Clinical update: COPD & Asthma – There has been a confluence of two advances in asthma, said Dr Conor Burke, Respiratory Consultant at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown. There has been a confluence of two advances in asthma, said Dr Conor Burke, Respiratory Consultant at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown. To get asthma, you have to have [...]
Continuing with our series, Dr John Faul, Consultant Respiratory Physician and Sleep Disorder Specialist, gives his 10 top tips on managing asthma Top Tip 1: Allergen avoidance Climate change has increased the worldwide pollen burden with grass and tree species continuing to pollinate for longer periods due to the effects of global warming. In seeking [...]
A potential new treatment for COPD has been shown to significantly improve lung function A potential new breakthrough in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that targets the underlying inflammation has been shown to significantly improve lung function and also reduce exacerbations in patients with COPD. Roflumilast also demonstrated additional benefits when added [...]
Nurses who make home visits to children with asthma can help prevent half of those children from having to receive more serious treatment for their condition, new research has suggested. According to background information cited by the study’s authors, most children with asthma control their condition with low-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), but 5 per cent [...]
Mary McDonald, Marie Roddy, Catherine Carrig, Mary Devitt and Dr Basil Elnazir describe an innovative approach to asthma care in Tallaght Hospital. Asthma is a common childhood chronic illness and a significant healthcare problem in Ireland. The prevalence of asthma in Ireland is ranked the highest in the world along with New Zealand, Australia and [...]
Physical and mental stress in childhood may have life-long adverse effects on a person’s risk of developing such chronic illnesses as asthma, chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, according to researchers. “A scientific consensus is emerging that the origins of adult disease are often found among developmental and biological disruptions occurring during the early [...]
Hospitalised patients who receive acid-suppressive medications such as a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) have 30 per cent increased odds of developing pneumonia while in hospital, according to a new US study. With the introduction of proton-pump inhibitors, used primarily in the treatment of ulcers and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, the use of acid-suppressive medications has increased over [...]
A prospective six-year study from Denmark has found that women with occupational exposure to wood dust, even at low levels, have a higher risk of asthma, cough or chronic bronchitis than their non-woodworking counterparts. Interestingly, male colleagues do not seem to be affected. In the study, doctors investigated 54 factories producing wooden furniture in the [...]
Available evidence supports the use of online or smoking cessation programmes to help adults quit smoking, according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies. In the paper, doctors identified 22 randomised controlled trials of web- and computer-based programmes published between 1989 and 2008. The trials included a total of 29,549 participants — 16,050 of whom [...]
Dr John Garvey and Prof Walter T McNicholas on obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, which is thought to affect at least 60,000 adults in Ireland and is thought to play a major role in causing road traffic accidents. Driving is a complex process involving a high level of concentration and co-ordination of perceptual, motor and decision-making [...]
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