In the context of human history, the global conquest of tropical diseases has only just begun. Much of the world's population remains at risk of tropical diseases and millions die each year. Those health professionals who are on the front line of the fight against tropical diseases need a reliable ready reference textbook in tropical medicine. The second edition of the Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine is one textbook that is now meeting this challenge, the first edition having established itself in 1999. 1 This second edition of the Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine contains a table of contents, a Foreword by arguably the world's leading tropical physician-Professor David Warrell, a Preface, table of Contents, a list of 32 colour plates, a list of 33 contributors, a comprehensive list of abbreviations, 17 chapters, an Appendix of selected websites, an index, and abundant use of tables, figures, 200 boxes. There is no bibliography or glossary. Like the first edition, the second edition has ample space for inserting or making additional notes on local conditions, protocols, and schedules.
The target audience appears to be primarily doctors practising in developing countries, especially those working in the tropics or new to the area of tropical medicine. It would also be usefully provided to students undertaking courses in tropical medicine or involved with diagnosis of tropical diseases in travellers or migrants, as an adjunct to standard major reference textbooks in tropical medicine and clinical medicine. The concise style means the handbook is consistent in presentation and easy to read. The Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine is presented as a nearly 700 page, 18 Â 10 cm publication, which would fit easily into the clinician's briefcase, handbag, or even the clinical white coat. The back cover has a list of the major chapters in the book. The highlighted page numbers, staggered according to chapters and located centrally on the side of the page, also help to identify individual chapters. The incorporation of extensive boxes, tables, and figures, as well as 4 pages of well-selected colour plates has heightened visual impact. The flexible plastic cover, printed in four mainly bright colours, adds protection some visual impact and the book has two different coloured bookmark ribbons.
Chapters include: an introduction; the World Health Organization-United Nations Children's Fund approach to the integrated management of childhood illness; major diseases, incorporating malaria, human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, diarrhoeal diseases, and acute respiratory infections/pneumonia; multi-system diseases and infections; cardiology; chest medicine; renal diseases; gastroenterology; neurology; mental health; ophthalmology; dermatology; bone, joint and soft tissue infections; endocrinology; haematology; nutrition; injuries, poisoning and envenoming; and immunisation. The chapters are based on largely on commonly used in clinical medicine, with particular issues of tropical medicine added or highlighted. Highlights within these chapters include useful sections on universal precautions and isolation measures; a handy key to the identification of malaria parasites and directions for undertaking essential laboratory investigations, such as making thick and thin films and faecal smears; the box listing the minimum supplies needed to manage a patients during a cholera outbreak; sections dealing with advanced life support (ALS) and first aid, which underlines the importance of the reader having a working knowledge of ALS and first aid; fairly comprehensive discussions on the major parasitic and infectious diseases with parasitic life cycles; good sections on anaemia and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency; and comprehensive discussions on malnutrition, as well as the colour plates. The handbook is also starting to position itself well to capitalise on the travel medicine market, which needs a ready reference in tropical medicine.
It is hard to fault the handbook, but a few suggestions might be the need for a table or box on personal protective measures against disease vectors; the need for additional emphasis on the prevention and chemoprophylaxis of traveller's diarrhoea; the need for a little more on what is known on the clinical findings and diagnosis of lymphatic filariasis in expatriates as well as a separate index listing for lymphatic filariasis; a need for more information on envenomation syndromes and their management, especially in relation to spiders and marine stingers; the need for a section dealing with the cold chain; the need for an expanded appendix or chapter on laboratory investigations, perhaps giving normal ranges (although some information on tests is given in the body of the various chapters); and the need to address the poor reproduction and small size of some of the maps and other figures. There seem to be very few obvious errors, but there was a mis-spelling of Trichuris trichiura in the index. Emerging infectious diseases are important to cover these days and, although diseases such as Avian influenza was missing from the index, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome did get some coverage. Curiously, the list of 14 major emergencies and the page references to find the information to manage them, found on the inside of the front cover of the first edition, appear to have been omitted in the second edition. Also, some readers may feel the need to consult a dedicated handbook of tropical paediatrics.
There is also a curious discrepancy between the order of editors on the cover and on the title page with Stephen Pierini being promoted back to second author as in the first edition. Of the four editors, three appear to be based in the United Kingdom, including Michael Eddleston, Robert Wilkinson (also based in South Africa) and Robert Davidson. The other editor, Stephen Pierini comes from Brazil, giving some balance between northern and southern hemispheres. Two thirds of the contributors (21/33) to the book state that they are based in the United Kingdom. On the surface, it appears that Southeast Asia and Australasia are under-represented, with only one contributor stating their affiliation in each of these areas.
The production of the second edition of the Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine is a credible effort. It is now an established and a worthy member of handbook series published by Oxford University Press. The cost is not prohibitive and it has little competition in the field of tropical medicine, although one may occasionally reach for a much larger and much more expensive reference, such as Manson's Tropical Diseases, 2 to gain deeper insight into a particular condition.