News
Latest news from ARNSInformation re COVID-19 in respiratory conditions
Hi Everyone.
We are aware that you are working under very difficult conditions at the moment with patients who may feel extremely anxious about COVID-19 and the potential impact it may have on them. This is not helped by some of the misinformation that is being spread across social media, making a complex situation even more challenging. In reality, the information we have about coronavirus is limited, and evidence is being gathered all the time in rapidly evolving circumstances about how it behaves.
We have trawled the internet for reliable sources of information and have added links to this statement so you can keep up to date as we become more knowledgeable about the virus and the illness. Here is a summary of what we have seen:
General advice:
It is true that people who are old and/or have comorbidities are at increased risk of dying from COVID-19 yet despite this, most people with lung conditions experience mild symptoms only and will fully recover. Continuing with normal medication is key at present.
Inhaler supply:
There are some problems with accessing supplies but these should be temporary and have in the main resulted from panic prescribing of large numbers of inhalers – a bit like the toilet roll/pasta situation. It is essential that clinicians stick to their normal prescribing practices to ensure that supplies meet demand. There is currently no issue with providing enough inhalers to meet the normal level of demand, even when inhalers are made and transported from abroad.
Oral steroids
This is perhaps, the most controversial area, as many people will have been told to have a rescue pack ready for worsening symptoms, whereas others will have been told that oral steroids will make COVID-19 worse. ERS states that there is no evidence that prednisolone can make COVID-19 worse and the World Health Organization says that steroids should still be used for people with COPD who have a COVID-19 related flare up. BTS states that oral steroids should be used in acute asthma in the usual way and should not be withheld.
Asthma management
Current asthma treatment should be continued and no changes are necessary. No-one should need to step up treatment because of the current situation. ERS says that Anti-IL-5 should have no effect on the risk of getting COVID-19, and continuing on it could theoretically reduce the risk of an asthma attack if infected with the virus. Asthma UK has produced some detailed information for patients which can be found here: https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/triggers/coronavirus-covid-19/. There is currently some debate about all patients who have been admitted in the past year needing to be shielded, as suggested in this document, particularly if their admission was many months ago and led to better asthma management and control. Each case should be assessed individually.
COPD management
The recommendation is that current therapy should be continued and that antibiotics and oral steroids should be used in the same way that they normally would for exacerbations (see above). However, the advice on bronchiectasis management (below) points out that antibiotics will not work against viral infections. The NICE antimicrobial guidance on acute exacerbations of COPD recommends caution in prescribing antibiotics. It may be that sputum colour and amount should guide the use of antibiotic therapy, further details can be found here.
Bronchiectasis management
People with bronchiectasis should ensure that airway clearance techniques are practised regularly, and more often in the event of an infection with coronavirus. Paracetamol can help with fever, but antibiotics will not work against the virus.
Other lung conditions
The ERS ‘FAQ’ page is generally reassuring about the risks for people with lung conditions but for more information go to this page: https://www.europeanlung.org/en/QA-covid-19
Mental health
Mental health can impact on respiratory conditions such as asthma and this link may be helpful: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/looking-after-your-mental-health-during-coronavirus-outbreak
Key resources:
Asthma UK: https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/triggers/coronavirus-covid-19/
BTS: https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/about-us/covid-19-information-for-the-respiratory-community/
ERS: https://www.europeanlung.org/en/QA-covid-19
Gov.uk link for vulnerable people to register for assistance: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable
Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic
In these unprecedented times respiratory nurses are finding themselves in the front line of the pandemic. Some may be asked to enhance skills, others to teach, return to practice, or work in unfamiliar environments, in addition to thinking about their own and their family’s health. This will be an unsettling and anxious time and we are suggesting that respiratory nurses keep an account of their experiences during the pandemic to facilitate reflection and provide important documentary evidence. In an effort to capture the ‘nursing voice’ and learn from our individual and collective experiences, you may be asked at a later date to submit your journal and participate in further research. This will be entirely voluntary with anonymity and confidentiality preserved. You can find out more here.
COVID-19 Resources
PCRS have now opened up their forum community to non members so a wider healthcare professional audience can follow and join the Covid 19 discussions.
ARNS Annual Conference 2020 – POSTPONED
ARNS 2020 Conference Postponement
Dear Member,
Due to the global concern regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, ARNS has agreed to postpone the ARNS Annual Conference scheduled for 15th-16th May 2020 in Liverpool. This was a very difficult decision, however, there is no greater importance than the health and safety of our members.
We are sorry to disappoint those who are already registered to attend, but safety and wellbeing has to come first.
We are currently working with the venue to establish a revised date in the Autumn, and will be in touch as soon as these arrangements are in place. Registrations will be carried forward to the revised dates.
Our heartfelt wishes are with all those impacted across the world, and particularly to our members dealing with the increased and unchartered work and home pressures that we are all undertaking.
We will be contacting everyone as soon as we have the new arrangements in place.
Updated Guidelines for Management of Malnutrition in COPD
The 2nd edition of the Managing Malnutrition in COPD guideline has been published today. The document also includes a pthway for the appropriate use of ONS to support community health professionals.
“ARNS is delighted to be involved with the development and update of these guidelines” says Joanne King, Consultant Respiratory Nurse and panel representative for the Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists (ARNS). “The first edition of the guidelines and the complimentary patient leaflets have been taken up widely by respiratory nurses across the UK and I hope they will find the updates in the guidance of assistance. By engaging with the multi-professional team in identifying and treating malnutrition we can offer continuity of nutritional care for patients leading to better outcomes and quality of life for patients.”
Download Managing Malnutrition in COPD : Here
ARNS supports 2019 Respiratory Health Awareness Campaign
We recently worked with Health Awareness on the 2019 Respiratory Health campaign. A printed publication was enclosed within every copy of the Guardian newspaper and the content is available online at https://bit.ly/36oANWO. The campaign featured exclusive content from key thought leaders and industry voices to raise awareness around the consequences of air pollution and provide an education platform to cover how respiratory conditions can be prevented, managed and treated.
