Transplantation Drug Manual. - book review

AORN Journal, May, 2002 by Holly J. Buchanan

By John Pirsch, William D. Simmons, Hans Sollinger 1999, 146pp $45 wirebound

As the field of organ transplantation continues to evolve, so does the introduction of new agents that will enhance the ability to improve the success of patients receiving donor organs. This manual, which is part of a series, includes information about agents approved for use for transplantation recipients, the wide array of pharmaceutical agents used for immunosuppression, and the minimization of post-transplantation complications. Agents described in this book are the most frequently prescribed medications at the transplant service at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The authors seemingly are qualified in the area of transplantation.

The name chosen for this comprehensive medical handbook series is vademecum, a Latin word that roughly means "to carry along." Many traveling clerics in the Middle Ages toted pocket-sized handbooks known as vademecum. A nineteenth century medical publisher in Germany named a series of portable books as such.

In essence, this book truly is a manual. It is a reference intended for use by medical students, medical staff members, and practicing physicians. It addresses dosages, adverse reactions, medication interactions, contraindications, mechanisms of action, indications, formulations, special precautions, and brand names. The table of contents and chapters are user friendly. The book could be used as a quick reference because pages are marked legibly and organized into categories, such as diabetic agents, diuretics, ulcer treatment agents, antiplatelets, immunosuppression, antimicrobials, cardiovascular agents, and antiosteoporosis agents.

I believe this book would be useful to RNs. As health care professionals, RNs are able to reap rewards from new medical literature. References are valuable tools in delivering optimum patient care. In reviewing this manual, I learned some new things about transplantation medications that may or may not be useful to me now; however, one can never predict what the future holds. We are fortunate to have references to help us stay current with the changing world of health care.

This book is available from Landes Bioscience, 810 S Church St, Georgetown, TX 78626; http://www.landesbioscience.com.

HOLLY J. BUCHANAN
RN, CNOR
STAFF NURSE
COOK CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER
FT WORTH, TEX