E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular in recent years. The main reason given by current vapers for using e-cigarettes is to help them stop smoking tobacco. This pragmatic article provides information on the safety and effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a stop smoking tool.

The exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) test detects exposure to CO in the last 12-18 hours. This can be used to assess smoking status AFTER a quit attempt and used prior to a quit attempt as a motivational tool.

Alongside a detailed clinical history and other important tests to assess variability (peak flow, reversibility and challenge tests) it is used to support the diagnosis of asthma. PCRS has produced this consensus position on the use of FeNO in primary care to support the diagnosis of as

Q: My patient smokes cigarettes and has a BMI of 43, they drink 45 units of alcohol a week and their physical activity is limited. What should I do first or is it better to tackle all together?

ASK : ADVISE : ACT Using VBA does not depend on the person's readiness to quit and you do not need to assess it before you start Very Brief Advice or VBA is a simple and

PCRS believe that it is the responsibility of every healthcare professional to treat tobacco dependency systematically and effectively. PCRS advocate that people wishing to quit using tobacco should be offered the most effective but also the least harmful methods first to support a quit attempt.

In this article from the December 2017 Primary Care Respiratory Update, Charles Waddicor,chair of the PCRS-UK Trustees, shares his experience of surviving an asthma attack and his approach to self-management.  The article is introduced by Carol Stonham guest editor for this issue of Primary

In this article from Primary Care Respiratory Update, Spring 2018, Fran Robinson, discusses the use of rescue packs with Dr John Hurst, Honorary Consultant at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and Reader in Respiratory Medicine at University College (UCL) London.

In this feature from the Spring 2018 issue of Primary Care Respiratory Update, Dr Stephen Holmes discusses a case history of a presentation of mesothelioma.

Second Opinion.  Your respiratory questions answered… This question was posted by a PCRS-UK member and is answered by Dr Iain Small and Dr Vince Mak.

This guide provides an algorithm to identify people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who might benefit from ICS treatment and those in whom it may not be appropriate, and an approach to withdrawing ICS in patients in whom it is not needed.   The gui

In this Chair's Perspective from the Spring 2017 edition of Primary Care Respiratory Update, Dr Noel Baxter discusses the importance of early and accurate diagnosis for respiratory conditions.

In this article from PCRU Spring 2017 Fran Robinson interviews Barbara Preston, a member of the PCRS Lay Reference Group, who had bronchiectasis as a child but was not diagnosed until she was an adult, the article illustrates how this delay to diagnosis impacts

Primary Care Respiratory Update produces a regular feature article where we explore how healthcare professionals can support self-management in a range of conditions.  These include:-  

In these two articles from the December 2017 issue of Primary Care Respiratory Update, Dr Andrew Whittamore (Asthma UK) and Mr Mike McKevitt (British Lung Foundation) discuss tools and services available to support self-management in long term respiratory conditions.