International textbooks on infectious diseases and antibacterial chemotherapy are usually written for readers in North America and Europe. In many ways, they are not appropriate for the prob lems encountered in developing countries. This book, in contrast, intends to define the rules of antibacterial chemotherapy practised under conditions of limited resources. It is meant for everyone con cerned with the use of antibiotics in developing countries, includ ing doctors, medical assistants, pharmacists, officials in health mio isteries, and medical students. Throughout the book, treatment recommendations are made for 1 antibiotics from the WHO list of essential drugs. For example, em phasis has therefore been put upon chloramphenicol as a stable, unexpensive and widely available oral agent suitable for the treat ment of severe bacterial infections like septicemia and meningitis. So-called "international chemotherapy" with modem cephalospor ins and acylaminopenicillins has been outlined for comparison. Since it is the aim of the book to base treatment recommenda tions on data from developing countries, many data on the etiology of common bacterial infections in developing countries have also been included. Most of the data are from African, English-speak ing developing countries, but references have been made to the lit erature on South East Asia, India or Papua New Guinea, where appropriate. On the other hand, pertinent data were not available in every instance, so that several statements and recommendations had to be made as "best guess". The authors are aware of these imperfections and will welcome comments from the readers.

I. Principles of Antibiotic Therapy

1 The Range of Antibiotics Available
2 Choice of Antibiotics
3 Bacterial Resistance in Developing Countries
4 Administration of Antibiotics
5 Dosage of Antibiotics
6 Side Effects and Contraindications
7 Combinations of Antibiotics
8 Costs of Antibiotics
II. Treatment of Infections and Infectious Diseases
9 Septicemia
10 Infective Endocarditis
11 Purulent Pericarditis
12 Infections of the Central Nervous System
13 Infections of the Respiratory Tract
14 Infections of the Gastrointestinal Tract
15 Infections of the Musculoskeletal System
16 Skin and Wound Infections
17 Sexually Transmitted Diseases
18 Obstetric and Gynecological Infections
19 Genitourinary Infections
20 Infections of the Ear, Nose, and Throat
21 Eye Infections
22 Salmonella Infections
23 Rickettsial Diseases
24 Leptospirosis
25 Brucellosis
26 Relapsing Fever
27 Anthrax
28 Plague
29 Listeria Infections
30 Melioidosis
31 Nonvenereal Treponematoses
32 Mycobacterial Infections
33 Actinomycosis
34 Nocardiosis
35 Rare Bacterial Diseases: Bartonellosis, Erysipeloid, and Ratbite Fever
36 Fungal Infections
37 Treatment of AIDS.