The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
-
Eczema is common in children but adherence to treatments is poor. Written action plans (WAPs) have been shown to help in asthma but the potential value, format, and content of an eczema WAP is unknown. ⋯ An eczema WAP may help overcome some of the difficulties of managing eczema, and support families and clinicians in the management of the condition. Further evaluation is needed to determine if the eczema WAP the authors have developed is both acceptable and improves the outcomes for affected children and their families.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Walking prescription of 10 000 steps per day in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomised trial in Nigerian general practice.
In clinical practice, translating the benefits of a sustained physically active lifestyle on glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is difficult. A walking prescription may be an effective alternative. ⋯ Adherence to 10 000 steps per day prescription is low but may still be associated with improved glycaemic control in T2DM. Motivational strategies for better adherence would improve glycaemic control.
-
Observational Study
Antibiotic prescribing quality for children in primary care: an observational study.
Overuse and inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics is driving antibiotic resistance. GPs often prescribe antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in young children despite their marginal beneficial effects. ⋯ The quality of antibiotic prescribing in this study was mixed and highlights the scope for future improvements. There is a need to assess further the quality of disease-specific antibiotic prescribing in UK primary care settings using data representative of routine clinical practice.
-
Subjective cognitive complaints are commonly encountered in primary care and often result in memory clinic referral. However, meta-analyses have shown that such concerns do not consistently correspond to objective memory impairment or predict future dementia. Memory clinic referrals are increasing, with greater proportions of patients attending who do not have dementia. Studies of interaction during memory clinic assessments have identified conversational profiles that can differentiate between dementia and functional disorders of memory. To date, studies exploring communication patterns for the purpose of diagnosis have not been reviewed. Such profiles could reduce unnecessary investigations in patients without dementia. ⋯ Whether the patient attends with a companion, how they participate, give autobiographical history, demonstrate working memory, and make qualitative observations during routine cognitive testing are all useful in building a diagnostic picture. Future studies should explore these phenomena in larger populations, over longer periods, include dementia subtypes, and develop robust definitions of functional memory disorders to facilitate comparison.