Search

Summary box By 2004 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was claimed to be the fourth most important cause of death worldwide,1 and its global prevalence and mortality are on the increase.2 Smoking accounts for about 75% of cases,3 but environmental exposures to tobacco smoke and other pollutants such as biomass fuels and occupational exposures may account for the remaining cases.4 5 6 COPD is a progressive disease, and in the later stages patients have frequent admissions to hospital, with over a third being readmitted in 30 days, contributing to an annual cost of £800m (€1bn; $1.24bn) in the UK.7 In the UK concern has …

Mandell raises some concerns about the primary care summary of the 2009 British Thoracic Society (BTS) guidelines on managing community acquired pneumonia in adults.1 2 The main focus of the BTS guidelines is the management of radiographically confirmed pneumonia in hospital.3 Nevertheless, a summary of information relevant to primary care was considered to be of interest to …

EDITOR,--C M Francis and colleague's conclusion that echocardiography led to advice about a change in management in 70% of patients with established or suspected heart failure as diagnosed by their general practitioners is misleading.1 Their …