American Podiatric Medical Association Best Walking City Competition, 2002

The long-awaited second edition of Dr. Joseph’s classic Handbook of Lower Extremity Infections has finally arrived. Like the first edition, it is a practical, in-depth manual of infectious disease facts, pearls, and expert opinion.

The second edition has been thoroughly updated. Management of drug-resistant organisms including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci is covered. Commonly prescribed antibiotics as well as the newer quinolones and oxazolidinones are discussed. Suggested readings at the end of each chapter are up to date and authoritative. The book contains expanded chapters on skin and soft-tissue infections, bone and joint infections, infections following trauma, diabetic foot infections, and surgical infections, as well as a new chapter on the diagnosis and treatment of fungal infections.

Also new is a listing of infectious disease resources on the Internet, an empirical therapy section aptly named “drugs for bugs,” and antibiotic pharmacokinetic tables with dose adjustments for patients with renal impairment.

Almost half of the book is devoted to diagnosis and clinical syndromes, giving it enormous practical value. Even the sections on laboratory procedures and microorganisms are written in such a concise manner that they provide the reader with a clear understanding of the theory behind the practice.

The second edition is 375 pages long (139 pages longer than the first) and in noticeably smaller print. Thankfully, it still fits into the pocket of a lab coat, which will continue to endear it to students, residents, and clinicians.

With its classic, easy-to-understand style, this book is a pleasure rather than a chore to use. It is an invaluable resource and “must” reading for any physician who treats musculoskeletal infections of the lower extremities.