Practical Antimicrobial Drug Handbook

Author: Yin Kaisheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-08-01
Features: For thousands of years, humans have been fighting against various diseases that harm health, and there are as many as thousands of proven diseases. Among them, infectious diseases are the most numerous and pose the greatest threat. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report in 1997, deaths from infectious diseases accounted for 33.3% of the total deaths from all causes! Antimicrobial drugs are powerful weapons in the fight against infectious diseases. Penicillin, discovered in 1928 and widely used in clinical practice since 1941, has saved the lives of millions of people. In recent years, the continuous emergence of new antimicrobial drugs has become an indispensable tool for clinicians in departments such as internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics, and pediatrics to treat or prevent infectious diseases. In the past decade, new trends have emerged in the fight against infectious diseases: on one hand, the continuous research, development, and application of new antimicrobial drugs; on the other hand, the constant evolution and increase of bacterial drug resistance. From 1920 to 1960, drug-resistant bacteria such as staphylococci and streptococci (G+ cocci) emerged, followed by drug-resistant bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (G- bacilli) from 1960 to 1970. Since the late 1970s, the clinical occurrence of inducible β-lactamases produced by bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Citrobacter freundii, and Enterobacter cloacae, as well as extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) produced by Gram-negative bacilli such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, have been increasing. Moreover, the emergence of increasingly drug-resistant Gram-positive cocci such as penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) has become a serious challenge for clinicians. Professor Yin Kaisheng and other clinicians have long been engaged in medical practice, teaching, and scientific research, possessing extensive academic expertise and practical experience. The Practical Handbook of Antimicrobial Drugs they meticulously compiled is characterized by being novel, practical, concise, information-rich, and highly instructive. To meet the needs of clinicians, the book emphasizes the word "practical." In addition to providing detailed new information on various antimicrobial drugs and their clinical applications, it also includes comments on the characteristics and rational use of each class of antimicrobial drugs. The middle section of the book introduces methods and strategies for the rational use of antimicrobial drugs from the perspectives of various special populations, different anatomical sites, and different pathogens. The appendix collects many useful materials for clinicians, making it quite distinctive. I am delighted to have had the opportunity to preview the book. I sincerely thank Professor Yin Kaisheng and other clinical experts for taking the time to write this book. I also believe that its publication will undoubtedly be well-received by clinicians, contribute to promoting the rational use of antimicrobial drugs in China, and play a role in advancing healthcare reform in the country.