Type 2 diabetes is common. It accounts for over 90% of all diabetes, and has a prevalence of 8.5% in the US. And complications are common as well - from blindness to amputation to chronic kidney disease. So it is important that we get the diagnosis and management of this condition right. To find out more about this problem and what we can do about it, please do listen to this podcast interview with Gregg Simonson, Director of Professional Training at the International Diabetes Center at Park Nicollet Minneapolis. Competing interests: GS declares that his employer, HealthPartners Institute International Diabetes Center, has organizational interests that include receiving unrestricted educational grants from Abbott Diabetes Care and Sanofi.

Hyperthyroidism

The global prevalence of overt hyperthyroidism is between 0.2% to 1%. Graves disease is the most common form of hyperthyroidism in most areas of the world but there are other causes including toxic nodular goitre. Complications of hyperthyroidism are common - from bone loss to atrial fibrillation to heart failure.  So it is important that we get the diagnosis and management of this condition right. To find out more about this problem and what we can do about it, please do listen to his podcast interview with Dr Salman Razvi, Consultant Endocrinologist and Senior Lecturer at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead. Competing interests: SR has received speaker fees from Merck, IBSA and Abbott Pharmaceuticals Ltd and research funding from Merck.

Acne is a common condition. The Global Burden of Disease estimates the prevalence of acne to be 8%, ranking it the eighth most prevalent disease worldwide.

And acne can cause complications - from scarring to dyspigmentation to mental health problems.

So what if anything can we do to ensure that it is diagnosed and managed correctly?

To answer this and other important questions, please have a listen to this podcast interview with Professor John Barbieri, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Harvard. 

For more on acne, visit BMJ Best Practice.

Competing interests: JB has received consulting fees from Dexcel Pharma.

Suicide is not inevitable. Most people experiencing suicidal thoughts are ambivalent about dying but may be unable to imagine other potential solutions. With the right support people can find their way through a suicidal crisis and recover. In this podcast, Alys Cole-King, Clinical Director 4Mental Health and Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist, Glan Clwyd Hospital, Wales, talks us through managing those with suicidal thoughts, and why we need a paradigm shift in suicide risk assessment that moves away from ‘characterising, predicting, and managing risk’ towards ‘compassion, safeguarding, and safety planning’. For more on suicide risk management, visit BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1016 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder presenting with inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, persisting into adulthood. It is characterised primarily by inner restlessness rather than hyperactivity; impatience; sensation seeking and excessive spending rather than impulsivity; inattention; and functional impairment with underachievement and disorganisation. Marios Adamou, Consultant Psychiatrist, South West Yorkshire NHS Partnership Foundation Trust, University of Huddersfield gives us a clinical overview of the condition. For more on ADHD in adults, visit BMJ Best Practice: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/814 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Postnatal depression refers to a depressive illness following childbirth and may form part of a unipolar or, less frequently, a bipolar illness. Ian Jones, Professor of Psychiatry, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, gives us an overview of the condition. For more on postnatal depression, visit BMJ Best Practice: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/512 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Hypertension is a common disorder that affects a large proportion of the community. It is usually asymptomatic and is detected on routine examination or after the occurrence of a complication such as a heart attack or stroke. In this podcast Gregory Lip, Price-Evans Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Liverpool, UK, and Senior Investigator, National Institute for Health Research, UK, gives up an overview of the condition. For more on hypertension, visit BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1071 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome resulting from the impaired ability of the heart to cope with the metabolic needs of the body, resulting in breathlessness, fatigue, and fluid retention. Approximately half of patients with heart failure have normal, or near-normal, left ventricular ejection fraction and are classified as having heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Gerald Carr-White, Consultant Cardiologist, Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, UK, gives us an overview of the condition. For more on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, see BMJ Best Practice: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/953 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF)is a notifiable condition, and outbreaks have occurred in Asia, Africa, and Southeast Europe. It resents as a sudden-onset, severe illness with initial influenza-like symptoms, red eyes, and petechiae leading to signs of haemorrhage around day 4. In this podcast, Tom Fletcher, Wellcome Trust/MoD Research Fellow, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK, gives us a clinical overview of the virus. For more on CCHF see BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1606 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Alzheimer's disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease with an insidious onset and progressive but slow decline. It is the most common type of dementia. Judith Neugroschl, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, gives us a clinical overview of the disease. For more on Alzheimer's, visit BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/317 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

According to NICE, two thirds of people aged 65 or over have more than one medical condition, and 47% have three or more. Martin Cowie, Professor of Cardiology, Imperial College London, discusses how comorbidities are a big problem for the health service, and how they should be approached. For more on BMJ Best Practice's Comorbidities Tool, see bestpractice.bmj.com/info/comorbidities -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Crohn's disease is a condition is a disorder of unknown aetiology, with common presenting symptoms including chronic diarrhoea, weight loss, and right lower quadrant abdominal pain mimicking acute appendicitis. Georgia Woodfield, SpR in Gastroenterology and General Medicine, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, gives us an overview of the condition. For more on Crohn's disease, visit BMJ Best Practice: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/42 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Characterised by upper and lower respiratory tract symptoms of rhinorrhoea, cough, fever, chills, headache, and myalgia, influenza can occur in local community outbreaks, epidemics, and, rarely, pandemics. Kanta Subbarao, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia, gives us a clinical overview of the infection. For more on influenza, visit BMJ Best Practice: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/6 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Cervical spine injuries result primarily from motor vehicle accidents, sports activities, and diving into shallow water. These mainly happen with young people. In older people, falls are a common cause. And such injuries can cause a range of complications from pain to radiculopathy to other neurological disability.

So what if anything can we do to ensure that cervical spine trauma is diagnosed and managed correctly?

To answer this and other important questions, listen to this interview with Michael Fehlings, Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto, and author of our BMJ Best Practice topic on this condition.

Competing interests: MGF served as a consultant for Zimmer, In Vivo Therapeutics, and Pfizer. He receives institutional fellowship grant support from AOSpine, Medtronic, and Depuy-Synthes.

Ron Behrens, Consultant in Tropical and Travel Medicine, Hospitals for Tropical Diseases and Senior Lecturer, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, gives us a clinical overview of malaria. For more on malaria visit BMJ Best Practice: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/161 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Anthrax is a rare infection caused by the spore-forming, gram-positive soil organism Bacillus anthracis . Cutaneous disease is the most common manifestation; however, fatal systemic illness due to spore ingestion, inhalation, or injection can occur. In this podcast Ali Hassoun, Infectious Disease Specialist, Alabama Infectious Diseases Center, USA, gives us a clinical overview of anthrax. For more on anthrax, visit BMJ Best Practice: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/604 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Coeliac disease is common, affecting up to 1% of the general population, and has a varied presentation. Matthew Kurien, Senior Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Gastroenterologist, Department of Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease, Sheffield Medical School, gives us a clinical overview of the disease. For more on coeliac disease, visit BMJ Best Practice: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/636 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Botulism is a paralytic illness caused by the neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum, and it is most commonly seen in infants. In this podcast Linda Nield, Professor of Pediatrics, West Virginia University School of Medicine, talks us through how to recognise and manage the condition. For more on botulism, visit BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/810 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Jodi Antonelli, Assistant Professor, Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, gives us a clinical overview of nephrolithiasis. For more on nephrolithiasis, visit BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/225 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Fadi Badlissi, Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, and Director of the Musculoskeletal Medicine Unit, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, gives us a clinical overview of gout. For more on gout, visit BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/13 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Venezuelan equine encephalitis is a mosquito-borne virus, endemic to Central and South America. It usually causes mild and self-limiting disease in humans, however CNS infection can lead to long-term neurological sequelae and death, particularly in children. In this podcast we get a clinical overview of the disease, from Stalin Vilcarromero, Assistant Professor and Clinical Research Scientist, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, New York, USA. For more on Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, visit BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1614 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Nigel Cowley is a GP from the Denmark Road Medical Centre in Bournemouth, UK, with a special interest in mental health, and in this podcast he shares his advice on, and experiences of, assessing, managing and treating patients with anxiety and depression. For more on anxiety and depression, visit BMJ Learning: learning.bmj.com -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Pregnancy in women living with HIV is complicated not only by HIV infection itself but also by the medical and psychosocial comorbidities associated with HIV. Prof Rachel Scott, Scientific Director of Women’s Health Research for MedStar Health Research Institute, and Assistant Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Georgetown University, gives us a clinical overview of caring for pregnant women with HIV. For more on HIV in pregnancy, visit BMJ Best Practice: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/556 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Henipavirus is a rare, but emerging, infection in the Asia-Pacific region. An outbreak of Nipah virus infection was reported in India in May 2018, but was quickly contained. Catherine Houlihan, Clinical Lecturer at University College London London, gives us a clinical overview of the disease. For more on henipavirus, see BMJ Best Practice: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1607 -

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Croup is a frequent cause of acute respiratory distress in young children. Typically, it affects those between six months and three years of age, peaking in the second year of life. And croup can be serious and can cause complications - such as pneumonia.

So what if anything can we do to ensure that it is diagnosed and managed correctly?

To answer this and other important questions, please do have a listen to this podcast interview with Professor David Johnson who is from the Department of Pediatrics and Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Calgary, Canada.

For more on croup, visit BMJ Best Practice. 

Competing interests: none

Global trends in the estimated number of drug users (2009 to 2014) indicate that the use of opioids, including the use of heroin and opium, and the non-medical use of pharmaceutical opioids, has stabilised at high levels. Worldwide, around 35.1 million people are estimated to have used opioids in 2016. How can clinicians recognise and manage those misusing opioids? Here to offer advice is Prof Jonathan Lee, Medical Director at The Farley Center at Williamsburg Place, Williamsburg, US. For more on opioid use disorder, visit Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/200 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

This week, we're joined by Sian Griffiths, Emeritus Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Visiting Professor at Imperial College London, and Chair of the Public Health England Global Health Committee. Professor Griffiths discusses the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak in Hong Kong, and what healthcare professionals should know about the virus. For more on SARS, visit BMJ Best Practice: newbp.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/904 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Alissa Willis, Staff Neurologist in the Neurological Institute's Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Cleveland Clinic, gives us a clinical overview of multiple sclerosis. For more on multiple sclerosis, visit BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/140 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Sudhakar Selvaraj, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Centre, gives us a clinical overview of bipolar disorder. For more on bipolar disorder, visit BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/488 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

We know that infectious disease outbreaks are caused by pathogens, but some would argue that they are also a biological manifestation of social inequality. Here to discuss the politics of disease outbreak, and how this informs how the global community should respond to them, is Simukai Chigudu, Associate Professor of African Politics and Fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford University.

To find out more about BMJ's Global Health initiatives, visit: bmj.com/company/global-health-ii

What is glanders, and how do you recognise, refer and report it? Dr Robert Norton, Director of Microbiology, Townsville Hospital, Australia, gives us the answers. For more information on Glanders, visit BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1601 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Prof Tim Collins, Associate Professor of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, USA, gives us a clinical overview of migraine. For more on migraine, visit BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/10 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Prof Mike Morgan, National Clinical Director Respiratory NHS England, gives us a clinical guide to COPD. To learn more about COPD, visit BMJ Learning: Managing acute exacerbations of COPD in primary care - bit.ly/2sQPK1R Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: diagnosis and assessment of severity - bit.ly/2TdNgpU Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: long term management - bit.ly/2FSYAoj Spirometry in practice - bit.ly/2RQ6ntD _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Dr Jacob A Lebin, Emergency Medicine Resident, University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center, gives a clinical guide to marine toxins poisoning. To learn more about marine toxins poisoning, visit BMJ Best Practice. https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1605 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

South American haemorrhagic fevers are a group of five highly dangerous and highly infectious diseases. Professor Thomas Ksiazek, Professor of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, US, talks us through how to recognise, refer and report these fevers. For more information on South American haemorrhagic fevers, visit BMJ Best Practice: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1612 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

As the climate changes, we are getting more diseases associated with extremes of temperature - such as frostbite.

Frostbite is classically associated with mountaineering and winter activities. But it also occurs in armed conflict and of course in homeless people. Frostbite can result in wound infection, gangrene and amputation.

So what if anything can we do to ensure that it is diagnosed and managed correctly? To find the answer to this and other important questions, please have a listen to this podcast interview with Professor Chris Imray, Consultant Vascular and Renal Transplant Surgeon.

For more on frostbite, visit BMJ Best Practice.

Disclosures: CI has been paid for medicolegal work and receives royalties for the Oxford Handbook of Wilderness and Environmental Medicine.  

Prof David Dance, senior clinical research fellow and consultant microbiologist, Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Laos, gives us a clinical overview of melioidosis. For more information on melioidosis, visit BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1601 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Dr Jonathan Quick, author of 'The End of Epidemics: The Looming Threat to Humanity and How to Stop It', discusses the threat of epidemics and pandemics, and how they can be prevented. To learn more about epidemics and pandemics, visit BMJ Best Practice. bestpractice.bmj.com _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Learn how to recognise, refer and report Poxvirus infection, with Dr Thomas Blanchard, Consultant in Infectious Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Royal Liverpool Hospital. During a poxvirus outbreak there may be many potential contacts most of whom can be managed by passive surveillance by public health authorities. A symptomatic contact needs to be a risk assessed as most do not need to be seen in full personal protective equipment in a regional infectious diseases unit. For example, a close household contact who develops fever and rash is at high risk, whereas someone who happens to live in the same city and has a fever but no rash is at very low risk. To learn more about Poxvirus, visit BMJ Best Practice. bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1611 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Lisa Bebell, Instructor in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and who conducts research in to infectious diseases and critical care medicine, gives us a clinical guide to Marburg Virus. To learn more about Marburg Virus, visit BMJ Best Practice. bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1615 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

In this podcast, Rakesh Patel, Clinical Associate Professor in Medical Education and Honorary Consultant Nephrologist at the University of Nottingham, talks us through making a diagnosis in the context of infectious diseases. For more information, visit BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

This podcast is a clinical guide to abrin poisoning, with Scott Phillips, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Clinical Pharm & Toxicology, University of Colorado - Denver. To learn more about abrin poisoning, visit BMJ Best Practice: bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1051 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Clayton Willey, Professor of Pathology,
 UPMC Presbyterian Hospital Division of Neuropathology, Pittsburgh, USA, talks us through the recognition, referral and reporting of Rift Valley Fever. To learn more about Rift Valley Fever, visit BMJ Best Practice: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1602 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

A clinical guide to viral haemorrhagic fevers in children, with Nathalie MacDermott, Wellcome Clinical Research Training Fellow, Imperial College London. To learn more about viral haemorrhagic fevers, visit BMJ Best Practice. bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1210 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

How to recognise, refer and report Lassa fever, with John Schieffelin, Assistant Professor of Medicine & Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans. To learn more about Lassa Fever, visit BMJ Best Practice. https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1609 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Susan Smolinske, Director of the New Mexico Drug and Poison Information Centre, and Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Sciences, University of New Mexico, gives us a clinical guide to ricin poisoning. To learn more about ricin poisoning, visit BMJ Best Practice. bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1051 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

A US study of high-risk drinking patterns suggests that deaths due to alcohol-associated liver disease are expected to double in the next twenty years. And this condition is associated with a range of complications - including hepatic encephalopathy, GI bleeding, and hepatorenal syndrome. So what if anything can we do to ensure that it is diagnosed and managed correctly?

To answer this and other important questions, please have a listen to this podcast interview with Professor Craig McClain, Chief of Research Affairs and Associate Vice President for Health Affairs and Research at the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Louisville School of Medicine. 

For more on alcohol-associated liver disease, visit BMJ Best Practice.

CM acts as a consultant for Nestlé, Durect, Allergan, Intercept, and DISCUS. He works for the Veterans Administration on a part-time basis, has received grants from the NIH and VAMC, and is working on the update of the AGC nutritional guideline.

A clinical guide to Brucellosis, with Drs Nick Beeching, Senior Lecturer Clinical Infectious Diseases, and Alessandro Gerada, Medical Microbiology Trainee, both at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. To learn more about Brucellosis, visit BMJ Best Practice. https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/911 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

International travel is increasingly common. Between 10% and 42% of travellers to any destination, and 15%-70% of travellers to tropical settings experience ill health, either while abroad or on returning home, Malaria is the commonest specific diagnosis, accounting for 5%-29% of all individuals presenting to specialist clinic, followed by dengue, enteric fever, and rickettsial infections . In this podcast Doug Fink specialist registrar, and Victoria Johnston consultant, in infectious diseases at The Hospital for Tropical Diseases join us to discuss diagnosis, and treatment - and why the clinically most interesting diagnosis is rarely the right one. Read the full practice article: www.bmj.com/content/360/bmj.j5773 This podcast was produced by The BMJ. _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Dr Mary-Margaret Fill currently works as a Medical Epidemiologist in Communicable and Environmental Diseases and Emergency Preparedness at the Tennessee Department of Health. To learn more about Avian Influenza, visit BMJ Best Practice. http://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/455 _

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.