It is essential for nurses to have an understanding of the fundamentals of microbiology to perform various roles in clinical practice. The third edition of Ananthanarayan and Paniker’s Textbook of Microbiology for Nurses fulfils this requirement. Its focus on the needs of the nursing practitioner in India in the ever-changing and evolving face of microbiology is in tune with the recent revisions in the BSC Nursing syllabus with emphasis on applied microbiology, infection control and safety.

Special features of this edition

• The content is compliant with the new BSc Nursing syllabus.
• It provides a concise treatment of General Microbiology, Immunity, Systematic Bacteriology, Virology, Parasitology and Mycology for understanding the means of transmission of diseases caused by various microorganisms, the human immune system’s response to infections, methods of diagnosing and managing infections, and the mechanisms to control the spread of diseases.
• The syndromic approach adopted in bacteriology for providing the necessary clinical correlation; flow charts have been used effectively for the purpose.
• The section on infection control and patient safety covers new topics such as antimicrobial stewardship, patient safety indicators, incidents and adverse events and international patient safety goals.
• Focus on hospital environment safety and healthcare workers’ safety from the perspective of nurses.
• Expanded coverage of infection control care bundles to emphasise the rise in healthcare-associated infections and the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance.
• Chapter navigation made easy with features such as ‘At a Glance’ and ‘Learning Objectives’ in the beginning; key points at the end provide a useful recap of concepts.
• Nursing tips and nursing protocols included where relevant to help translate theory to bedside clinical application.
• Self-assessment made easy with chapter-end exercises comprising comprehension and multiple-choice type questions.

Dr Sonal Saxena is Director-Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi.

Part I: General Microbiology
1. A Historical Introduction to Microbiology 
2. Morphology of Bacteria
3. Growth and Cultivation of Bacteria
4. Microscopy and Staining
5. Laboratory Methods for Identification of Bacteria
6. Sterilisation and Disinfection

Part II: Immunology
7. Infection and Immunity
8. An Overview of the Structure and Functions of the Immune System 
9. Antigen, Antibody and Complement
10. Antigen–Antibody Reactions
11. Hypersensitivity
12. Vaccine and Immunisation

Part III: Systematic Bacteriology
13. Skin and Soft Tissue Infections
14. Anaerobic Infections
15. Tuberculosis and Leprosy
16. Bacteria Causing Urinary Tract Infections
17. Bacteria Causing Respiratory Tract Infections
18. Bacteria Causing Meningitis
19. Bacteria Causing Gastrointestinal Tract Infections
20. Enteric Fever
21. Bacteria Causing Sexually Transmitted Infections
22. Zoonotic Bacterial Infections
23. Miscellaneous Bacterial Infections

Part IV: Virology
24. General Properties of Viruses
25. Hepatitis Viruses
26. HIV and AIDS
27. Polio and Rabies
28. Exanthematous Fevers
29. Viral Gastroenteritis, Arboviruses and Emerging Viral Infections

Part V: Parasitology
30. Protozoa
31. Helminths

Part VI: Mycology
32. Medical Mycology

Part VII: Infection Control and Patient Safety
33. Emerging and Re-emerging Infections and Control Programs
34. Environmental Microbiology
35. Healthcare-associated Infections
36. Isolation Precautions and the Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
37. Biomedical Waste Management
38. Sample Collection and Transport
39. Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship
40. Patient Safety Indicators
41. Incidents and Adverse Events
42. International Patient Safety Goals
43. Hospital Environment Safety
44. Healthcare Worker Safety
Answers to MCQs
Index