Pediatric AIDS: The Challenge of HIV Infection in Infants, Children, And Adolescents

Children's Hospital, Boston, MA. A Brandon/Hill Medical List first-purchase selection. Comprehensive review for infectious disease and pediatric specialists. Previous edition: c1994. Halftone illustrations. Extensive references. DNLM: HIV Infections--in infancy & childhood.

This is a much-needed, complete and comprehensive reference book for all those who provide care for HIV-infected infants, children, adolescents, and pregnant women. This is the third edition of Pediatric AIDS, the first having been published in 1991 and the second in 1994 (both by Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore). The necessity of this new edition is a tribute to all those who have contributed to the medical knowledge of HIV infection during the second decade since its recognition. That it is dedicated to the memory of Jonathan Mann and Mary Lou Clements, who were advocates for those infected and affected by AIDS, is particularly poignant.

The editors and the authors of individual chapters provide a critical review of the published original research relevant to understanding the epidemiology and pathogenesis of HIV infection in infants, children, and adolescents. The editors and authors also provide a comprehensive discussion of the issues surrounding the care of these patients and discuss recommendations for therapy. In addition, the book supplies information about the appropriate management of pregnancy complicated by HIV, primarily in relation to minimizing transmission of the virus to the infant. Psychosocial issues for the child and family when one or more family members are infected with HIV are discussed as well. Where relevant, information concerning adult patients is included, either for comparison with or as an explanation for the therapeutic recommendations for children.

Almost all the authors are well-known experts in the specific areas they cover in their chapters. As a result, they bring to the book a mature, reasoned approach to the issues, rather than a mere review of the literature without the benefit of related practical experience. Because of their experience, the authors are able to anticipate a number of the research developments that have been reported since this edition went to press. Therefore, this book suffers little from the usual difficulty encountered by any book published on HIV and AIDS -- namely, the problem of becoming out of date before publication, because the field is moving forward so quickly. Only the chapters and sections of chapters dealing with the specifics of antiretroviral therapy are potentially affected by this problem, but because this disparity was anticipated by these authors, the effect on the book is minimal. The principles guiding therapeutic decision making are well stated in the book and will remain applicable in the future, until there is a dramatic alteration in the approach to the management of HIV infection.

The book is well organized, and specific topics are easy to find with use of either the table of contents or the index. The book is divided into sections that deal with generally related topics. The section covering the clinical manifestations of HIV infection is subdivided into parts on infection-specific and organ-specific manifestations, a distinction that is very useful for clinicians. Each chapter begins with a summary of the chapter's contents. These features are extremely helpful for readers who wish to find specific information on a variety of subjects quickly. Also helpful is the amazing similarity of writing style among the chapters.

This excellent textbook provides a convenient and complete critical review of the research conducted on HIV infection and related diseases in children in the 15 years since pediatric AIDS was first recognized. It will remain a useful, relevant reference textbook for the next several years for all who care for children.

Reviewed by Joanne E. Embree, M.D.
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