Abstract
Peter* is a 55-year-old painter-decorator. He lives with his wife Anne in a three-bedroom house. Three years ago, Peter gradually started to become short of breath on minimal exertion. In addition, he developed a persistent cough. Peter visited his GP a number of times, and was treated with antibiotics. He was sent for a chest X-ray, which appeared to be normal. Over the next year, he continued to slowly deteriorate and his shortness of breath worsened. The GP referred Peter for assessment by the respiratory physician at his local hospital. There, CT scans and lung function tests were carried out. The results of these were consistent with a diagnosis of advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Peter was started on medication, and is now taking steroids and N-acetylcysteine.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 222-223 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PALLIATIVE CARE |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |