Pdr Guide to Biological and Chemical Warfare Response [Paperback]

John G. Bartlett (Editor, Foreword), David W. Sifton (Editor), Gwynned L. Kelly (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1563634260 | ISBN-13: 978-1563634260 | Publication Date: February 2002 | Edition: 1st

Accurate, authoritative information on clinical responses to a bioterrorist attack. The most comprehensive resource ever published on the subject, featuring the latest scientific and medical research findings by more than 500 clinicians from Harvard University, Stanford University and other prestigious medical schools and hospitals. Topics include: 50 toxic biological and chemical agents50 treatment modalities in an attackPrescribing information on 23 drugs used in treating exposure to biochemical agentsRecommendations for protective gear and clothingCDC Advisories, fact sheets and recommendations.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Designed as a ready reference, the PDRR Guide highlights symptoms and effective treatments, including dosage and supportive care. The text is divided into seven sections: biological agents, chemical agents, treatment modalities, antibiotics, vaccines, medical safety, and government guidelines and advisories. Altogether, 50 biological and chemical agents, 50 treatment modalities, and 23 drugs are described in detail. Most of the toxicological data are extracted from MicromedexR, a series of four databases from Thomson offering advice drawn from medical literature, clinical specialists, and drug manufacturers. The information on prescribing antibiotics is in standard PDRR format. A directory of protective-clothing manufacturers and distributors is a nice addition. No index is provided, but there is a useful table of contents. Neither book includes color photos showing skin manifestations upon exposure to these agents, something that would be especially useful for clinicians unfamiliar with smallpox, anthrax, or other up-until-now exotic diseases. The Journal of the American Medical Association, for example, publishes consensus-based recommendations for the management of bioterrorist diseases that include such illustrations, and they can also be found in Sen. Bill Frist's recent, consumer-oriented When Every Moment Counts. While much of the information here is already available from disparate sources, these two volumes offer timesaving convenience at low cost with minimal overlap. If you must choose only one, take Bioterrorism and Public Health, as its index and easily readable table of contents facilitate subject searching. Anne C. Tomlin, Auburn Memorial Hosp. Lib., NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

Foreword

There have been varying degrees of concern about the possibility of chemical or biological warfare for many years. The United States abandoned its biowarfare program in 1969, but others have continued or started such programs. Perhaps the largest was the program of the Soviet Union, which had very sophisticated science and 60,000 employees prior to its disassembly with the collapse of the Soviet Union. There is now good evidence of substantial bioweaponry in at least six countries, including Iraq. There is also substantial concern about the use of such weapons by terrorists.

Estimates of the danger have been quite divergent. On the one hand, mathematical analyses by WHO and other organizations have shown that anthrax spores, for example, delivered by aerosol in the right meteorological conditions over Washington, D.C. could produce mortality and morbidity that is comparable to a nuclear bomb. Furthermore, the technology necessary to accomplish this heinous task is relatively modest, consisting primarily of proper “milling” to produce spores in particles of one to five microns. On the other hand, despite such concerns, there were many skeptics who felt that this would never happen, or that those attempting it would be too inept to accomplish the task. For example, although the Am Shinryko, a terrorist group in Japan, delivered an aerosol of anthrax spores near Tokyo in 1993, there were no deleterious consequences because they used the veterinary strain, which is inactivated for vaccine purposes. Nevertheless the Am Shinryko subsequently gained appropriate notoriety with the sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway system.

The potential impact of bioterrorism in the U.S. became a universally accepted issue on October 3, 2001 with the initial case of lethal inhalation anthrax in Florida. By year’s end, there were 22 confirmed cases of intentional anthrax, with five deaths. Although this experience seems incredibly modest compared to prior estimates based on different delivery systems, the impact was extraordinary. There were a total of 32,000 persons with possible exposures who received antimicrobial prophylaxis; Washington, D.C. established a network of communication between emergency rooms with hourly conference calls; and New York City established a round-the-clock hotline that required substantial medical expertise in dealing with difficult issues both medically and psychologically.

The anthrax experience was relatively modest in terms of its medical toll, but it brought into sharp focus the limitations of the medical care system in dealing with mass casualties and the companion issues of triage, medical management, prophylaxis, and public hysteria. Medical care is inherently a local or regional issue, involving health care systems and medical care providers located at or near the site of attack. Although this effort needs to be orchestrated with public health officials and law enforcement agencies, due to their obvious interrelated roles, it is up to the health care professionals on the scene to deal with either small- or large-scale events with medical consequences. We will be the ones who detect the cases, manage the medical problems, and give the prophylaxis.

It is for such times of emergency that this book has been prepared. It is designed not as a text or treatise, but a ready reference for on-the-spot consultation in a suspected terror attack. It makes no attempt to provide encyclopedic information on each microbial agent or toxin. Instead, it focuses on the telltale signs that serve to identify the nature of the attack and the key elements of an effective clinical response.

Included are the essential facts you’ll need to know about incubation, progression, prognosis, and recovery, together with hands-on guidelines for necessary decontamination and infection control. Also presented, in condensed form, are the highlights of supportive care. For indicated treatments, you’ll find detailed information on dosing, administration, and significant precautionary measures; and for the most useful antibiotics and vaccines, the book provides you with complete prescribing information.

It is a great misfortune that a reference such as this needs to be published. But in the event it should ever become necessary, we hope it will help you mitigate and contain the attack as calmly, confidently, and effectively as possible.

John G. Bartlett, MD Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

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Product Details

• Paperback: 404 pages
• Publisher: Thomson PDR; 1st edition (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563634260
• ISBN-13: 978-1563634260
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,434,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An adequate quick reference guide to bioterrorism., July 5, 2005

By 

Andrew J. Degnan (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pdr Guide to Biological and Chemical Warfare Response (Paperback)

As a graduate public health and microbiology student in Washington, DC, I encountered this book and several others proclaiming themselves guides to chem and biowarfare response - most failed at providing clear and valid recommendations. This work, however makes sound recommendations and gives professionals and students alike the knowledge necessary to make quick decision in the event of a bioterrorist attack. The information in this work is laid out in a succinct fashion for each agent, and does not burden the reader with anything other than vital, relevant information. Having extensively researched Ebola virus and smallpox during my bioterrorism class and then checking the PDR's recommendations, I realized that this work is up to speed with modern research and translates the findings into practical, reasoned explanations and recommendations for identification, treatment, and containment in the field and beyond. An absolute must-have for the prepared citizen, firemen, EMT, public health student or professional, and health professionals alike.

5.0 out of 5 stars MUST HAVE For Kindle, July 28, 2009

By 

James D. Love (Espanola, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pdr Guide to Biological and Chemical Warfare Response (Paperback)

I have a paper back copy of this and I feel that it is an essential part of my library. As a former Navy Combat Medic detached to the Marines, Basic and Advanced EMT, as well as currently working as an MLT this book is a necessity not just for patient treatment but for a good understanding of emergency response to bio-terrorism. This is a MUST HAVE ON MY KINDLE, not just a "I would like to read this on my Kindle."