TY - JOUR T1 - How to reduce morbidity and mortality from chest infections in rheumatoid arthritis JF - Clinical Medicine JO - Clin Med SP - 326 LP - 329 DO - 10.7861/clinmedicine.10-4-326 VL - 10 IS - 4 AU - MM Housden AU - G Bell AU - CR Heycock AU - J Hamilton AU - V Saravanan AU - CA Kelly Y1 - 2010/08/01 UR - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/10/4/326.abstract N2 - 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. ER -