April 9, 2003

Infectious disease expert publishes new textbook

Book is standard in the field for prevention, control of hospital infections

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By Lorraine Cichowski and Richard Wenzel

RICHMOND, Va. – Dr. Richard P. Wenzel, chair of internal medicine at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and an internationally known expert on infectious diseases, has completed a revised edition of his seminal textbook on hospital-acquired infections, “Prevention and Control of Nosocomial Infections.”

The Fourth Edition is a comprehensive guide to the prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections, which affect about 3.5 million patients annually. The textbook has been completely revised from the Third Edition to reflect significant recent charges in the field of hospital infections, including chapters on antibiotic-resistant pathogens and risks of infection in transplant recipients. 

“Concerns about infection control in the era of bioterror, Mad Cow Disease in Europe and new devices used in U.S. hospitals are discussed in detail,” Wenzel said.

Published by Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, the 656-page Fourth Edition will be available for sale at $149 in May.  LWW currently is taking pre-publication orders at its website at www.lww.com.

Wenzel, 62, has been chair of internal medicine at VCU since 1995. In December, he also was appointed president of MCV Physicians, the physician practice plan of more than 600 physicians who are faculty of VCU’s School of Medicine and serve as the medical staff for MCV Hospitals.

Wenzel, who also is the first editor-at-large of the New England Journal of Medicine, has been quoted extensively in international media recently about the smallpox vaccine. The VCU Medical Center was one of the first in the nation to decide against participating in the Bush administration program to vaccinate doctors and other hospital staff against smallpox. VCU declined the vaccine in November 2002 because of concerns about possible side effects and the lack of imminent danger of transmission of smallpox.  Recently, several states have halted the vaccine program after reports of side effects.