Archive for 2007/08


Chronic Lung Disease More Widespread Than First Thought And Rising, New Study

A new study by US researchers suggests that the global rate of chronic lung disease, called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is higher than previous estimates have suggested and is growing steadily as the world's population gets older. The authors conclude that cost effective prevention and treatment is the best way to stem the rising tide of this disease and its burden on health care. [click link for full article]
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National Asthma Guidelines Updated - New Approaches For Monitoring Asthma Control, Expanded Recommendations For Children

The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) issued the first comprehensive update in a decade of clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. The guidelines emphasize the importance of asthma control and introduce new approaches for monitoring asthma. [click link for full article]
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National Asthma Week 2007 - 1 To September 7, Australia

The first week of September is National Asthma Week and Australia's peak asthma body, the National Asthma Council Australia is urging the 2 million plus Aussies with asthma to take the time this week to ensure they have a current written asthma action plan. According to National Asthma Council Australia chairman, Professor John Wilson, asthma prevalence in this country is relatively high but we can minimise its impact through greater awareness and understanding. [click link for full article]
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Star Trek Medical Device Uses Ultrasound To Seal Punctured Lungs

A stretcher races through the entrance of a busy hospital. The car accident victim lies on top and grimaces in pain. While surface injuries look gruesome, the real medical danger is invisible - internal organ damage caused by being crushed against the steering wheel.This isn't a scene from Seattle Grace Hospital, the set of the popular television drama Grey's Anatomy, but from its real-life model, Harborview Medical Center. [click link for full article]
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Updated NIH Guidelines Offer Valuable Information On Asthma Diagnosis And Management

Phadia US Inc. announced that The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) has issued an update on selected topics in the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. Information in the guidelines reported that allergies have emerged as one of the most important factors in the development, persistence and potential severity of asthma and that allergy testing is necessary to educate patients about allergen avoidance and symptom control. [click link for full article]
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Major Cause Of Early Lung Infection Death Is Bleeding, Not Inflammation

Researchers believe that they have discovered why a bacterial lung infection is so lethal in the early stages, and it's not what medical authorities had thought, according to research published in the journal Immunity. The study reveals for the first time that a toxin released by bacteria causes severe bleeding in the lungs by patients with pneumococcal pneumonia. It is the bleeding, the authors argue, not inflammation as once thought, which makes the infections deadly. [click link for full article]
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New Findings From World Trade Center Health Registry Indicate That Respirators Helped Reduce The Risk Of Developing Asthma

Findings released by the Health Department shed new light on the health effects of exposure to dust and debris among workers who responded to the World Trade Center disaster on September 11, 2001. The data, drawn from the World Trade Center Health Registry, show that 3.6% of the 25,000 rescue and recovery workers enrolled in the Registry report developing asthma after working at the site. [click link for full article]
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National Asthma Guidelines Get 10 Year Update

The US national guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma have been updated this week as a result of the most comprehensive review of the last 10 years. Issued by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP), the clinical guidelines explain the importance of asthma control and introduce new monitoring approaches. [click link for full article]
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American Lung Association Examines Ongoing Disparities Driven By Socioeconomic And Genetic Factors

Diverse Communities throughout the United States continue to be disproportionately affected by specific lung diseases such as asthma, tuberculosis, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and/or have more risk factors such as genetic predisposition, poor living conditions, and unequal access to healthcare and medications, according to the [click link for full article]
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AARC/RT Comments Noted In Final Regs On Inpatient Hospital PPS

AARC comments on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and RT-related comments on smoking cessation counseling have captured the attention of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Summaries of both appear in the recently released final regulations on the inpatient hospital PPS. The AARC comments are recognized in a portion of the document on a proposal to include VAP in the CMS prevention guidelines for hospitals. [click link for full article]
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