Itch and fatigue and, to a somewhat lesser extent, pain have a high prevalence among patients with skin diseases. Clinicians should be encouraged to carefully assess itch, pain and fatigue in patients with skin diseases, and where appropriate focus treatment to these symptoms.

BackgroundBenzodiazepine withdrawal programmes have never been experimentally compared with a nonintervention control condition.AimsTo evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of tapering off long-term benzodiazepine use in general practice, and to evaluate the value of additional group cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT).MethodA 3-month randomised, controlled trial was conducted in which 180 people attempting to discontinue long-term benzodiazepine use were assigned to tapering off plus group CBT, tapering off alone or usual care.ResultsTapering off led to a significantly higher proportion of successful discontinuations than usual care (62% v. 21%). Adding group CBT did not increase the success rate (58% v. 62%). Neither successful discontinuation nor intervention type affected psychological functioning. Both tapering strategies showed good feasibility in general practice.ConclusionsTapering off is a feasible and effective way of discontinuing long-term benzodiazepine use in general practice. The addition of group CBT is of limited value.

The incidence of foot ulceration and lower limb amputation in type 2 diabetes is low; nevertheless, recurrence rates of ulceration and risk of amputation are high, with high mortality.

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Only a few variables appear to be related to the clinical course of low back pain seen in general practice. In particular, the duration preceding the initial visit and, unexpectedly, receiving physical therapy were both associated with a longer duration of low back pain.