The thoroughly updated fourth edition of this popular Spiral[registered] Manual is a reliable, practical quick-reference guide to diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. New chapters in this edition answer frequently raised questions about why antibiotics fail and who really needs parenteral antibiotics. The expanded section on AIDS includes four new chapters on fever in the HIV infected patient, HIV prophylaxis, antiretroviral therapy, and drug interactions in patients with HIV.Other new chapters of this title cover penicillin resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE), complicated urinary tract infections, Ehrlichia, and use of hyperbaric oxygen in skin and soft tissue infections. Organized for rapid retrieval of information, the book features concise two- to three-page summaries of each topic and numerous tables. Annotated key references guide the reader to the most dependable sources of further information on each topic. The pragmatic focus and user-friendly format make this manual ideal for students, residents, and primary care physicians.