Description
Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are the most common acute medical problem encountered in primary care. General practice consultation rates in England and Wales show that a quarter of the population will visit their GP because of an RTI each year, and 60% of all antibiotic prescribing in general practice will be for an RTI. At the secondary care level, hospital admission rates for pneumonia in England and Wales have increased by 34% between 1997 and 2005. In addition, increasing numbers of patients with cancer and other disorders are being treated with drug regimens that cause immunosuppression and RTIs are one of the most common complications in these patients. Mortality in patients hospitalised with RTIs ranges from 10 to 40%. Not only are RTIs very common, the spectrum of disease is wide. Clinical management differs according to the characteristics of the infected host and infecting pathogen. Despite these features, there are currently no pocketbooks that bring together clinically relevant information on this broad and important subject area in an accessible and practical manner. This pocketbook offers a concise companion for health care professionals who manage patients with acute lung infections. The book covers aspects related to the diagnosis and initial management of these patients, with attention to specific infections which are notable for being difficult to manage, common or of particular clinical importance. The book will appeal to a wide variety of professionals in acute medicine, respiratory medicine, infectious diseases, primary care, and other internal medicine specialties.
