Resources

The Asthma+Lung UK helpline takes more than 1,000 calls a month from people who are struggling with their asthma and need advice and support to manage their symptoms. Asthma is a common lung condition affecting 5.4 million people in the UK, and is more prevalent among women than men (https://ukdataservice.ac.uk). The charity’s recent analysis finds that women are, shockingly, almost twice as likely to die from an asthma attack than men (Asthma+Lung UK, 2022).

#AskAboutAsthma is an annual awareness campaign that takes place in September. Now in its sixth year, the campaign is about making simple changes to children and young people’s care that will make a big difference to how they experience their asthma. Primary care clinicians are critical to making these changes, with general practice nurses (GPNs) playing a vital role.

The National Paediatric Respiratory and Allergy Nurses Group (NPRANG) was formed 27 years ago as an asthma group for nurse specialists, with the first meeting taking place at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool. The group met annually before becoming part of the Royal College of Nursing’s (RCN) Respiratory Group when they had independent learning groups. However, when the learning groups within the RCN merged, NPRANG became an independent group with members from all fields of respiratory and allergy medicine.

Early prostate cancer does not usually have any symptoms. So, when discussing with men the pros and cons of having a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, it is important to consider the risk factors.

Many healthcare professionals recommend absorbent pads for men with urinary incontinence. These can be seen as easy to use and convenient (Chartier-Kastler et al, 2011), but potential odour and skin irritation are a significant concern (Williams and Moran, 2006; Gray, 2007). They can also impact dignity and quality of life (Williams and Moran, 2006). To provide a high level of holistic care, patients should be made aware of all suitable management options appropriate for them to be empowered to manage their bladder accordingly.

As part of a urinary collecting system, Conveen^® Optima sheaths meet the majority of users’ need for security, ease of use, comfort and discretion (Data on file). They are designed with features like the anti-kink bellow to ensure maximum security against leakage. This article looks at how healthcare professionals can support patients in finding an incontinence solution that is both effective and compatible with individual patient needs.

Heart Failure (HF) already affects a million people in the UK. With 200,000 new cases annually, it is the fastest rising cardiovascular disease in the country (British Heart Foundation, 2022). And yet, the public and politicians are barely aware of this condition and the huge impact it has on people’s lives. At Pumping Marvellous, the UK’s only dedicated patient-led heart failure charity, we know too well what can happen when people are blindsided by HF, and how poorly understood it is. We also know how much can be achieved when people are educated and supported to manage their care.

Here, Debbie Duncan, lecturer, Queen’s University Belfast, provides an overview on monkeypox, a rare disease caused by monkeypox virus which has recently led to news headlines with the current outbreak.

Fungating wounds can have a devastating effect on patient quality of life. Common symptoms, such as bleeding, odour, and excessive exudate production can also cause feelings of shame for the patient, resulting in social isolation. General assessment should determine the patient’s physical, psychological and emotional status, and how the family is coping. Wound assessment is crucial to determine the extent of any symptoms, to identify concerns of the patient and family, to form a baseline against which to measure wound progress, and to identify management goals. Use of a tool such as the Triangle of Wound Assessment promotes a systemic approach to wound evaluation, helps with data collection and recording, and can help to identify treatment goals. This article outlines the key principles of the assessment and management of fungating wounds, and presents a case report describing the use of the Triangle of Wound Assessment to successfully manage a patient with a fungating wound, using a conformable, silicone foam dressing impregnated with silver.

This article, the second in a two-part series, further raises awareness of upper airway disorders, as defined by the upper airway disorders position paper from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT; Haines et al, 2021). It looks at management approaches for persistent throat symptoms, refractory chronic cough, and inducible laryngeal obstruction. These disorders are primarily related to laryngeal dysfunction, notably laryngeal-hypersensitivity. Recognising the immense time pressures within clinical practice, tables have been included that could support patients’ understanding of symptoms and help to start self-care strategies.

Occupation-related lung diseases can be defined as diseases that are caused or made worse by the work environment. These are usually as a result of long-term and repeated exposures, although a single major exposure can result in lung damage. The symptoms of occupation-related lung diseases may be similar to those of other conditions, therefore as clinicians, taking both a past and current occupational history is important to assist in determining the possibility of workrelated lung disease/damage. It should be remembered that occupational lung disease may not only affect the individual who is exposed to the cause at his/her work, but also those who are exposed to the cause in their home. A well-recognised example of this type of exposure is asbestos-related disease, where an individual may be exposed to the pollutant by contact with the worker’s clothes, for example by washing them, and may also suffer the effects of asbestos exposure. The Health and Safety at Work Act (HSW Act) published in 1974 established a foundation principal; that those who create the risk are those who should control the risk. The challenge as clinicians, is that many of the lung-related diseases identified are a consequence of exposure prior to the HSW act. This does not mean occupational exposure after the publication of the HSW Act in 1974 is safe, but it did become the basis for improving occupational health and safety. This article explores some of the recognised occupation-related lung diseases.