Brit J Hosp Med
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Upon discovery of a thyroid nodule (or nodules), a patient is usually referred for evaluation by ultrasound, which is typically performed by a trained radiologist or sonographer. More recently, this technology has been used intraoperatively by endocrine surgeons and also by endocrinologists, often in the context of 'one-stop shops' or point of care ultrasound in the outpatient setting. ⋯ This article provides an overview of ultrasound in assessing the thyroid nodule in the context of this classification. This can be used as a guide to interpretation of thyroid ultrasonography for non-radiologists.
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Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are important events to people living with this condition and a common cause of emergency hospital admission. In the absence of a confirmatory biomarker, an exacerbation remains a clinical diagnosis of exclusion and clinicians must be alert to alternative diagnoses. Most exacerbations are caused by airway infection, particularly with respiratory viruses. ⋯ Although there have been no new interventions to treat exacerbations in many years, there is still much variation in care and opportunity to improve outcomes. There has been a new focus on both the management of comorbidities and the optimisation of future care to reduce the risk of further events. This review summarises advances in managing exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, focusing on hospitalised patients.