Until now, those in need of information on infectious diseases had to choose between encyclopedic reference texts or the infectious diseases sections in standard textbooks in internal medicine. Now there is a better alternative-Clinical Infectious Diseases fills the long-standing need for a practical yet comprehensive work that offers easy, convenient access to the topic. Of interest to internists, infectious disease specialists, and residents in training, the book is structured to give the reader essential information about the etiology and pathogenesis of various infectious diseases, and focuses on the clinical issues of managing, diagnosing, and treating patients with all types of infection. The editors and contributors are internationally known and recognized experts, and aim to validate the increasingly universal approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of infections worldwide. Emphasizing the clinical presentation of the patient by organ-system, diagnostic considerations including geographic, anatomic and microbiologic concerns, are addressed in detail. Diagnostic algorithms are provided, and specific choices of antimicrobial therapy are discussed and compiled in a user-friendly tabular format. Preventive measures for different types of infections are also addressed. Sections devoted to infections in special patient/risk groups, such as the post operative patient, the patient with immunodeficiency, the trauma patient, and the burn patient are included, as well as coverage of infections of travelers to tropical countries, and patients who have been bitten or scratched by animals or insects. A detailed presentation on HIV infection includes discussions of epidemiology, pathogenesis, immunology, clinical manifestations and antiviral treatment, as well as management of opportunistic infections.