Respiratory tract diseases

Case-based learning: sore throat

Most sore throats are caused by viral infections and get better within a week through self-care. However, it is important to recognise when a sore throat is a symptom of a more serious illness.…

Point-of-care testing cuts antibiotic use in COPD

Point-of-care C-reactive protein testing reduces antibiotic use in people with acute COPD exacerbations, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine has shown.…

Public should avoid e-cigarettes during investigation of respiratory illness, US government advises

The public should “consider not using e-cigarette products” while investigations into the outbreak of a severe respiratory illness in e-cigarette users in the United States take place, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended.…

Switching inhalers can boost adherence

Inhaler switching in asthma and COPD is not associated with negative impacts on patients’ health, study results published in Thorax have shown.…

First patient dies amid outbreak of respiratory illness potentially linked to e-cigarette use

The first death related to an outbreak of severe respiratory illness in e-cigarette users has been reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health.…

US authorities investigate 150 cases of respiratory illness linked to e-cigarette use

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating nearly 150 cases of respiratory illness, primarily in teenagers and young people, that are potentially linked to e-cigarette use.…

Unclear guidelines mean four in five patients with severe asthma do not get proper care

Some four out of five people in England with severe asthma are not getting the care they need as a result of unclear clinical guidelines, a report by Asthma UK has said.…

Case-based learning: cough

Most coughs are acute and self-limiting; however, it is important to understand when a cough becomes clinically significant.…

Asthma deaths in the UK reach a ten-year high

Deaths from asthma in England and Wales are the highest they have been in the past decade, an analysis of data from the Office for National Statistics by the charity Asthma UK has shown.…

Point-of-care test could help reduce antibiotic use in COPD exacerbations, study finds

Point-of-care testing could help reduce antibiotic use in patients with exacerbations of COPD, study results published in the New England Journal of Medicine show.…