PROTOCOL SUMMARIES: Call for papers
The PCRJ Editors hereby invite submissions of Protocol Summary papers to be published in a new online-only section of the PCRJ from March 2013. Accepted summaries will be listed on Medline/PubMed and indexed by Thomson Reuters ISI.
|
They will be available to readers as an open access full text manuscript free of charge.
For all accepted Protocol Summary papers, there will be a one-off author charge of £500, payable on manuscript acceptance.
|
|
Latest Issue – Editors’ Choice
Risk-to-benefit ratio of inhaled corticosteroids in COPD
In contrast to asthma, the role of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in the management of COPD is less well defined and more limited. On pg 92, Price et al. comprehensively review the risk/benefit ratio of ICS treatment in COPD. They emphasise the need for correct diagnosis and the dangers of indiscriminate use of ICS. However, the need for ICS treatment needs careful consideration particularly in patients with an FEV1< 50% predicted who have repeated exacerbations.
The Finnish 10-year Asthma programme: improved primary care diagnosis
Kainu et al. (pg 64) analysed the trend in age-adjusted prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma during the Finnish Asthma Programme which ran from 1994 to 2004. Two postal questionnaire surveys provided data on diagnosis, respiratory symptoms and precipitating factors. The age-adjusted prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma increased from 6.5% to 10.0%, and the authors conclude that one of the likely reasons was improved diagnosis in primary care. Using a multivariate logistic regression model, the risk of asthma was significantly increased by allergic conjunctivitis, family history of asthma, and a BMI > 30 kg/m2. On pg 13, Bjerg discusses the results and analyses the importance of trends in epidemiological research.
The importance of lung hyperinflation in COPD
COPD is characterised by expiratory flow limitation which results in air trapping and lung hyperinflation. The extensive literature review by Thomas et al. on pg 101 is an excellent summary of the mechanisms involved in lung hyperinflation and how it affects dyspnoea and activity limitation in patients with COPD. The authors review the treatment options available, with particular emphasis on those treatments available in primary care.
Challenges for primary care education: are we at the crossroads?
Continuing medical education is an ongoing challenge for all clinicians. On pg 23, Ulrik et al. report a study in 102 general practices assessing the impact of a COPD educational programme. Data were collected on the rate of spirometry testing, preventive consultations, and influenza vaccination rates. Over three years, the intervention group almost doubled performance in all outcomes. On pg 29, Patel et al. report on the translation of the Physician Asthma Care Education (PACE) programme from the USA to Australia. Using various educational interventions, the transfer of PACE was successful. In his editorial on pg 6, Tomlins places both studies in context, whilst discussing primary care respiratory education globally.
Impact of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) on primary care consultations
On pg 37, this multinational randomised controlled study is the first to assess the impact of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) on the quality of primary care COPD consultations. 165 primary care physicians undertook six standardised consultations either with or without the completed CAT available, with trained actors playing the role of COPD patients. 882 consultations were suitable for analysis. There was no difference between the two groups of physicians in terms of their mean overall score, but the CAT group were significantly better in identifying and dealing with COPD-related issues. In their editorial on pg 8, Langhammer and Jones discuss the usefulness of the CAT in primary care and compare it with other validated tools for measuring health status in COPD patients.
Exhaled nitric oxide is a marker for allergy but not symptoms
Allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma are often associated, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a biomarker of the eosinophilic inflammation present in both conditions. On pg 44, de Bot et al. report a prospective cohort study on 251 children with either asthma and AR [n=93] or AR alone [n=158]. Data on FeNO concentration, nose and asthma symptom scores, house dust mite-specific IgE, and allergy-related quality of life, were collected at baseline and after 2 years. FeNO was unrelated to symptoms or quality of life in both groups of children. On pg 10, Gevorgyan and Fokkens discuss the results.
|
Online first: latest articles
 Subscribe to PCRJ Online first Page
1: Selected abstracts from the 3rd IPCRG International Scientific Meeting, Uppsala, May 2013
• Published online: 22 May 2013
2: Alarmingly high prevalence of smoking and symptoms of
bronchitis in young women in Sweden: a population-based
questionnaire study
Göran Wennergren, Linda Ekerljung, Bernt Alm, Anders Bjerg, Jan Lötvall, Bo Lundbäck • Published online: 10 May 2013
3: Expanding nursing practice in COPD: key to providing
high-quality, effective, and safe patient care?
Monica J Fletcher, Birthe H Dahl • Published online: 10 May 2013
4: Pulmonary rehabilitation and qualitative
research
David Salisbury • Published online: 10 May 2013
5: The CURB-65 scoring system in severity assessment of
Eastern Nigerian patients with community-acquired
pneumonia: a prospective observational study
Godwin C Mbata, Chinwe J Chukwuka, Cajetan C Onyedum, Basden J C Onwubere • Published online: 1 May 2013
Latest articles in translation
1: Gruffydd-Jones K. GOLD guidelines 2011: what are the implications for primary care? Prim Care Respir J 2012;21(4):437-441. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4104/pcrj.2012.00058
View article online
View full text PDF in: 
Portuguese | 
Spanish
2: Kaplan A. A 54 year-old man with a chronic cough – A primary care perspective from Canada. Prim Care Respir J 2012;21(3):342-343. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4104/pcrj.2012.00075
View article online
View full text PDF in:
Portuguese
3: Fiori LS. A 54 year-old man with a chronic cough – A primary care perspective from Argentina. Prim Care Respir J 2012;21(3):344-344. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4104/pcrj.2012.00076
View article online
View full text PDF in:
Portuguese
4: McGarvey L. A 54 year-old man with a chronic cough – Following referral: a secondary care perspective from the UK. Prim Care Respir J 2012;21(3):345-346. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4104/pcrj.2012.00077
View article online
View full text PDF in:
Portuguese
5: Medford ARL. A 54 year-old man with a chronic cough – Chronic cough: don’t forget drug-induced causes. Prim Care Respir J 2012;21(3):347-348. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4104/pcrj.2012.00078
View article online
View full text PDF in:
Portuguese
Click on a flag below to view articles in the selected language.
HTML text now available for all new articles
The PCRJ now offers full HTML text of all articles published since January 2012. Simply click on the article page and the HTML text article is immediately available. As before, the full article PDF is available free of charge to all.
Who’s citing PCRJ articles? Data from Scopus now added
We have expanded our service showing who is citing PCRJ articles to include data from Scopus as well as CrossRef. On each article page there is a link in the right hand column: Cited by. This opens a page displaying those articles retrieved from the CrossRef database which cite the selected article. In addition, there is now a link telling you how many times the article has been cited in Scopus; up to 20 of the citing articles can then be viewed via a link to the Scopus website. For more information on CrossRef’s Cited-by Linking Service, click here. For more information on Scopus, click here.
|
|
All correspondence to:
The Editors-in-Chief
c/o Tricia Bryant, PCRS-UK Publications
Vienna House
International Square
Birmingham International Park
Solihull
B37 7GN
UK
|
The Primary Care Respiratory Society, formerly known as the General Practice Airways Group, is a registered charity
(Charity No: 1098117) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England (Company No: 4298947)
VAT Registration Number: 866 1543 09
Registered offices: 2 Wellington Place, Leeds, LS1 4AP
Address for correspondence: PCRS-UK, Vienna House
International Square,
Birmingham International Park,
Solihull
B37 7GN
Telephone: +44 (0)121 767 1942
Facsimile: +44 (0)121 336 1914
Email: info@pcrs-uk.org
Website: http://www.pcrs-uk.org
The Primary Care Respiratory Society UK is grateful to its corporate supporters including Allen & Hanburys, AstraZeneca UK Ltd, Boehringer Ingelheim Ltd / Pfizer Ltd, Chiesi Ltd, MSD UK, Napp Pharmaceuticals, Nycomed UK Ltd, Pfizer Vaccines and Teva UK Limited for their financial support which supports the core activities of the Charity and allows the PCRS-UK to make its services either freely available or at greatly reduced rates to its members.
|
|
Subscribe to PCRJ
Current Issue Page
French
Greek
Italian