Table of Contents

Contributors. Acknowledgement to Cochrane Library. 1 Practising evidence-based respiratory medicine. 1.1 Introduction. 1.2 Diagnostic strategies. 1.2.1 Presenting symptoms. 1.2.2 Lung function testing. 1.2.3 Chest radiographic and CT patterns. 1.2.4 Diagnostic strategies in pulmonary embolism: an evidence-based approach. 1.2.5 Screening for lung cancer. 1.3 Therapeutics: general issues. 1.3.1 Adherence and self-management. 1.3.2 Corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis. 1.3.3 Helping people to stop smoking. 2 Asthma. 2.1 Acute exacerbations. 2.2 Chronic therapy: beta-agonists - short-acting, long-acting beta2-agonists. 2.3 Inhaled corticosteroids in the treatment of asthma. 2.4 Anti-leukotrienes. 2.5 Asthma education. .2.6 Non-pharmacological and complementary interventions to manage asthma. 2.7 Difficult asthma. 2.8 Novel therapies in asthma: long-acting beta2-agonists/inhaled corticosteroids. 3 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 3.1 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - acute exacerbations. 3.2 Anticholinergic bronchodilators in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease therapy. 3.3 Inhaled corticosteroids in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 3.4 Combination of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta2-agonists in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 3.5 Systemic corticosteroids in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 3.6 Lung volume reduction. 4 Infection. 4.1 Bronchitis and sinusitis. 4.2 Community-acquired pneumonia. 4.3 Pulmonary tuberculosis. 4.4 Influenza: vaccination and treatment. 4.5 Bronchiectasis. 4.6 Adult cystic fibrosis. 4.7 Antibiotics in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis. 5 Respiratory failure/sleep disordered breathing. 5.1 Respiratory rehabilitation. 5.2 Non-invasive ventilation in acute respiratory failure. 5.3 Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation in stable patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. What is the evidence?. 5.4 The treatment of the obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome. 5.5 Long-term oxygen therapy for chronic respiratory failure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 6 Diffuse lung disease/pleural disease/thromboembolism. 6.1 Diffuse lung disease. 6.1.1 The treatment of cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis. 6.1.2 Evidence-based approach to treatment of sarcoidosis. 6.1.3 Hypersensitivity pneumonitis. 6.2 Pleural disease. 6.3 Therapy of pulmonary thromboembolism: an evidence-based approach. 6.4 Pulmonary hypertension. Index.

About the Author

Peter Gibson, Respiratory Medicine Unit, John Hunter Hospital