Itzhak Brook

Itzhak Brook was born in Afula in present-day Israel during the British Mandate era and raised in Haifa. His parents, Bernard (Baruch) and Chaya Brook, were immigrants from Austria and Poland respectively. His mother was a seamstress and his father was a welder and professional soccer player for Hapoel Haifa F.C. He had a younger sister, Zipi, who he cared for after his parents' deaths.[https://www.sagelbloomfield.com/obituary/Itzhak-Brook Itzhak Brook]

Brook graduated from the Hareali Haivri high school and was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in 1959 and completed an officer's course. He studied medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Hadassah School of Medicine, earning an MD in 1968 and subsequently completing his residency there, and obtained an MSc in pediatrics from Tel Aviv University in 1972. He served as a medic in the Israeli army during the Six-Day War in 1967 and subsequently as a Lieutenant battalion physician during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. After crossing the Suez Canal in his ambulance he was severely wounded by artillery fire. In 1974, Brook moved to the United States with his family. He completed a fellowship in infectious diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles and served in the United States Navy Medical Corps for 27 years.[https://embassies.gov.il/washington/speakers-guide/society-and-politics/pages/itzhak-brook.aspx Itzhak Brook][https://www.headandneck.org/team/itzhak-brook-md/ Itzhak Brook, M.D. MSc.]

Brook was also an adjunct professor of pediatrics and medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., specializing in infectious diseases. He served as chairman of the Anti-infective Drug Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)[http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/258/11/1517.extract Approval of Zidovudine (AZT) for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, September 18, 1987, Brook 258 (11): 1517 — JAMA] and chaired the Committee when AZT was approved for the treatment of HIV/AIDS in 1987.[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEFDE1539F932A15751C1A961948260 Doctors Stretch Rules On Aids Drug - Nytimes.Com]

Brook has developed treatment guidelines for primary care clinicians,The Washington Post, TREATMENT OF CHOICE; Sinusitis: Many Forms, Many Treatments, Kathleen F. Phalen, Special to The Washington Post, May 23, 2000, Tuesday, Final Edition Correction Appended, HEALTH; Pg. Z31 and has also done work on infectious disease of broad public interest. His main research interests are anaerobic infections, sinusitis, and tonsillitis. He is a long-standing campaigner against overuse of antibiotics which can lead to antibiotic resistance,ANTIBIOTICS WARNING Misuse causing resistant bacteria

Herald Sun, August 11, 1992 Tuesday, 369 words, CARTER H has researched common health threats like disease transmission on airplanes,Betsy Wade, 'PRACTICAL TRAVELER; That Airline Pillow May Be Well Traveled', The New York Times, January 3, 1993, Sunday, Late Edition - Final, Section 5; Page 3; Column 1; Travel Desk, 1362 words while dispelling common concerns about contaminated library books and subway handlebars.If you thought they were infectious you were wrong...Library books are clean

The Times, October 27, 1994, Thursday, Features, 309 words, Dr Bruce CharltonThe Washington Post, DO METRO HANDRAILS BEAR DEADLY GERMS?, March 07, 1995, Tuesday, Final Edition, HEALTH; Pg. Z05, 312 words He has also been an expert source for major media on health issues like AZT,DOCTORS STRETCH RULES ON AIDS DRUG

The New York Times, December 21, 1987, Monday, Late City Final Edition, Section A; Page 1, Column 5; National Desk, 1245 words, By GINA KOLATA improving patient care after his own serious illness and cancer,{{cite web |url=http://www.ksdk.com/rss/article/244284/9/Doctor-learns-to-speak-after-losing-his-voice-box-to-cancer |title=Doctor learns to speak after losing his voice-box to cancer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115061829/http://www.ksdk.com/rss/article/244284/9/Doctor-learns-to-speak-after-losing-his-voice-box-to-cancer |date=Feb 16, 2011 |archive-date=Nov 15, 2012 |url-status=dead |first=Kristen |last=Gosling |location=St. Louis, MO |publisher=KSDK.com}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.dcmilitary.com/article/20130606/NEWS11/130609978/military-physician-discusses-facing-cancer-war |first=Sharon Renee |last=Taylor |title=Military Physician Discusses Facing Cancer, War |publisher=Comprint Military Publications |website=dcmilitary.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131121024532/http://www.dcmilitary.com/article/20130606/NEWS11/130609978/military-physician-discusses-facing-cancer-war |date=Jun 6, 2013

|archive-date=Nov 21, 2013}}

{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/22/opinion/letters/trump-martial-law.html | title=Opinion | Mulling Martial Law | newspaper=The New York Times | date=22 December 2020 }} and preventing medical errors.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/misdiagnosis-is-more-common-than-drug-errors-or-wrong-site-surgery/2013/05/03/5d71a374-9af4-11e2-a941-a19bce7af755_story.html |title=Misdiagnosis is more common than drug errors or wrong-site surgery |date=2013-05-06 |author1=Sandra G. Boodman |newspaper=The Washington Post |place=Washington, D.C. |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=1330888409}}

Brook authored publications in scientific journals and 10 medical textbooks.Brook I. Anaerobic Infections Diagnosis and Management, Anaerobic Infections Diagnosis and Management. Informa Healthcare USA, Inc. New York. 2007.Brook I. Editor “ Sinusitis from Microbiology to Management” Taylor & Francis Group. New York, London. 2005.Brook I , Douma M. Antimicrobials Therapy Guide for the Dentist. Handbooks in Health Care Co. Newtown, Pennsylvania. 2004. He is the author of "The Laryngectomee Guide" that was published in 22 languages.Brook I . The Laryngectomee Guide. CreateSpace Publication, Charleston SC. 2013.

He was the US editor of Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases,[http://www.iospress.nl/loadtop/load.php?isbn=13057707 IOSPress: Scientific, Technical Medical Publisher] Editor Textbook of "Pediatrics Infectious Diseases " at Medscape Reference,[http://emedicine.medscape.com/pediatrics_general Medscape: Medscape Access] Section Editor of "Pediatric Infections" at Current Infectious Diseases Report,[https://www.springer.com/medicine/internal/journal/11908?detailsPage=editorialBoard Current Infectious Disease Reports (Editorial Board)] associate editor of Journal of Medical Case Reports,{{Cite web |url=http://jmedicalcasereports.com/edboard/start.asp?id=704500 |title=Journal of Medical Case Reports |access-date=2011-02-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217151118/http://jmedicalcasereports.com/edboard/start.asp?id=704500 |archive-date=2010-12-17 |url-status=dead }} a member of the editorial board of several medical journals, and a board member of the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance.{{Cite web |url=http://www.headandneck.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=8hKNI0MEImI4E&b=6341777&ct=11580277 |title=Head and Neck Cancer Alliance |access-date=2012-01-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140412081753/http://www.headandneck.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=8hKNI0MEImI4E&b=6341777&ct=11580277 |archive-date=2014-04-12 |url-status=dead }}

During his service in the United States Navy he researched the treatment of bacterial infections after ionized radiation[http://www.afrri.usuhs.mil/outreach/pdf/brook_NATO_2005.pdf Brook I, Elliott TB, Shoemaker MO, Ledney GD. Antimicrobials in the Management of Post-Irradiation Infection. Published in proceedings of the Human Factors and Medicine (HFM) Panel Research Task Group (RTG) 099 Meeting, “Radiation Bioeffects and Countermeasures,”] for which he was awarded three Defense Meritorious Service Medals. Brook received the 2012 J. Conley Medical Ethics Award of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery.{{Cite web |url=http://www.entnet.org/ |title=American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery |access-date=2012-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104235850/http://www.entnet.org/ |archive-date=2014-11-04 |url-status=dead }}

Brook was a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Society for Pediatric Research, and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}} His research interests included anaerobic infections, the pathogenesis and therapy of polymicrobial infections, including upper respiratory tract infections (i.e. sinusitis, tonsillitis).

At age 65, Brook was diagnosed with throat cancer and underwent a laryngectomy. He wrote a book about that experience {{cite web |url=http://www.nbc-2.com/Global/story.asp?S=14041662 |title=Doctor re-learns to talk after losing voice box - NBC-2.com WBBH News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral & Naples, Florida |website=www.nbc-2.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122153426/http://www.nbc-2.com/Global/story.asp?S=14041662 |archive-date=2016-11-22}}My Voice: A Physician’s Personal Experience with Throat Cancer. Published 2009. and a book about his experiences as a battalion physician in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.{{Cite web | url=http://washingtonjewishweek.com/yom-kippur-battlefront/ | title=Yom Kippur battlefront | date=11 September 2013 }}In the Sands of Sinai: A Physician's Account of the Yom Kippur War. Published 2011.

Brook married Zahava Goldwasser in 1966. They had two children in Israel, Dafna and Danny, and a third child, Tammy, in the United States. (Tammy is the founder and CEO of FYI Brand Group.{{Cite web|url=https://thriveglobal.com/stories/shabbat-is-for-everyone/|title=Shabbat Is for Everyone and Here Is Why - Thrive Global|website=thriveglobal.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-12}}) The marriage later ended in divorce. He subsequently married Joyce Reback in 1981 and they had two children, Yoni and Sara. Brook died of cancer on January 10, 2025 at the age of 83. He was survived by his wife Joyce, five children, five grandchildren, and sister.

{{Reflist|2}}

• [http://dribrook.blogspot.com/ Brook's page on head and neck cancer and laryngectomy ]
• [http://anaerobicinfections.blogspot.com/ Brook's page on anaerobic infections]
• [http://sinusitisunderstood.blogspot.com/ Brook's page on sinusitis]
• [http://tonsilitisunderstood.blogspot.com// Brook's page on tonsillitis]

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Category:1941 births

Category:2025 deaths

Category:Georgetown University Medical Center faculty

Category:Fellows of the Infectious Diseases Society of America