Respiratory Diseases (Management of Common Diseases in Family Practice)

DDDDDDDDDDDDD Effective management logically follows accurate diagnosis. Such logic often is difficult to apply in practice. Absolute diagnostic accuracy may not be possible, particularly in the field of primary care, when management has to be on analysis of symptoms and on knowledge of the individual patient and family. This series follows that on Problems in Practice which was concerned more with diagnosis in the widest sense and this series deals more definitively with general care and specific treatment of symptoms and diseases. Good management must include knowledge of the nature, course and outcome of the conditions, as well as prominent clinical features and assessment and investigations, but the emphasis is on what to do best for the patient. Family medical practitioners have particular difficulties and advantages in their work. Because they often work in professional isolation in the community and deal with relatively small numbers of near-normal patients their experience with the more serious and more rare conditions is restricted. They find it difficult to remain up-to-date with medical advances and even more difficult to decide on the suitability and application of new and relatively untried methods compared with those that are 'old' and well proven. Their ad vantages are that because of long -term continuous care for their patients they have come to know them and their families well and are able to become familiar with the more common and less serious diseases of their communities. Front Matter....Pages i-viii Background....Pages 1-8 Symptoms and their management....Pages 9-41 Radiological investigations....Pages 42-52 Catarrhal children....Pages 53-58 Chronic bronchitis and emphysema....Pages 59-72 Bronchial asthma....Pages 73-99 Tumours of the lung....Pages 100-127 Management of terminal illness....Pages 128-147 Tuberculosis....Pages 148-161 Sarcoidosis....Pages 162-167 Acute infections of the lungs....Pages 168-180 Chronic infections of the lungs....Pages 181-194 Fibrotic lung disorders....Pages 195-205 Emergencies....Pages 206-211 Back Matter....Pages 212-223