%0 Journal Article %A MM Housden %A G Bell %A CR Heycock %A J Hamilton %A V Saravanan %A CA Kelly %T How to reduce morbidity and mortality from chest infections in rheumatoid arthritis %D 2010 %R 10.7861/clinmedicine.10-4-326 %J Clinical Medicine %P 326-329 %V 10 %N 4 %X Morbidity and mortality from pneumonia is increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Factors contributing to this have been recently identified and a number of recommendations have been implemented in an attempt to reverse this trend. The present paper shows that these measures have combined to produce a fourfold reduction in both admissions and case fatality rates. In the study population, immunisation rates against influenza and pneumococcus have improved to 86% and 65%, oral steroid consumption has halved and disease modifying drugs were usually appropriately suspended during acute infection. These measures may now merit more widespread adoption. %U https://www.rcpjournals.org/content/clinmedicine/10/4/326.full.pdf