Book Review

Respiratory Control Disorders in Infants and Children

N Engl J Med 1993; 328:977-978April 1, 1993

Article

Respiratory Control Disorders in Infants and Children
Edited by Robert C. Beckerman, Robert T. Brouillette, and Carl E. Hunt. 429 pp., illustrated. Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins, 1992. $69. ISBN: 0-683-00498-0

The editors point out in their introduction that no comprehensive textbook dealing with cardiorespiratory control in infants and children exists. This is no longer true, since this work fills the void quite nicely. Beckerman et al. have assembled 47 authors from three continents to deliver an all-inclusive yet surprisingly concise and easy-to-read book on pediatric respiratory control.

The list of authors includes many recognized experts in their respective fields, yet the text manages to be evenhanded when covering the more controversial issues in diagnosis and treatment. Despite the presence of numerous authors, the book is evenly written, and its style is uniform and easy to follow. It is organized in a logical fashion, starting with the developmental and microbiologic aspects of respiratory control, moving through the physiologic components, and finishing with the variety of clinical presentations, problems, and therapies. The material is timely and informative. The chapters on developmental aspects, mechanisms of neural control, and apnea of infancy are particularly well written, but the whole text flows equally well; this was the first technical book that I have been able to read from cover to cover in a long time.

There are only a few negative points to make. The first problem is an excessive use of abbreviations, which can slow the reader down. Perhaps adding a boxed summary of abbreviations at the start of each chapter would enhance the next edition. The number of authors appears excessive at times; an 11-page chapter is attributed to six authors. The use of figures is not always helpful, and some of the stripchart recordings are almost impossible to read, especially in poor light. Surprisingly, there are numerous typographic errors, but these were only a minor annoyance. However, the incorrect placement of two figures in chapter 11 (Figure 11.4 should be switched with Figure 11.5) made me pause for several minutes before I realized the error. Finally, the chapter on home monitoring is uncharacteristically subjective. Overall, these findings detracted little from my enjoyment of the book.

Perhaps what I appreciated most in this work was its general usefulness. The comprehensive nature, writing style, and organization would make it equally valuable to the student, therapist, and clinician, and it is also a useful reference for the researcher in the field of respiratory control.

This book is a new and welcome addition to the compendia in the pediatric literature.

James J. Cummings, M.D.
Children's Hospital of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14222