August 2009 - Posts

Separating Reality From Hype in Swine Flu
August 31, 2009 2:48 PM by Kristen Ziegler

The votes are in: swine flu is a global pandemic. Ahem; Make that a global media pandemic. H1N1 has dominated the news since its first emergence in April. As someone tracking the story for our Swine Flu Resource Center , I should know. News release after Read More...

1 comments »     

CDC issues H1N1 guidelines for post-secondary education
August 21, 2009 3:15 PM by Vern Enge

In the midst of preparing for the 2009-2010 school-term flu season, the best advice seems to come from old stand-bys in the health care community. Among the ones most common to therapists and sleep techs are good hand hygiene, adequate bed rest, strict Read More...

0 comments »     

How many mechanical ventilators are there in the United States?
August 21, 2009 9:41 AM by Vern Enge

How many mechanical ventilators are there in the United States? That's the burning question the The U.S. Department of Health and Human and the American Association for Respiratory Care hope to solve in the days ahead. HSS has asked the AARC to tally Read More...

0 comments »     

Asthma Education: Testing, Testing One, Two, EPR-3
August 21, 2009 8:15 AM by Colleen Mullarkey

At the beginning of this month, the National Asthma Educator Certification Board printed the latest version of its asthma educator certification exam, which is now fully based on the NAEPP Expert Panel Review-3 guideline. This might sound like bad news Read More...

0 comments »     

Home-Grown Tobacco Still Offers Threats
August 20, 2009 11:53 AM by Vern Enge

There's bad news ahead for therapists in their efforts to help people stop smoking. Because tobacco companies have upped their prices for products to compensate from a declining smoker base and state and federal governments have raised the taxes on cigarettes Read More...

0 comments »     

Discovery May Yield New Asthma Therapy
August 14, 2009 2:12 PM by Vern Enge

Aldose reductase is not a term frequently bandied about in respiratory therapy departments today, but file that term in your brain, therapists, because current studies show aldose reductase inhibitors might significantly reduce allergic reactions that Read More...

0 comments »     

ACCP Leaders to Pass Torch to New Top Executive
August 13, 2009 12:06 PM by Vern Enge

There will be a change of leadership at one of the nation's premier medical groups starting in November. On Nov. 6, Paul A. Markowski will succeed Alvin Lever, a fellow of the college of chest physicians (honorary), as the executive vice president and Read More...

0 comments »     

Americans Look for Someone to Blame Whenever Misfortune Befalls
August 12, 2009 4:00 PM by Vern Enge

It never ceases to amaze me whenever I see an account of an American filing a lawsuit because someone has died or been injured. As hard as we try, we cannot control the destiny of the people around us. We also place some unrealistic cash values on the Read More...

0 comments »     

Drug Firms Gear up for Swine Flu Season
August 11, 2009 10:42 AM by Vern Enge

Flu season will be here all too soon, and some of the world's key drug companies are already gearing up for battle, putting their final touches on vaccines that will be used in countries across the globe this season. So far, however, no vaccine has gained Read More...

0 comments »     

Government Releases H1N1 Flu School Closure Guidelines
August 7, 2009 5:39 PM by Kristen Ziegler

While parents are out buying backpacks and school supplies, the government began preparing for back-to-school season today by releasing national guidelines to prevent the spread of H1N1 swine flu and to curtail unnecessary school flu closures. "Influenza Read More...

0 comments »     

University Funds in Jeopardy Due to Closed Hospital
August 7, 2009 3:12 PM by Vern Enge

Budget battles raging across most states today can have a major impact on hospitals and the patients they serve. In the process, even large hospital systems can feel the sting of lawmaker displeasure. A prime example is a recent battle being waged in Read More...

0 comments »     

Computer Hackers Build DIY Sleep Lab
August 3, 2009 3:33 PM by Mike Bederka

Well, this may be one way to cut down on the wait time for a sleep study. Two computer hackers created their own sleep lab , which included EEG, heart rate monitor, EOM, and a web camera. The duo described the feat at DEFCON , one of the oldest continuous Read More...

0 comments »     

Let's Get Health Care Right
August 3, 2009 1:19 PM by Vern Enge

As members of Congress seek to rush health care reform legislation through their respective chambers this summer, I would argue it is time for serious reflection rather than time for speed. After all, the problem of dealing with the uninsured is not going Read More...

1 comments »     

Association of Asthma Educators 2009: Working Together To Make Asthma Education Easy
August 3, 2009 11:50 AM by Colleen Mullarkey

I have to admit the thick humidity that greeted me when I deplaned in New Orleans on Friday wasn't all that welcoming. Luckily, the Southern hospitality and delicious home-style cooking helped me breathe a little easier. NOLA was a perfect site for this Read More...

3 comments »