Lloyd Mudiwa reports that some 50 deaths every year are attributable to asthma and poor control is still a concern for 60 per cent of asthmatics.
A wide variety of causes identified
March 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
In his latest Clinical Update, Gary Culliton looks at recent developments in the field of asthma, including research on how cytokines that cause the problem may be blocked.
Prescribing the right balance of combination therapies
January 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Dr Reggie Spelman looks at the latest studies and international best-practice guidelines for prescribing combination therapies Combination therapies comprise an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and a long-acting β agonist (LABA), providing a dual anti-inflammatory and bronchodilator action. According to the British Thoracic Society (BTS) asthma guidelines, LABAs are the first choice of add-on therapy to inhaled [...]
Children in large crèches have fewer infections in school years
January 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Children who attend large crèches before the age of two-and-a-half years appear to develop more respiratory and ear infections at that age, but fewer such illnesses during primary-school years, according to a new report from Canada. The report followed a study of 1,238 families with newborns in 1998. Mothers reported whether their children went to [...]
New plan to cut hospital admissions
November 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The HSE’s Clinical Lead for COPD, Dr Tim McDonnell, tells Gary Culliton about the COPD programme’s aim to cut hospital admissions and make spirometry more widely available to GPs throughout the country Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an increasing problem that has not been managed well, according to the HSE’s COPD Clinical Lead, Dr [...]
World COPD Day urges disease awareness
November 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
This year’s World COPD Day focuses on increasing awareness of spirometry as a simple and painless way to determine lung health World COPD Day is a global effort to boost people’s understanding of COPD and advocate for better care for patients. The aim of the awareness day this year, which falls on November 17, is [...]
Early treatment linked to better COPD outcomes
June 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Among patients hospitalised for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), those who received antibiotics in the first two hospital days had improved outcomes, according to a new American study. In the study, doctors examined the association between the use of antibiotics and outcomes among patients hospitalised for acute exacerbations of COPD at 413 [...]
Racial disparities in asthma exist among children
June 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Within a comprehensive health insurance system, black and Hispanic children appear more likely than white children to have worse outcomes for their asthma, according to a new study. Researchers analysed data from 822,900 children aged 2 through 17 years who were covered by the same health insurance programme. Asthma prevalence, treatment patterns and outcomes were [...]
Differentiating and treating COPD
June 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Dr Richard Costello of Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, writes that although COPD is difficult to diagnose, there are a growing number of treatments available to tackle the condition The detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) starts with suspicion. In clinical practice, it can be extremely hard to detect, and therefore manage, COPD. In some cases, [...]
Azithromycin in CF does not help lung function
June 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) who received the antibiotic azithromycin did not experience improved lung function, compared to patients who received placebo, according to a new study. There has been increasing evidence over the past decade that azithromycin benefits individuals with CF. “Azithromycin is recommended as therapy for CF patients with chronic Pseudomonas [...]
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