Dr Lieske Kuitert, Consultant Respiratory Physician

Barts and the London NHS Trust, The Lister Hospital
Published November 22nd, 2011 | Last updated May 18th, 2012
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Dr Lieske Kuitert is a Consultant Respiratory Physician. She studied medicine at the University of Auckland, New Zealand and completed her further study at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London. She is Director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Service and Lead Physician of the Regional Bronchiectasis Service at the London Chest Hospital, Barts and the London NHS Trust. She is also a Consultant in Respiratory and General Medicine at the Lister Hospital, London.

Dr Kuitert has been actively involved in research in asthmaA respiratory disease featuring attacks of breathlessness and wheezing due to inflammation and narrowing of the upper airways. There is often an allergic component., COPDAn abbreviation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. and bronchiectasisA lung disorder in which the bronchi are abnormally widened and distorted and have damaged linings. for almost twenty years. In addition to extensive experience in breathing problems including asthma and COPD gained in New Zealand and the UK, she has a special interest in chest infections.

Philosophical approach to medicine: Being actively involved in research allows me to be at the leading edge of any advances in the field, implementing new techniques in cough and breathing control, and use of new devices to assist in effective sputumA substance coughed up from the respiratory tract. clearance and sinusMay describe one of a set of air spaces within a bone, or an abnormal channel within the body that may contain blood (usually venous blood) or pus (usually a fistula passing from a deeper infection to the surface). drainage.

Articles: 

  • Treating Pneumonia

    By Dr Lieske Kuitert, Consultant Respiratory PhysicianContact
    Barts and the London NHS Trust, The Lister Hospital

    Pneumonia has been recognised as a significant illness for many centuries. Indeed, it was the ancient Greek Hippocrates, who first described what he could hear on listening to the chest of a person suffering from pneumoniaInflammation of one or both lungs.! Prior to the antibiotic-era, which began with sulphonamide antibioticsMedication to treat infections caused by microbes (organisms that can't be seen with the naked eye), such as bacteria. in 1938 and then penicillin in 1944, popular treatments included bloodA fluid that transports oxygen and other substances through the body, made up of blood cells suspended in a liquid.-letting, leeches, emetics to encourage vomitingExpusion of the contents of the stomach through the mouth. and enemas. Recognition that the illness was caused by bacteriaA group of organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye, which are usually made up of just a single cell. did not occur until the late 1800’s with the identification of Friedlander’s bacillus. In actual fact, most of the bacteria he identified were pneumococcus, which we now recognise to be the most common cause of pneumonia.

  • Winter colds, flu, and chest infections - differentiating between the wintry ailments

    By Dr Lieske Kuitert, Consultant Respiratory PhysicianContact
    Barts and the London NHS Trust, The Lister Hospital

    The beginning of each winter sees an increase in the number of respiratory ailments – a spectrum that ranges from the common cold through to severe pneumoniaInflammation of one or both lungs. secondary to viral influenzaA viral infection affecting the respiratory system.. Despite the media attention over the last two winters due to the swine flu pandemics, most respiratory ailments are mild and self- limiting. It is important however to recognise when you should contact your healthcare professional and seek further assessment and treatment. This article summarises the main features that differentiateThe specialisation of cells or tissues for a specific function. between simple respiratory viral infections, chest infections and pneumonia, and more serious forms of influenza including swine flu.

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