Comparison of accuracy of digital and standard mercury thermometers.
Nico Shanks, A. M. Lambourne, C Morton, Jasmine Sanford · BMJ · 1983
with ischaemic heart disease implies return to work without loss of status or earnings: when this is not possible advice about future employment should be available from social workers and disablement resettlement officers.About half of patients fail to return to work after an infarct,2 and there is no apparent benefit from exercise training or social advice.3Factors other than physical disability may influence the decision of patients not to return to work, but breathlessness and angina are among the most important.4Fears about precipitating a further infarct and general weakness may contribute to the low number of success- fully rehabilitated patients.I A study of 84 patients in work at the time of infarction supports this hypothesis.5The 170s, of patients un- employed one year after infarction showed greater psychiatric mor- bidity, but it was not clear whether this was due to delayed return to work or inability to resume work because of angina and breathlessness.We found that after a myocardial infarction a quarter of men in full time employment may expect to be either sacked or convalescent for at least six months.Programmes of education and rehabilitation for patients should provide guidance about work, and when employ- ment is ended prematurely alternative occupations should be sug- gested.Quality of life is as important as its duration.We thank the consultant physicians at the Royal Gwent Hospital for permission to conduct this study.Jenkins B, Mayberry IF, Kent SV, Colhourne G. Patients' evaluation of a post-myocardial infarction teaching programme administered by nurses.Postgrad Med3 (in press).'Pell S, D'Alonso CA.Immediate mortality and five year survival of employed men with a first myocardial infarct.