New perspectives in clinical microbiology

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XI

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2. Collaboration between the laboratory and the infectious diseases physician

   • R. T. D. Emond

   Pages 1-9

3. The role of the laboratory in the control of antimicrobial chemotherapy

   • A. Percival

   Pages 11-29

4. Use of laboratory tests in predicting the therapeutic efficacy of antimicrobial compounds

   • J. M. T. Hamilton-Miller

   Pages 31-46

5. Metronidazole in the prevention and treatment of bacteroides infections in surgical patients

   • A. T. Willis

   Pages 47-62

6. New approaches to the treatment and diagnosis of urinary tract infection

   • W. Brumfitt, J. M. T. Hamilton-Miller, S. J. D. Brooks

   Pages 63-79

7. Role of complement in infectious disease

   • M. B. Pepys

   Pages 81-96

8. Recent advances in the laboratory diagnosis of enteric virus infections

   • T. H. Flewett

   Pages 97-108

9. The role of Chlamydia trachomatis in female genital infections and in conjunctivitis of the newborn

   • Derek Hobson, Elisabeth Rees

   Pages 109-125

10. Microbial aspects of patients with leukaemia

    • A. V. Hoffbrand

    Pages 127-141

11. Back Matter

    Pages 143-147

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If the organizers of the excellent symposium, on which this book is based, had wanted to devise an appropriate dramatic opening they could not have done better than to have the first speaker fail to appear because he was incarcerated in his high security isolation unit caring for a patient suffering from green monkey disease. In his consequently undelivered paper, now published in this book, he understandably dwells a little on the place (both philosophical and physical) of the laboratory in the investigation of highly transmissible infections and this subject characterizes the two themes that run through the chapters of this book: the relative roles of microbiologist and clinician in the investigation and management of infected patients, and the techniques, management and diseases most recently to come under scrutiny. In addition to some airing of the question (which some of us regard as pressing)as to what degree the microbiologist should be clinical and the clinician microbiological, there is welcome attention by the clinical haematologist and immunologist to humoral and cellular factors in infection that are acknowledged to be crucial but relative­ ly understudied. New looks at old diseases - urinary infections, urethritis and enteritis -and at an old drug, metronidazole, for new indications are all provided by authors who are at the advancing fronts of those sUbjects. The proceedings, completely updated and revised for this publication, seem to me to have been entirely successful in capturing the stimulation and enjoyment of the excellent and instructive symposium.

• infection
• infectious disease
• microbiology
• virus

• Royal Free Hospital (London University), London, UK

  William Brumfitt

• Department of Medical Microbiology, Royal Free Hospital (London University), London, UK

  J. M. T. Hamilton-Miller

Policies and ethics