The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a widespread move towards virtual consultations within secondary care due to infection concerns. This service evaluation undertaken in a Welsh Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) specialist center looks at the experiences of unselected ILD patients and their careers with telephone consultations and aims to identify the role of telephone consultations in future practice for this patient group. A mixed methods approach was used with an initial postal questionnaire followed by a virtual focus group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite proven efficacy of alemtuzumab in multiple sclerosis (MS), approximately 50% of individuals will develop a new autoimmune disease following treatment. To date, these have largely been antibody mediated and organ specific (primarily affecting the thyroid gland). In a retrospective case series of 187 patients from two UK specialist centres (Cardiff and Cambridge) followed up for a median of 10 years, we report three (1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) breathing pattern changes with disease progress. This study aims to determine if unsupervised hierarchal cluster analysis (HCA) can be used to define airflow profile differences in people with and without IPF. This was tested using 31 patients with IPF and 17 matched healthy controls, all of whom had their lung function assessed using spirometry and carbon monoxide CO transfer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, fibrotic interstitial lung disease of unknown origin. It has a median survival of three years but a wide range in survival rate which is difficult to predict at the time of diagnosis. Specialist guidance promotes a patient centred approach emphasising regular assessment, information giving and supportive care coordinated by a multidisciplinary team (MDT).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objective: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by progressive decline in lung function and increasing dyspnoea. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship among IPF, pulmonary function, resting tidal breathing patterns and level of breathlessness.
Methods: Thirty-one participants with IPF and 17 matched healthy controls underwent lung function testing, followed by a 2-min period of resting tidal breathing.
Introduction: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, life-threatening illness of unknown aetiology, with no proven pharmacological treatments. There is a limited evidence base indicating that the disease negatively affects quality of life, leading to increased dependence, restrictions on daily activities and fatigue. However, there is a paucity of in-depth information on disease impact across its trajectory, particularly in relation to unmet needs, outcomes of importance to patients and the experiences of carers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF