Clinical medicine (London, England)
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Destructive communication is a problem within the NHS; however previous research has focused on bullying. Rude, dismissive and aggressive (RDA) communication between doctors is a more widespread problem and underinvestigated. We conducted a mixed method study combining a survey and focus groups to describe the extent of RDA communication between doctors, its context and subsequent impact. ⋯ Impact of RDA communication was described as personal, including emotional distress and substance abuse, and professional, including demotivation. RDA communication between doctors is a widespread and damaging behaviour, occurring in contexts common in healthcare. Recognition of the impact on doctors and potentially patients is key to change.
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Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and, increasingly, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are common causes of advanced liver disease in many developed countries including the UK. Both diseases share parallel natural histories, progressing from steatosis, to steatohepatitis and fibrosis/cirrhosis; and are characterised by substantial interindividual variation in disease outcome. This article will provide an overview of disease mechanisms, genetic modifiers and management, focusing principally on NAFLD, while drawing parallels between the two conditions where appropriate.
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Case Reports
Lesson of the month 2: Non-uraemic calciphylaxis - an unexpected differential diagnosis for a necrotic ulcer.
Calciphylaxis is an uncommon cause of skin necrosis seen almost exclusively in patients with end-stage renal disease. We present an unexpected diagnosis of calciphylaxis in a patient with normal renal and parathyroid function. The patient presented with a month-long history of painful bilateral necrotic leg ulcers, resistant to conventional treatment. ⋯ A biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of calciphylaxis. We suspect that warfarin therapy may have contributed to the development of this condition. Through this case we aim to raise awareness of calciphylaxis as a differential diagnosis of non-healing necrotic skin ulcers, especially in patients with known risk factors including established warfarin therapy.
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Smoking is a major risk factor for a range of diseases, and quitting smoking provides considerable benefits to health. It therefore follows that clinical guidelines on disease management, particularly for diseases caused by smoking, should include smoking cessation. The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which this is the case. ⋯ Although the extent to which smoking and smoking cessation was mentioned in the guidelines varied between diseases, only 60% of guidelines identified recognised that smoking is a risk factor for the development of the disease and 40% recommended smoking cessation. Only 19% of guidelines provided detailed information on how to deliver smoking cessation support. Smoking cessation is not comprehensively addressed in current UK and transnational European clinical practice guidelines and recommendations.