The 1999 Winter Meeting of the British Thoracic Society (BTS) was the largest yet and the research presented covered a wide range of topics in respiratory medicine. This article reviews some of the highlights of the work presented at the meeting.

At the BTS meeting in 1998, Paul Plant et al presented a paper demonstrating that non-invasive ventilation (NIV) may be used effectively in a variety of hospital settings for the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).¹ At the 1999 meeting the cost effectiveness data for this study were presented and it was estimated that a saving of £2829 per patient might be anticipated by a Trust investing in NIV.² In addition, there was some evidence of a survival advantage at 12 months in favour of NIV.³

The subject of sleep disordered breathing and cardiovascular disease, and the implications for funding sleep services, formed . . . [Full text of this article]