“A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle,” to quote the Lebanese poet, Kahlil Gibran. Well, that’s what the British Journal of Primary Care Nursing (BJPCN) is all about – putting knowledge into action. And it sums up what primary care nurses do too. We are not people who sit about debating what to do, we get on and do it.
Editorial
Back to Basics: How drugs work in heart failure
How to Get Top Marks for Identifying and Managing Atrial Fibrillation
Editorial
Well, spring has sprung! The first few months of each year are a good time to look forward to the challenges ahead. This can be rather daunting, but the bright flowers of spring give us glimpses of hope. In the same way, we hope that this issue of BJPCN can – like a bunch of daffodils – brighten up your day-to-day work in coping with the “warp speed” of change in the NHS.
Scoring for Risk of Stroke After a TIA
The Importance of Belonging: Nurse Forums and Networks
Advances in Vascular Surgery
Vascular surgery is an area that is constantly evolving, with new techniques being developed and existing ones improved. It is used to remove atheroma from arteries – including cardiac and carotid arteries and to treat varicose veins. In this article, we review the range of different types of vascular surgery that patients may undergo. What do they involve and when are they used?
Editorial
New starts. It may be a cliché, but the end of each year and the first month of the next one offer the chance for a new start for us all – health professionals and patients. And for the British Journal of Primary Care Nursing (BJPCN), we have a whole selection box of new starts for our readers and the patients we care for
Back to Basics: How do diuretics work in heart failure
Beating Arrhythmias
Arrhythmias are extremely common. They are usually benign but their significance depends on the symptoms they cause. Some arrhythmias are more serious and can be life-threatening. In this article we clarify the causes of arrhythmias and help you sort out the different types that can occur, dividing them into the two main categories – tachyarrhythmias, where the heart rate is faster than normal, and bradyarrhythmias, where the heart rate is much slower than normal.
Back to Basics: Diabetic foot guide
Heart Murmurs – When Are They Significant?
Heart murmurs – abnormal sounds heard through the stethoscope – are caused by turbulent blood flow in the heart or blood vessels. They can be associated with a range of conditions, including valve defects, high blood pressure and heart failure in adults and congenital heart defects in children. Patients should be investigated carefully to identify the underlying cause, which will determine treatment and prognosis. Some pathological murmurs require no treatment. If they are severe, however, surgery may be needed to correct the causative defect. Drug treatments may be indicated for some murmurs.