The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Prevalence, diagnosis, and disease course of pertussis in adults with acute cough: a prospective, observational study in primary care.
Most cases of adult pertussis probably remain undiagnosed. ⋯ Pertussis infection plays a limited role among adults presenting with acute cough in primary care, but GPs should acknowledge the possibility of pertussis in uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infection. As in children, pertussis also causes prolonged symptoms in adults. However, pertussis is difficult to discern from other acute cough syndromes in adults at first presentation.
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Review Meta Analysis
Diagnostic value of symptoms of oesophagogastric cancers in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Selection of primary care patients for investigation of potential oesophagogastric cancer is difficult, as the symptoms may represent benign conditions, which are also more common. ⋯ Dysphagia, weight loss, and anaemia show the strongest association but with relatively low sensitivity and high specificity. The findings support the value of investigation of these symptoms, but also suggest that, in a population of patients who are low risk but not no-risk, investigation is not currently recommended.
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Reassurance is commonly recommended in guidelines for the management of low back pain in primary care, although it is poorly defined, and what it means to patients remains unknown. ⋯ The themes of implicit and explicit reassurance uncovered here correspond with ideas of affective and cognitive reassurance, respectively. Although the findings support the use of information and education to alleviate concerns, the role of implicit reassurance through relationship building and empathy remains less clear. The impact of these behaviours on outcomes should form a priority for future research.