The Limbic

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis therapeutics coming of age: ATS 2016

Dr Marilyn Glassberg recently attended the American Thoracic Society’s 2016 International Conference alongside 15,000 other pulmonary, critical care, and sleep researchers. She talks more about the conference in this blog, focusing particularly on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. My specific area of interest...

Dr Marilyn Glassberg recently attended the American Thoracic Society’s 2016 International Conference alongside 15,000 other pulmonary, critical care, and sleep...

Pneumonia

Procalcitonin of little value in bacterial pneumonia

Elevated procalcitonin levels in response to bacterial infection might help ‘lazy doctors’ when deciding on antibiotic treatment in patients hospitalised with community-acquired pneumonia but the test is no substitute for a competent clinical assessment, according to Professor Grant Waterer from...

Elevated procalcitonin levels in response to bacterial infection might help ‘lazy doctors’ when deciding on antibiotic treatment in patients hospitalised...

Public Health

Be pro-smokers but anti-smoking

The attitude of healthcare professionals to smokers is often negative, stigmatising and unproductive, but can be improved if they help patients to address their problems of dependence rather than simply harassing them to quit. “We need to be pro-smokers, but anti-smoking,”...

The attitude of healthcare professionals to smokers is often negative, stigmatising and unproductive, but can be improved if they help...