Avoiding drug clashes | |
Handbook of drug interactions. Lakshman Karalliedde, John A Henry. London: Arnold; 1998 (xv + 935pp). ISBN: 0 340 66204 2. |
Awareness of drug
interactions is especially relevant to clinicians, pharmacists and nurses. The large numbers of drugs available make it impossible to memorise all potentially significant drug interactions. There are many resources available which contain information on drug interactions, though few texts focus solely on this area. This British publication lists information by drug group, including a brief summary of the drug, its indications, mode of action and pharmacokinetics, followed by the drug interactions. The information on each interaction is concise, in most cases referenced, and is presented in three sections: effect, mechanism and comment. The book is well organised and simple to use, although the inclusion of both interacting drug names in the subheadings would improve usability. The reader should note that the list of general references includes an early edition of an important text, and the editors acknowledge the possibility of oversights or omissions, while encouraging feedback. In contrast to the two major texts on drug interactions whose editors have a background in pharmacy, both editors of this book are clinicians; one is a senior lecturer in anaesthetics and the other a professor of accident and emergency medicine. The 30 contributors are also clinicians from various medical specialties, with anaesthetists in the majority. Dr Lakshman Karalliedde has previously published articles on drug interactions and anaesthesia, and Professor John Henry has published extensively in several areas, including drug abuse, overdose and toxicities. This book would serve as a handy reference for most health professionals and students who want quick, concise, basic information on drug-drug or drug-vaccine interactions without wading through a general drug text. It is not, however, a comprehensive drug-interactions reference, as information on drug-food and drug-alcohol interactions is not included. Although expensive, it is comparably priced to the two major drug-interactions texts that also include information on the drug trade names, clinical significance, importance, risk factors and management of interactions. Lisa Demos
|