The Spring issue of Primary Care Respiratory Update
The Spring issue of Primary Care Respiratory Update focuses on the appropriate use of antibiotics whether for respiratory infections or as part of a rescue pack.
This is a hardy perennial topic that requires regular re-visits. The practice guidance in these articles and the accompanying views of patients are designed to support you in your decision-making, says Editor Iain Small.
The articles include:
- The appropriate use of rescue packs. In this article Dr John Hurst, Honorary Consultant at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and Reader in Respiratory Medicine at University College (UCL) London, discusses how we can prescribe rescue packs more effectively for patients with COPD by ensuring patients have the necessary educational support and safety netting. He will be giving a presentation on this topic at the PCRS-UK annual conference in September.
- Managing dilemmas in respiratory tract infections and antibiotics: prescribing. In this article Dr Kevin Gruffydd-Jones and Dr Katherine Hickman give an update on how to prescribe antibiotics responsibly.
In addition, there are articles on stepping down ICS therapy in COPD and on the aspects of diagnosis, management and monitoring of asthma that are uncertain due to differences between current national guidelines. Plus there are all the regular features: Chair’s Perspective, Policy Round-Up, Journal Round-Up, respiratory leaders programme and PCRS-UK news.