Highly Infectious Diseases in Critical Care: A Comprehensive Clinical Guide

Abstract

In the seventh century, the prophet of Islam, Muhammad, said “If you hear of plague (outbreak) in a land, do not enter it; and if the plague (outbreak) occurs in a land while you are in it, do not leave it,” and in 2015, Bill Gates said “If anything kills over 10 million people in the next few decades, it’s most likely to be a highly infectious virus. We’re not ready for the next epidemic.” Throughout history, the world has been hit by numerous epidemics that caused lots of losses and sufferings. Today, in the time of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it became crucial for all health care practitioners to expand their knowledge of infectious diseases. Jorge Hidalgo, a Critical Care specialist from Belize, and Laila Woc-Colburn, a Tropical Medicine specialist from the United States, have edited a new book, Highly Infectious Diseases in Critical Care: A Comprehensive Clinical Guide, intended primarily, but not exclusively, for critical care providers. Each of the editors has a significant research expertise in the field of infectious diseases. A group of international experts in infectious diseases, internal medicine, critical care, emergency medicine, anesthesiology, and microbiology have contributed to writing its various chapters. The book discusses the epidemiological and microbiological aspects of the commonly encountered infectious diseases, discusses the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies focusing on critical care management, and describes the steps for an intensive care unit (ICU) to prepare for infectious diseases and epidemics. It is unique in being written from critical care perspective and is available in printed (hardcover) and electronic (PDF) versions. The book comprises 16 properly ordered chapters. The first 3 chapters provide general information about the history, epidemiology, and microbiology of infectious diseases and emphasize the role of various community facilities and health care systems involved in the management of outbreaks. The fourth chapter discusses the laboratory methods of diagnosing viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections. The following chapters comprehensively discuss the epidemiology, microbiology, diagnosis, and management of the most prevalent and hazardous infectious diseases, including respiratory viral infections (influenza, measles, coronavirus, and smallpox), zoonotic infections (anthrax, plague, and tularemia), viral hemorrhagic fevers (Ebola virus, Marburg virus, Crimean-Congo fever, Lassa fever, and yellow fever), multidrug-resistant bacteria (Enterococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterobacteriaceae), rabies, tetanus, malaria, and tuberculosis. In addition, 2 chapters discuss the pathogenesis and management of various central nervous system infections and the monitoring and management of intracranial pressure in patients with bacterial meningitis. The book concludes with 2 essential chapters describing how to plan and prepare an ICU for a highly infectious disease and how to declare and prepare for a pandemic. In general, the book provides a balanced combination between the basic epidemiological and microbiological knowledge and the clinical diagnostic and therapeutic applications. In addition, it provides valuable historical and cultural information and incorporates a number of important concepts, such as antibiotic resistance, biowarfare, and management in resource-limited settings. The sections of each chapter are neatly ordered and properly discussed, the presented figures and illustrations are informative, and the references are appropriate and adequate. The authors use an interesting, systematic style and a scientific, yet easy language. We have a number of comments. When discussing the history of previous epidemics, little information is provided about the important Spanish flu and cholera epidemics. An illustration summarizing the roles of different health care units in the triage of highly infectious diseases and in the setting of a suspected bioterrorism attack may be added to Chapter 3. In Chapter 4, the names of the authors are unnecessarily written after some subheadings. In Chapter 5, various viral infections (influenza, measles, coronavirus, and smallpox) are collectively discussed under each subheading (Biology, Epidemiology, Clinical Findings, Diagnosis, and Management). The different infections might have better been discussed separately in a systematic manner. Chapter 14 might have been entitled “Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis” rather than “Tuberculosis Multidrug Resistance.” Finally, in our opinion, Chapters 10 and 15 contain parts that are difficult to understand and need linguistic revision. In conclusion, Highly Infectious Diseases in Critical Care: A Comprehensive Clinical Guide is an excellent, concise resource that provides valuable information about the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and management of various infectious diseases and helps critical care practitioners to manage the current pandemic and to be “ready for the next epidemic.” Mohamed Mohamed Tawfik, MDAmal Ahmed Nour, MScDepartment of Anesthesia and Surgical Critical CareMansoura University HospitalsMansoura, Egypt[email protected]