Book Review: ICU infection in an era of multi-resistance: Selected proceedings from the 8th Summer Conference in Intensive Care Medicine:

[Image omitted: See PDF.]The Society of Critical Care Medicine hosted their Summer Conference in Intensive Care Medicine and compiled the selected proceedings into a 2009 book: ICU Infection in an Era of Multi-Resistance .The [World Health Organization (WHO) sees a rising global threat (2015)] from multiresistance that enables bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. The resistance of antimicrobial agents and hospital or healthcare-acquired infections, including infections found in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), has raised concerns from health caregivers, researchers, and architects devoted to design better and safer healthcare settings. ICU Infection in an Era of Multi-Resistance makes an invaluable and timely addition to the knowledge in such fields. It provides an overview of risks and treatment methods for antibiotic-resistant infections in today's world. It discusses risk factors, medication and treatment trends, and current research evidence.The book is good for both new learners and professionals. It can be an aid for physicians and healthcare providers or a textbook for medical students. It can be beneficial as an introduction to the topic or continuing education for readers from all fields, for example, architects, researchers, health policy makers, and disease control departments. It can be helpful for people in the healthcare furnishing or furniture industry. The book is suited for thorough reading and studying or for a quick glance at a certain chapter relevant to your work or study.There is a page of information about continuing education opportunities for critical care providers and practitioners, and an information page identifying the 10 contributors. ICU Infection in an Era of Multi-Resistance discusses how to efficiently reduce risks and to improve treatment outcomes in 15 chapters. The chapter titles include "Who is at risk for infection," "The right drug for the right infection and the importance of early appropriate therapy," and "Pandemics: lessons learned and preparing for the future." Each chapter is followed by a summary, a reference list, and two self-assessment questions to help the readers grasp the points. Answers to the questions are not provided. The chapters discuss the diagnosis, transmission dynamics, treatment, and prevention measures for most common types of infections such as fungal infection, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , vancomycin-resistant enterococci, extended spectrum β-lactamase, and Acinetobacter baumannii . The chapters also discuss pandemic infections such as the outbreaks of 1918 influenza, SARS, and H1N1.ICU Infection in an Era of Multi-Resistance uses patient cases as examples both in the chapter content and in the self-assessment questions. Medication usage in the United States as well as in European and Asian countries are discussed. Research evidence is cited while discussing possible solutions for controversial treatment debates. For example, the study of [Murray et al. (2008)] is introduced when discussing risk factors for fungal infections in burn patients in which a 12-year review on patients with severe burns at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research Burn Center was conducted. …