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Biomedical subjects

Rachel Booker

Publications and source records attributed to Rachel Booker.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: importance of diagnosis.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a common, smoking-related respiratory disease. It is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality and accounts for a large amount of NHS resources. Despite this, it is underdiagnosed, often poorly managed and its impact on patients is underestimated (British Thoracic Society (BTS), 2001). The first step is to make an accurate diagnosis at as early a stage as possible. This article explores the prevalence, impact and presentation of the disease and how it can be identified and diagnosed.

Bronchodilator Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pharmacological approaches to stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes disabling, slowly progressive breathlessness on exertion, chronic cough and sputum production. Its natural history is punctuated by increasingly frequent exacerbations which in turn accelerate disease progression and reduce a patient's quality of life. COPD has previously been ignored in the mistaken belief that nothing could be done. There are now a number of therapies that can be used to reduce symptoms and prevent exacerbations. In turn this reduces disability, improves the patient's health-related quality of life and has the potential to reduce costs to the health service and to society.

Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: non-pharmacological approaches.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive, smoking-related, chronic disease that eventually impacts on every area of the lives of the patient and his/her family and carers. The nature of the disease - chronic, irreversible airflow obstruction - limits the impact of drug therapy, particularly as the disease progresses. Increasing breathlessness on exertion saps confidence, reduces self-esteem and produces dependence. In addition, frequent exacerbations utilize health service resources. Non-pharmacological approaches, such as pulmonary rehabilitation, together with lifestyle advice that enables patients to help themselves manage exacerbations, maintain independence and quality of life and make the most of life with COPD can benefit both patients and the health service.

Breathing Exercises↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the NICE guideline.

This article covers the key priorities identified by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guideline for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and examines the role of nurses in achieving these priorities for good care of patients with COPD.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Testing for reversibility in patients with obstructive airways disease.

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have many similarities and can occur together in the same patient. Both cause coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. The major difference between the two is that airflow obstruction is largely reversible in asthma, but in COPD it is largely irreversible.

Asthma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pharmacology of bronchodilators.

In the UK, diseases that cause airflow obstruction are common. About 5.1 million people receive treatment for asthma and about 600,000 people are diagnosed as having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), although this is likely to be an underestimate (British Thoracic Society, 2001).

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effective assessment of acute breathlessness in a patient.

Breathing is a fundamental life process that usually occurs without conscious thought and, for the healthy person, is taken for granted. It involves: The coordinated action of inspiratory and expiratory muscles; The unimpeded passage of air from the atmosphere through the upper to the lower respiratory tract; The exchange of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) across the alveolar membrane.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Causes and management of chronic breathlessness in adults.

Breathlessness is a common symptom associated with a variety of disorders. It is defined as 'an abnormal awareness or difficulty with breathing' (Bourke and Brewis, 1998). It can be acute or chronic. Acute breathlessness typically occurs within a short timeframe and may be severe. It may also be the presenting symptom of life-threatening disease. Chronic breathlessness develops over several months or years.

Adult↗