Obstruction to care
People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could be being denied vital intensive care treatment because doctors are unduly pessimistic about their chances of survival, says a BMJ study (DOI: 10.1136/bmj.39371.524271.55). Of 832 COPD patients admitted to hospital, 62 per cent survived, compared with a predicted rate of just 49 per cent. COPD kills 30,000 people in the UK each year.
‘Terrorist’ stockpiles
US organisations holding large volumes of chemicals that “terrorists could use in attacks” will be required to report them to the US Department of Homeland Security from this week. However, some scientists…
