and immunodeficiency related to organ transplant. In addition, it covers medical conditions resulting in defective immunity, such as diabetes, mellitus, and chronic renal failure, and provides information on travel in the immunocompromised host.

Pathogen-Centred Approach

The third section provides a pathogen-centred approach to the investigation and management of viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal infections of particular relevance to the immunocompromised host. Combining hospital and laboratory guidelines with recent research, it highlights the importance of diagnoses and empirical treatments.

Target Audience

Ideal for medical staff working in infectious diseases, ITU, haematology and oncology, transplants, HIV/GUM, rheumatology, and general medicine, it also considers the diagnostic dilemmas encountered in a clinical setting. This handbook is also a valuable resource for when preparing for the UK SCE examinations in these topics, and the MRCP.

Product Details

Published by Oxford University Press, 1st edition (February 6, 2019). Language: English. Paperback: 384 pages. ISBN-10: 019878998X. ISBN-13: 978-0198789987.