LIST OF HANDBOOKS

CLINICAL GUIDELINES - DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT MANUAL

This work lists the main diseases encountered by Medecins Sans Frontieres since 1971. It is intended for all medical professionals working in hospitals and clinics.

The handbook has been thoroughly researched by taking into account Medecins Sans Frontieres’ experience, recommendations made by reference organisations such as the WHO, and indications given by specialist workers. It has been designed as an effective and reliable source of information.

Curative care is an integral part of medical programmes such as vaccination, mother-child care, water purification, environmental cleaning and nutrition.

Clinical Guidelines – diagnostic and treatment manual can be used as a tool when developing a curative care policy.

Languages
English, French, Spanish

ESSENTIAL DRUGS - PRACTICAL GUIDELINES

In remote or precarious conditions medical personnel need direct and simple answers that are adapted to daily practice. The Essential drugs handbook contains these answers.

This handbook is intended for health professionals, physicians, pharmacists, nurses or health auxiliaries working in curative care and managing drugs and medical equipment, no matter what level they work on.

Far from claiming pharmacological dictionary, it tries to respond directly and simply to the daily problems that health personnel run up against by giving practical solutions that have proved effective in the field by Medecins Sans Frontieres – as well as taking into account the recommendations of other reference organisations such as the WHO.

The information supplied on the drug-sheets is adapted to the technical capabilities of the prescriber.

Languages
English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Arabic

MINOR SURGICAL PROCEDURES IN REMOTE AREAS

How can we save lives and improve treatment without technical facilities and a minimum of equipment? To answer this question Medecins Sans Frontieres describes and explains in this guide the essential techniques necessary for 'minor surgery'.

This handbook presents the most common and most useful medico-surgical techniques that can be easily carried out by a doctor or a nurse with advanced training who may find themselves in an isolated health centre with no means of evacuating a patient, nor with any surgical or X-ray equipment.

Minor surgical treatment in remote areas is also useful for operating assistants, doctors working in emergency units and all health professionals who, without being surgeons, are called upon to carry out what is commonly called ‘minor surgery’ in thoroughly aseptic conditions and according to standard protocols.

Languages
English, French, Spanish

BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS IN REMOTE AREAS

Blood transfusion is a life-saving act that is often considered banal, however there can be very serious, even fatal consequences for the receiver.

This practical guidebook is designed to provide guidance in the prescription of blood transfusions, the selection of donors once the decision for a blood transfusion has been taken, and prevention of risks – particularly infectious diseases (AIDS, hepatitis, syphilis, malaria, sleeping sickness etc.) - related to the transfusion.

This handbook was compiled for those in charge of transfusion programmes as well as doctors, laboratory technicians and all those involved in training health workers.

Languages
English and French

OBSTETRICS IN REMOTE SITUATIONS

Mother/child mortality and morbidity in developing countries is outrageously high compared to what they are in industrialised countries.

This is due to a multiplicity of cultural, economic, and logistical factors that often result in a lack of means in both material and human terms.

This Obstetrics in remote situations has been devised with a view to saving a mother and child while working in a n environment that is lacking in medical facilities and modern infrastructures.

This handbook offers tried and tested methods, although the development of technical means has rendered them obsolete in many industrialised countries.

It is intended for non-specialists in remote areas with minimum medical facilities and is not intended to teach obstetrics, but rather to bring fundamental notions together that area likely to help practitioners working in outposts.

Languages
English, French and Spanish

OPTHALMOLOGY IN REMOTE SITUATIONS

This handbook is not an extensive textbook on ophthalmology but intends to give practical help to any personnel faced with eye-related diseases. Certain points have intentionally been neglected for the benefit of other, more essential, ones with the intention of being as simple and as efficient as possible. The indispensable notions of anatomy, physiology and sight are a briefly recalled in the initial chapters.

All eye-related tropical diseases are reviewed in this handbook. The chapter entitled “ A few simple techniques to know” summarises the techniques that should be used in certain precise circumstances.

The choice of therapy is intentionally limited in order to conform with the WHO’s list of essential drugs and to avoid the mistakes that would inevitably be caused by too great a cause.

Languages
French only

MANAGEMENT OF EPIDEMIC MENINGOCCOCAL MENINGITIS

The epidemiological factors responsible for menigicoccal epidemics are yet to be fully understood. Nevertheless it is clear that promiscuity, high-population urban areas and poor socio-economic conditions are favourable grounds for spreading Neisseria meningitis, of which humans are the reservoir.

In epidemic situations – whether rural, urban, among displaced populations or in refugee camps – the main goal is to reduce the mortality and morbidity related to meningitis. The operational methods are adapted to the context.

Management of epidemic of meningoccocal meningitis is a short but extremely detailed handbook. It offers a method for determining the existence of an epidemic, confirming the diagnosis, investigating the epidemic, treating the cases and implementing a vaccination campaign.

Languages
English and French

MANAGEMENT OF A MEASLES EPIDEMIC

Measles is considered a banal childhood illness in industrialised countries. Nevertheless in developing countries it is still devastating. This handbook is designed to provide methodology to health staff working in measles epidemics in the field. During an epidemic, the most urgent priority is to prevent the spread of disease and to reduce the morbidity and mortality.

The first part of Management of measles epidemic covers general clinical and epidemiological notions as well as the investigation an epidemic which serves to identify and set up the most effective prevention measures.

The second part defines the action to be taken: vaccination campaign and treatment of cases.

Languages
French only

RAPID HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF REFUGEE OR DISPLACED POPULATIONS

In order to plan and implement aid for a displaced population it is essential to assess their health status and estimate the needs in certain vital areas. This simple and practical guide, drawn from Medecins Sans Frontieres’ and Epicentre’s experience in the field, is intended for health personnel who need to carry out a rapid health assessment of a refugee or displaced population: data collection and analysis concerning demography, mortality, morbidity, nutritional and immunisation status as well as water and food resources etc.

Public price: 8.5 Euros or approx £6
English only

PUBLIC HEALTH ENGINEERING IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

Public health engineering comes under the general heading of health and is vital in the prevention of a number of disease linked to lack of hygiene, the quality and quantity of water, waste and insect and rodent vectors. These diseases may not necessarily kill, but they are always responsible for deterioration in the physical condition of individuals.

For long considered a s a ‘specialist’s field’, public health engineering has now become an integral part of preventative measures on par with vaccination, nutrition, mother-child care and so forth.

Public health engineering and emergency situations includes technical sheets that may be adapted to local customs as well as to the logistical and financial means available in the field.

This guide emphasises the ‘three A’s’ for all sanitation installation: socially Acceptable (a good knowledge of the local population concerned is important), Appropriate (technically well adapted) and Affordable (moderate costs).

Languages
English and French

NUTRITION GUIDELINES

Emergency nutrition interventions are among the most vital components of an emergency relief response. It is nevertheless an extremely complex subject and the form of response depends on many factors.

This guideline is not supposed to be another academic work on nutrition; there are already various excellent reference works available. Neither is it a recipe book to identify each type of nutritional problem and supply a standardised response. Every programme in each country or region has its own particularities according tot he context.

The purpose of this book is to facilitate the simple application of fundamental principles necessary for the assessment of nutritional programmes in emergency situations.

Languages
English and French

REFUGEE HEALTH IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

In crisis situations characterised by the massive displacement of populations, there are immense needs and relatively limited resources. Drawn from Medecins Sans Frontieres’ experience working with refugees, this operational manual discusses the priorities of intervention during the different stages of a refugee crisis, from the acute phase through to the repatriation process. Refugee health in emergency situation is intended for health personnel as well as non-medical; staff involved in operational decision levels in this type of situation.

Languages
English only

DDISPENSARY GUIDELINES - INSTALLATION AND ORGANISATION

The organisation of curative care in a health facility is one of the priorities to be rapidly set up in order to reduce the mortality rate in refugee or displaced populations. This guide is intended for medical personnel in charge of the organisation of a dispensary in an emergency context (consultations and referrals; management of personnel, materials and drugs; hygiene of materials and facilities; epidemiological surveillance etc.) It is designed above all for the emergency phase, but also offers advice that is useful for the post-emergency phase.

The guide includes various forms in annex (individual health card, surveillance forms etc.) as well as a description of tasks for the different types of personnel. These annexes which can be adapted to the various needs in the field are also available on disquette PC, Windows 95, Word 7.0: the disquette is integrated into the guide so as to facilitate immediate printing.

Languages
English only

PRACTICAL GUIDELINES FOR THE TRAINING OF HEALTH PERSONNEL

This guide is designed for physicians and health personnel in charge of training and supervising local staff. It can also be used by non medical staff who are interested in training programmes as the idea to give direction and structure the setting up of a programme. Moreover the training methodology can be used whatever the field to be taught. Each chapter is independent, however, when designing a full programme, it is recommended that all chapters be read in the order presented.

The vocabulary which is used in this guide is simple and precise, It is necessary to have a god command of this specific vocabulary when referring to training programmes. Numerous examples from the field are also included in this guide and can be found I the annexes.

Languages
English, French and Spanish

For all orders, please contact:

Medecins Sans Frontieres
Service Approvisionnement
8, rue Saint-Sabin
75544 Paris Cedex 11 – France
Tel.: + 33 (0) 1 40 21 29 29 – Fax : + 33 (0) 1 48 06 68 568
Telex (042) 214 360 F - E-mail : office@paris.msf.org