Volume 1, Number 1, December 2006
POPULAR TOPICEDITORIALEditorial Jan Procter-King Being able to take a deep breath of fresh air is something that most of us
take completely for granted. But for our patients with asthma, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), other respiratory diseases such as
sleep apnoea, and allergic disorders such as rhinitis, taking a deep breath
may not be so easy. POPULAR TOPICEVIDENCE IN PRACTICEEvidence in Practice
There are just not enough hours in the day to read all the research journals, even if you wanted to. This section of the BJPCN –
Evidence in Practice – will keep you on top of relevant research without having to spend hours in the library.
Each journal review gives you a bite-size summary of new research, pulling out key points for primary care and recommending the
action that you might consider taking. NEWSNews from Education for Health
DISEASE FOCUSRhinitis: Successful Diagnosis and Management
Samantha Walker Runny, blocked noses are a common problem in the winter months, accounting for a
substantial number of general practice consultations. Successful treatment depends
on identifying the correct cause of the symptoms. In this article we give you key
information on rhinitis – what it is, how to diagnose it and how to treat it successfully. POPULAR TOPICBACK TO BASICSIs it COPD or asthma? Shona Shires To be able to effectively manage patients with
airflow obstruction in general practice it is
imperative that we can differentiate between
asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD). Although COPD and asthma share many
clinical features, they are different conditions with
different airway inflammation and parenchymal
patterns. POPULAR TOPICPREVENTION IN PRACTICEPreventing and Treating COPD Exacerbations Shona Shires Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common and
have serious implications. They greatly reduce patients’ quality of life and often result
in hospital admissions. Acute exacerbations of COPD are the largest single cause of
emergency respiratory admissions and each exacerbation results in an average hospital
stay of 10.3 days. In this article we review what causes exacerbations in patients with COPD and
how you can help to prevent and treat them effectively. MONITORINGDiagnosing Copd: Putting the Jigsaw Together
Mark Levy Diagnosing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be complex and requires
considerable clinical skill. It is rather like putting together the pieces of a jigsaw
puzzle. But don’t despair. In this article, we take you through the key steps. A careful
history, particularly in smokers or ex-smokers who complain of breathlessness,
followed by clinical examination may indicate possible COPD. Further steps must then be taken
to exclude other causes of respiratory symptoms and spirometry is essential in diagnosing
airflow obstruction, which may help to confirm the diagnosis of COPD. POPULAR TOPICPOINTS MEAN PRIZESThe Challenges of Scoring QOF Points for Asthma and COPD
Anne McAdam The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) is now well into its third year and continues
to expand boundaries of quality domains within chronic disease management. In this
article we review some of the challenges in QOF indicators for asthma and COPD and
suggest some tips to make the requirements easier to achieve in daily clinical practice. THERAPEUTICS REVEWThe Role of Beta2 Agonists in Managing Asthma Bev Cox Beta2 agonists are the only class of drugs that is recommended for the management of
asthma at every level of current guidelines, including those from the British Thoracic
Society (BTS). This means that they are used across the spectrum of severity of
asthma, from mild intermittent disease (step one) to severe asthma symptoms (step
five). In this article, we take you through the key things that you – and your patients – need to
know about these drugs. PATIENTS AS PARTNERSWhat do Patients Want from Asthma Therapy?
Jane Leyshon More than half of people with asthma in the UK have inadequate symptom control,
despite the range of effective therapies now available. Rather than blaming
patients when they fail to take their medications as prescribed, we need to
examine the way we conduct asthma consultations and ask whether we are failing
to meet the needs of individual patients. How can we gain greater understanding about what
people with asthma want from healthcare professionals and treatments, so we can achieve a
more patient-centred approach to care? DID YOU KNOW?Oral Allergy Syndrome Jan Chantrell Did you know…. that a large number of your hayfever patients may have a
condition known as oral allergy syndrome? In this article we explore what
causes oral allergy syndrome, why it occurs, the symptoms that patients may
suffer and how to manage the problem.
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