Clinical epidemiology

Author: Xu Wenyan, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) re-emerged and spread widely in China at the end of the 20th century. These diseases are highly contagious and pose significant health risks to humans, capable of causing various complications and sequelae, as well as being transmitted to the next generation and promoting the spread of HIV. They have become a serious public health issue. In recent years, China has published several books on STDs, which have played a positive role in their diagnosis and prevention. However, with the continuous advancement of medical science and the accumulation of clinical prevention and treatment experience, there have been many new developments in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of STDs. Therefore, this book was compiled to reflect these advancements. The book has the following features:
1. It focuses on clinical aspects while emphasizing prevention. For infectious diseases, prevention is essential to control their spread, reduce their incidence, and even eradicate these diseases.
2. The content of the book covers the etiology, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
3. In the section on laboratory diagnostic methods, some new approaches are introduced, such as molecular biology methods and highly sensitive and specific rapid tests. The latter can be used in large urban hospitals as well as in grassroots hospitals and fieldwork.
4. In terms of treatment, the book references treatment protocols developed by China's Ministry of Health, as well as guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and European STD management guidelines.
5. To ensure patients receive effective treatment promptly, the book introduces the syndromic management approach for STDs proposed by WHO. This method diagnoses and treats patients based on their symptoms, risk factor assessment, and either no laboratory tests or simple laboratory results, while also providing health education on prevention. This approach is suitable not only for resource-limited areas but also for large cities.
6. The book also specifically addresses the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of STDs in key populations (e.g., pregnant women, children, and adolescents) and special groups (e.g., migrant populations, homosexual men, female sex workers, and drug users).
7. In addition to experts from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, and the STD Prevention and Control Center of China's CDC, the book also features contributions from experts in HIV, infectious hepatitis, sexual health, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatric dermatology, and drug dependence research.