The FDA has approved a new weapon to treat COPD. It is called Breo, an inhaled drug by GlaxoSmithKline of Britain and Theravance of the United States. It consists of a corticosteroid, fluticasone furoate, and a long-acting beta-agonist called vilanterol. The product is delivered through a palm-sized device called Ellipta. It is known as Relvar ...

The health care industry can learn a lot from business. If you do not think health care is a business, you're wrong. Just check out the forms you fill out, the charting you do, and the cashier's cage. One of the failures I see in health care is an inadequate attention to project management. Project management can cover everything from planning ...

I write an opinion blog. Everyone has an opinion. I know this, and I know that each time I write, some will agree and some disagree. Some people just take pleasure in spreading rumors to stir the pot. This seems to be the case of some of those on Facebook -- in particular, a relatively new group to the RT scene which has done little more than ...

Few things drive me crazier than when someone is suspect for tuberculosis (TB) and no one picks up on it. Though uncommon now, it has always been a problem, and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), TB still kills 2 to 3 million people per year.  The United States has come a long way in TB. With aggressive treatment and some of ...

In December, we talked about work/life balance and how to have a healthy work and personal life. Let's get back on track with the work. So, you have your school. Check. You have your credentials. Check. You have your job. Check. You are working on balancing your work and your personal life so you can realize all the dreams you have. Check. Let's ...

As the New Year comes, let's take a moment to reflect on last year. So many people lost, so many opportunities missed. Let's all make a decision now to have a better 2013. Managers, make sure your employees know they are appreciated. Respiratory Care Week is not enough; if you want to keep employees motivated and retained, you have to ...

Another organization you may want to consider joining is the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). These are the fine folks who award you the credentials you worked so hard for. Since 1960, the goal of the NBRC has been to ''evaluate professional competence of respiratory therapists,'' according to the organization website.The NBRC is a ...

As the blog before Christmas, let's take a short break from our usual chatter. I want to wish each of you a Merry Christmas. Whether you are working the night shift, managing a vent all day or just standing by in the emergency department, I hope you have a ''silent night'' and that all is calm and bright for you. I hope you get to eat cookies and ...

For a couple of weeks we have talked about licensure and burnout. Let's focus on some things to avoid the burnout and help us through the licensure trials. Some may question why I write about such things, but being a well-rounded therapist means you have to look at life from all angles, not just from inside the hospital walls. A respiratory ...

Since we spent last month discussing the trials and tribulations of licenses, let's spend some time talking about work/life balance. It's easy to get burned out. We work, and we usually want to work more. This is great, but it can lead to premature burnout. We all know the burnouts; they usually have done great things throughout their careers ...