Volume 9, Number 4, Oct-Nov-Dec 2012

POPULAR
TOPICBACK TO BASICSAlbumin:creatinine assessment in chronic kidney disease and diabetes

ALBUMIN:CREATININE ASSESSMENT IN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE AND DIABETES

POPULAR
TOPICDISEASE FOCUSTaking the mystery out of peripheral arterial disease
Dr Marc A Bailey, Miss Kathryn J Griffin, Prof D Julian A Scott

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) forms part of the same generalised vascular disease as coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. Recent National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines emphasise the importance of a standardised approach in primary care. The aims of this article are to provide an update for practice nurses, and to highlight the importance of asymptomatic PAD as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

EDITORIALEditorial
Jan Procter-King

It is commonly accepted that nurses are better than doctors at following guideline-based protocols. Protocols have a number of benefits. They provide us with a structured approach to the consultation and added confidence in clinical management. Following a protocol also means that patients are more likely to be offered evidenced-based therapies. But familiarity with practice protocols does have its drawbacks when they have to be revised when new guidelines are published.

EVIDENCE IN PRACTICEEvidence in Practice

Providing need-to-know information and recommended actions resulting from new clinical research

CONFERENCE UPDATEISSUES AND ANSWERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE:
Applying the evidence in primary care today

16-17 November 2012, University of Warwick

More than 200 primary care professionals attended the inaugural conference "Issues and answers in cardiovascular disease: Applying the evidence in primary care today" hosted by the Primary Care Cardiovascular Journal (PCCJ) and British Journal of Primary Care Nursing (BJPCN). The meeting was chaired by Professor Mike Kirby, Visiting Professor, Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Editor of PCCJ and Jan Procter-King, Editor of BJPCN. Plenary sessions, satellite symposia and workshops addressed the critical issues facing GPs, nurses and other healthcare professionals in the primary care of patients with cardiovascular disease and provided delegates with practical evidence-based guidance. Watch out for more resources including key presentation slides at www.pccj.eu.

HAVE YOU HEARD?Have you Heard?
Sue Lyon

POPULAR
TOPICHOW TOWhy - and when - to check thyroid function
Dr Andrew Blann

Sending samples to the laboratory for investigation is so routine in primary care that it is easy to take these tests for granted. But, as this new series highlights, it is important to understand the purpose of each test and how to act on the results. This article examines thyroid function tests (TFTs), which are an essential part of diagnosing and treating thyroid disease.

QUALITY MATTERSDementia: Making a difference in primary care
Ruth Westerby

Dementia is a term used to describe a syndrome that can be caused by several illnesses, but the result is a decline in a person’s abilities to function socially, mentally and in relation to the everyday activities of living. The condition is having an increasing impact on individuals, families and care services as the UK population ages. However, practice nurses can help make the experience of living with dementia more positive for the patient and their families or carers.

THERAPEUTICS REVIEWIntroducing dapagliflozin for type 2 diabetes
Sandra Waddingham

Dapagliflozin (Forxiga) is the first in a new class of oral antidiabetic drug that has been given the go-ahead for marketing in Europe, including the UK. Described as a sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, this new preparation works on the kidneys to lower blood glucose. What does this new drug have to offer and how can it potentially help our patients with type 2 diabetes?

PATIENT INFORMATIONChronic kidney disease: Advice for when you become unwell

POPULAR
TOPICHANDS ONGet to grips withe the ankle brachial pressure index
Jan Procter-King, Sue Lyon

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) has had a lower profile than other vascular diseases, but it is moving up the agenda following recent publication of guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Take a look at NICE’s priorities for implementation, and you will see that using the ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) to check for PAD is set to become part of routine cardiovascular risk assessment in primary care.

POPULAR
TOPICMEDICATION REVIEWNeed a break? Advising patients on drug holidays
Dr Clare Hawley

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is becoming increasingly common. Patients at greatest risk are the elderly with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and other long-term conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. AKI carries a poor prognosis yet 30% of cases are preventable. In primary care we can help prevent AKI by empowering patients to take drug holidays—that is, temporarily stopping medications that become harmful to the kidneys during episodes of acute illness.