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ENDGAMES: Ratna Alluri, Mahendran Chetty, and Graeme P Currie Cough and breathlessness not responding to inhalers BMJ 2009; 338: b1862 [Full text]

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bronchiectasis awareness

Mitzi AJ Blennerhassett   (29 May 2009)

bronchiectasis awareness 29 May 2009
Mitzi AJ Blennerhassett, author Home Send response to journal: Re: bronchiectasis awareness	I had a chest/chest wall infection with symptoms of acute pain and shallow breathing, but was initially given anti-inflammatory drugs for 'pulled muscles'. Only later, once pain had spread to both lungs and I felt as though I was breathing through straw, were antiobiotics precribed. I had months of severe breathlessness and repeated long bouts of non- productive coughing. Various inhalers for 'asthma' were not effective. A CT scan months later showed bronchiectasis - presumably 'dry bronchiectasis'. Already debilitated by treatments for two different cancers, this extra burden has had an enormous effect on my quality of life. This is a plea for all general practitioners to be aware of bronchiectasis as an alternative diagnosis to 'asthma' and other chest complaints - even if the patient's cough is virtually non-productive. Mitzi Blennerhassett Competing interests: None declared