Seven years have passed since the first edition of ‘Infection Control in the Intensive Care Unit’ was published. That book was a compilation of the lectures read at an intensive course on management of infection in the critically ill organised by Professor A.Gullo in Trieste, Italy, and has been completely rewritten by Italian, Spanish, South American, Dutch and Anglo-Canadian authors in this second edition. The book is up to date, with references to publications from 2004.We regard it as important that all statements are justified by the best available evidence. All authors have made efforts to avoid unsubstantiated expert opinion. Although prevention is not entirely separate from therapy, prevention rather than cure is pivotal in this publication.