Resources

Developing knowledge of Covid-19 has been a very long, steep learning curve. Real-time research and people data, alongside modelling, have helped us keep ahead — for the most part. Knowledge of long Covid is even more scant and, as such, much of the evidence base for management is anecdotal. Many studies are being undertaken to further the progress of diagnosis and management of long covid, and most of these are ongoing within the long Covid treatment clinics. However, what may work for one person may be ineffective for another, and so a great deal of management is around what works best for the patient at the time. Not pushing the boundaries of comfort is a common refrain and developing an awareness of what is possible, listening to the body and acting accordingly form
the basis of management in the majority of cases.

It’s easy to worry about the things we might get wrong in our working lives and the level of consequences that could potentially follow, but what about focusing and celebrating what we get right (sometimes harder to see) and the potential for helping people achieve longer, healthier lives.

Hayley Plimmer lost her 64-year old mother Catherine ‘aka Kay’ Christopher to liver cancer in 2017 following a late diagnosis. Hayley said:
My mother died of liver cancer five days after receiving her diagnosis and being told by
her consultant that there was nothing that could be done. It was a horribly shocking and traumatic experience for the whole family and we’re still reeling four years later. Looking back, there were some signs which we now know to have been symptoms of cancer but we had no idea at the time.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, 2021) guidelines for adults presenting with heart valve disease were published towards the end of last year, outlining
what standard practice should be for a treatment pathway.

As the NHS pivots towards innovation to address the Covid-19 backlog, support overburdened staff and elevate standards, it might be all too easy to assume that much of the focus will be on digital technologies and cutting-edge concepts. 
However, to establish a better health service, it is imperative that careful consideration is given to all areas of medical supply — not just the big-ticket items of equipment and digitalisation of services, but also the simpler items which can make a huge impact on patient outcomes, such as compression hosiery.

Here, Poppy Brooks, chair of the British Society for Heart Failure’s Nurse Forum, shares some insights from a joint webinar held by the British Society for Heart Failure and the British Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (BACPR).
This webinar, held during National Cardiac Rehabilitation Awareness Week 2022, sought to showcase new thinking on cardiac rehabilitation for those with heart failure. The recording is available to watch at: www.bsh.org.uk/webinar-fit-for-the-future/.

When patients present with red lower legs, the cause is often assumed to be cellulitis or erysipelas. There are, however, several alternative conditions which mimic the clinical signs of cellulitis or erysipelas, which can lead to misdiagnosis. It is important that the cause is correctly diagnosed to prevent inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics. This article discusses the different potential causes of ‘red legs’, in addition to cellulitis and erysipelas, together with clinical signs and symptoms to enable general practice nurses (GPNs) to differentiate between them and implement appropriate treatments

This article, the first in a two-part series, aims to raise awareness of upper airway disorders, as defined by the recently published upper airway disorders position paper from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT; Haines et al, 2021). It provides a summary of the aetiology and clinical presentations for persistent throat symptoms, refractory chronic cough, and inducible laryngeal obstruction. These disorders are primarily related to laryngeal dysfunction, rather than lower airways disease, virus, or infection. Recognising the immense time pressures within clinical practice, tables have been included that could be provided to support patients with understanding their symptoms. Part two will look at managment approaches, including self-care strategies, and advice on where to refer people presenting with upper airway disorder symptoms.