AARC Annual Business Meeting

George W Gaebler MSEd RRT FAARC/Presiding
The official Annual Business Meeting of the AARC. 2015 AARC Officers, Board of Directors, and Officers from the House of Delegates are installed. Reports from AARC leadership are presented. The meeting concludes with an address from 2015/2016 AARC President, Frank Salvatore.

Sputum Bowl Preliminaries

Sherry Whiteman BHS RRT/Presiding
Teams from the AARC State Societies compete in the preliminary competitions. The top four teams will advance to the Finals on Thursday evening, Dec 11, along with the Student Sputum Bowl finalists.

Supported by an unrestricted education grant from

2^nd Thomas L Petty Memorial Lecture

Management of the 2015 Asthmatic: Phenotyping and Managing Refractory Asthma

James T Good Jr MD, Denver CO

Even with the availability of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) guidelines, up to 50% of asthma patients are not well controlled. The greatest proportion of costs and medical complications occur in the more-severe or refractory asthmatic group. This lecture will emphasize the importance of using fiberoptic bronchoscopy to phenotype refractory asthmatic patients and using this information to provide personalized individual directed therapy. Appropriate recommendations for the prevention and treatment of exacerbations will be reviewed as well as the safety of current therapeutic guidelines.

Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from the Snowdrift Pulmonary Conference

AARC Flag Folding Ceremony

Management Section Membership Meeting

Bill Cohagen BA RRT FAARC/Presiding
Section members meet to determine their needs and priorities, as well as how to use AARC resources to accomplish them. All Congress attendees, including section non-members, are invited to attend and to participate.

Home Care Section Membership Meeting

Kimberly Wiles RRT CPFT/Presiding
Section members meet to determine their needs and priorities, as well as how to use AARC resources to accomplish them. All Congress attendees, including section non-members, are invited to attend and to participate.

Open Forum # 3 - Ventilation/Ventilators - Part I

Researches and clinicians present the results on bread-and-butter issues in respiratory care. Audience and authors review the posters during the first part of the session. A brief oral presentation (no slides) and audience questions and discussion allow presenters to expand on the work featured on the poster.

Supported by an unrestricted educational grant

Open Forum # 4 - Diagnostics

Researches and clinicians present the results on bread-and-butter issues in respiratory care. Audience and authors review the posters during the first part of the session. A brief oral presentation (no slides) and audience questions and discussion allow presenters to expand on the work featured on the poster.

Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from

Forbidden Sleep: Why Teens and Adolescents Don't Have "Normal" Sleep

Karla M Smith RRT RPSGT, Bismarck ND

Teens and pre-teens have a different sleep pattern and that sleep pattern can cause problems with behavior, school and driving. The presenter will discuss the circadian rhythm in teens and adolescents and how this can affect all aspects of a young person's life. The presenter will also discuss how adults can help adolescents work through these sleeping challenges.

Utilization of Multicenter Pediatric Patient Registries to Improve the Quality of Patient Care

Vinay Nadkarni MD, Philadelphia PA

Large multicenter RCTs are ideal for determining the safety of practice change. However, such studies are expensive and difficult to coordinate and execute. Multicenter patient registries can assist clinicians in determining the effects of current practices as well as the efficacy of practice in a timely fashion. This presentation will discuss the key lessons learned from a large scale neonatal-pediatric airway database.

Breaking the Unbreakable: Managing Status Asthmaticus

Joel M Brown RRT FAARC, Newark DE

This lecture will highlight the evidence and clinical methods used to manage patients suffering from severe asthma exacerbation and status asthmaticus. The speaker will discuss the use of IV and inhaled bronchodilators, Heliox and inhaled anesthetic gases in the acute management of this patient population.

What's in That Stoma? Demystifying Tracheostomy Tubes, Stents, Buttons, etc.

Linda Dean RRT, Rixeyville VA

RTs are expected to know everything about tracheostomy tubes, stents, buttons, and anything else protruding from that stoma. But the reality is, the average 2-year RRT degree program spends less than 6 hours TOTAL teaching didactic/clinical applications of artificial airways other than an endotracheal tube. This course will review tracheostomy tubes, cuffs, stents, buttons, t-tubes, stoma maintainers and sealers, voice prosthesis, and laryngectomy tubes: a review for advanced practitioners, but a “must see” for the new graduate and/or inexperienced therapist.

The Use of Capnography To Determine Physiologic Dead Space and Guide Management of Mechanical Ventilation

Richard H Kallet MS RRT FAARC, San Francisco CA

Evaluation of dead space ventilation may be an important tool to help clinicians when determining certain ventilator strategies. Does it have a role in optimizing PEEP? Does it predict mortality? This presentation will discuss these topics and help us understand how the use of capnography may help guide the way.

AARC Program Committee Spotlight - "Breaking Great" - Vital Initiatives for Respiratory Care Practitioners

Staffing Models Built To Last

Richard M Ford RRT FAARC, San Diego CA

There is perhaps no greater consideration in the provision of safe and effective care than insuring you have adequate staff to provide great care. This program will review the elements of the 5th Edition AARC URM that provides for the assessment of number of staff needed, as well as reporting of productivity. Attendees will also learn how to quantify resources needed for new programs, how to effectively flex resources, and drive the staffing program through value.

Interested in Decreasing COPD Readmissions - Where Do You Begin?

Richard M Ford RRT FAARC

It is clear that respiratory therapists play a valued role in the provision of care to patients with COPD and reforms in health care bring new opportunity. If you're interested in starting a program, where do you begin? Getting started, organizing your team, determining resources required, and the key elements for success will be shared.

New ATS/ERS Recommendations in Pulmonary Diagnostics

New ATS/ERS Recommendations for Methacholine Challenge & Mannitol Testing

Jack Wanger MS RRT RPFT FAARC, Rochester MN

This lecture will review the new 2014 ATS/ERS recommendations for bronchoprovocation using methacholine and mannitol as the challenge agent.

New ATS/ERS Recommendations for Field Testing, e.g., 6-Minute Walk and Other Field Tests

Carl D Mottram RRT RPFT FAARC, Rochester MN

This lecture will review the new 2014 ATS/ERS recommendations for field testing, which would include an update for the 6-minute walk test and initial recommendations for other field tests.

ALS Management in the Home

Overview of ALS Management

Joseph Lewarski RRT FAARC, Elyria OH

Neuromuscular diseases such as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as "Lou Gehrig's disease" or motor neuron disease, present unique challenges to respiratory care practitioners. This session will enlighten clinicians to the general respiratory issues faced in treating these patients at home, and also their specific ventilatory challenges.

Successful Home Ventilation in ALS

John Cahill RRT, Oak Brook IL

Successful home ventilation of ALS and other neuromuscular disease patients requires a team approach. This presentation will show how a team can work together to provide safe, comforting care at home for this special group of patients.

Airway Clearance for ALS: Hospital To Home

Lee Guion RRT, San Francisco CA

Airway clearance is of enormous importance when managing neuromuscular disease patients at home. This session will present techniques used to monitor airway status and methods of clearance that are available today. Clinicians will leave with an understanding of how to improve the airway clearance techniques for ALS patients in the home.

Pediatric Acute Lung Injury 2015

Pediatric Acute Lung Injury: Do We Have Consensus?

Neal J Thomas MD MSc, University Park PA

Although the definition of acute lung injury/ARDS has been well discussed for adult patients for several decades, the situation has been much different for infants and children. Until recently, there has been a significant lack of attention paid to the pediatric world. This presentation will focus on the definition of Pediatric ALI /ARDS with an emphasis on the recent Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference (PALICC). Attend this session and learn the latest recommendations from a leader in the field for the management of the infant and child with acute lung injury.

Lessons Learned from the Pursuit of Lung Protective Ventilation

John H Arnold MD, Boston MA

Although all clinicians will agree that lung protective ventilation is important, there is little agreement on the optimal approach for infants and children. What is the role of low tidal volume ventilation in pediatrics? Which adjunct therapies have been demonstrated to be successful? What data are available to support our current management approaches? This presentation by an international expert will review the current data and offer speculation as to the future.

Tracheostomy Care: Managing the Transitions of Care

The Journey from Hospital to Home: Teaching Family To Be Caregivers

Elissa Williams RRT-NPS CPFT, Charlottesville VA

Improving quality of care outside the hospital requires improving our methods for training family members to become caregivers for the home tracheostomy patient. Respiratory Therapists are essential to removing barriers and smoothing out bumps in the road for the tracheostomy patient's journey home.

The Tracheostomy Trainer: A New Method of Caregiver Training

Elissa Williams RRT-NPS CPFT

Necessity is the mother of invention. The Tracheostomy Trainer was developed late one night shift to facilitate teaching family member's tracheostomy care without using the tracheostomy patient as a practice dummy. Follow one simple idea from inception into standard practice.

Sleep Apnea and Commercial Drivers

Frances N Garcia RRT-NPS, Fontana CA

The presenter will review the U.S. DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s regulatory guidelines to identify, diagnosis, treat, and clear individuals who have sleep apnea to safely operate heavy machinery, and commercial driving, through a sleep medicine perspective.

Clinical Research: How To Get Started

Robert L Chatburn MHHS RRT-NPS FAARC, Cleveland OH

This talk will describe the fundamental principles of respiratory care research. The methods for selecting an appropriate topic, performing a literature search, designing the study, and collecting data will be discussed.

Respiratory Care of the Morbidly Obese Patient

John D Davies RRT MA FAARC, Durham NC

Morbid obesity is an epidemic that can have far reaching effects for respiratory management and the respiratory care practitioner. Some of the guidelines used in ventilator management may not apply to this patient population. This lecture will discuss some of the unique challenges posed by morbidly obese patients that will impact ICU care and, in particular, ventilator management.

Caution: Sleepy Teen Behind the Wheel

Karla M Smith RRT RPSGT, Bismarck ND

A study conducted by AAA concluded that young drivers ages 16-24 were 78% more likely to cause an MVA while driving drowsy. The presenter will address these statistics and provide more information on drowsy teenagers and the consequences faced when teens drive while they are sleepy. The presenter will also address steps that can be taken to help these young drivers arrive at their destination alert and alive.

Doing More with Data - How to Seamlessly Incorporate Bedside Data to Improve Quality

Brian K Walsh MBA RRT-NPS FAARC, Boston MA

Today bedside monitors and ventilators provide digital data that is primed to be seamlessly integrated into systems that will help us provide higher quality. The question is whether this is merely data or information that we can utilize to improve our care. This lecture will review opportunities as well as hurdles to full integration of this data without adding to the noise.

Respiratory Care of the Patient With Spinal Cord Injuries

Maria Madden RRT-ACCS, Baltimore MD

This lecture will discuss the challenges associated with caring for the patient with an injured spine. Ventilator management, bronchial hygiene, and future management of these patients including diaphragmatic pacing will be discussed.

New CF Infection Control Guidelines - Overview and Considerations for Pulmonary Labs

Matthew J O'Brien MS RRT RPFT, Madison WI

The new Cystic Fibrosis infection control guidelines are out and somewhat controversial. This lecture will present the new guidelines and discuss what Pulmonary Function Labs can do to prepare and help minimize cross contamination risk.

Biomarkers and a New Understanding of Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury

Charles G Durbin Jr MD FAARC, Charlottesville VA

New discoveries about immunologic mechanisms are helping to understand why mechanical ventilation causes lung injury even in patients with normal lungs. The innate immune system functions to create large molecular biomarkers to defeat intercellular microbiological invasion. These same mechanisms can be triggered by mechanical cellular stress and chemical crystallization near cells. The end result is cell injury and death with activation of the extrinsic immune system augmenting organ system failure. Learn how evolving understanding in this field can be applied to help prevent and treat ventilator-induced lung injury and ARDS.

Open Forum #5 - Neonatal/Pediatric - Part I

Researches and clinicians present the results on bread-and-butter issues in respiratory care. Audience and authors review the posters during the first part of the session. A brief oral presentation (no slides) and audience questions and discussion allow presenters to expand on the work featured on the poster.

Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from

Open Forum # 6 - Education - Part I

Researches and clinicians present the results on bread-and-butter issues in respiratory care. Audience and authors review the posters during the first part of the session. A brief oral presentation (no slides) and audience questions and discussion allow presenters to expand on the work featured on the poster.

Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from

Diagnostic Section Membership Meeting

Matthew J O'Brien MS RRT RPFT/Presiding
Section members meet to determine their needs and priorities, as well as how to use AARC resources to accomplish them. All Congress attendees, including section non-members, are invited to attend and to participate.

Long-Term Care Section Membership Meeting

Lorraine Bertuola RRT/Presiding
Section members meet to determine their needs and priorities, as well as how to use AARC resources to accomplish them. All Congress attendees, including section non-members, are invited to attend and to participate.

CoARC Update

Next Steps in Developing the Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapist (APRT)

Charles E Cowles Jr MD, Houston TX

The presenter will (1) share his experience with development of the Anesthesiology Assistant profession, and (2) describe strategies for overcoming challenges in pursuing legislation, licensure, and reimbursement for practitioners. (3) Discuss advance practice laws and regulations at the state and local level.

Update on Standards for Degree Advancement Programs

Tom Smalling PhD RRT RPFT RPSGT FAARC, Bedford TX

The presenter will describe CoARC activities regarding the development of standards for Degree Advancement Programs. Additionally, it will describe advantages for seeking voluntary accreditation for Degree Advancement Programs, and discuss possible models for offering this type of program.

The Changing NICU Environment: How Do We Steer the Ship in a New Direction?

Alarms and the Neonate: Give Me My Earmuffs

Jonathan Fanaroff MD, Cleveland OH

Excessive noise can have a major detrimental effect on the developing baby in the critical care environment. This presentation will describe the adverse effects of the noise generated by respiratory devices and ICU activity on the developing neonatal organ systems.

BPD Prevention: Does Strategy Matter?

Jonathan Fanaroff MD

Strategies for the optimal management of the low birth neonate are changing. This presentation will describe the traditional gold standards as well as promising new therapies in the prevention of BPD.

Pitfalls and Shortcomings of Current Neonatal Ventilation Approaches

Robert M DiBlasi RRT-NPS FAARC, Seattle WA

Recent clinical data suggest volume-targeted ventilation in premature infants may result in better outcomes than pressure-targeted approaches. Despite these findings, many NICUs avoid the volume-targeted approach in this patient population. This discussion will focus on differences in various approaches to the ventilation of the premature infant as well as reveal "tricks of the trade" for optimal ventilator management in the neonatal critical care environment.

COPD Challenge in the Home: Preventing Readmissions

The Problem With COPD and Readmissions

Brian W Carlin MD FAARC, Pittsburgh PA

This session will focus on the problem of 30-day hospital readmissions and the effects of the new CMS program for readmission reduction.

COPD Readmission: A Complex Problem With Complex Solutions

Robert Messenger RRT CPFT FAARC, Elyria OH

Readmission of COPD patients is a common occurrence which exacts a heavy burden on our national health care system. The complex nature of the disease along with the socioeconomic challenges of this population leads to a wide range of causes for readmission. This lecture will explore the magnitude of the problem along with the diversity of causes and will offer actions that homecare respiratory therapists can take to help reduce the occurrence.

Empowering the Patient To Be Responsible and Accountable for Their Home Respiratory Care

Robert McCoy RRT, Apple Valley MN

Home respiratory care is evolving due to changes in reimbursement and new health care models emerging with the affordable care act (ACA). Patient needs may not be met with current programs so patients will want and need to be more informed of options to treat their chronic respiratory conditions. This lecture will focus on existing educational resources available to patients and discuss new methods to educate, empower and motivate patients with chronic respiratory conditions.

RC Program Committee Spotlight - COPD and Post-Acute Care…Connecting the Dots

Transitioning From Acute Care To Post Acute Care

Zachary Gantt RRt, Livingston TN

This lecture will explore the gaps in care throughout the acute care stay and discuss how the concept of the "Respiratory Navigator" can help to close these gaps. This model utilizes the expertise of the respiratory therapist throughout the patient's acute care stay and into the post-acute care setting as the patient's personal advocate, case manager and quality assurance coordinator.

Skilled Care: Understanding Respiratory Care and Implementation of COPD Protocols within SNF/LTAC

Zachary Gantt RRT

In order for the post-acute care setting to "connect the dots" for a successful transition, respiratory education and protocols need to be implemented and outcomes measured within the SNF/LTAC setting. This lecture will show how an outcome-based program targeting these settings is making great strides in providing positive outcomes to care.

Going "Home" - Linking Care between Home Health Agencies and DME Companies

Kimberly Wiles RRT CPFT, Ford City PA

In the past, respiratory services were given away. With all of the changes in reimbursement, this is no longer feasible, so how do we get to the respiratory patients in the home? This lecture will discuss how the respiratory therapist can be a valuable asset to the home health agency, and the importance of the DME company and the home health agency working together to manage risk and incorporate transition to home principles by utilizing a respiratory focused "hybrid" DME/home health agency.

AARC's 30th New Horizons in Respiratory Care Symposium Approaches to Refractory Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure: Ventilate, Oscillate, Cannulate, or Rotate

Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from

Therapeutic Goals in the Setting of Refractory Hypoxemia

Neal J Thomas MD MSc, University Park PA

This lecture will cover appropriate gas exchange and lung mechanics goals in the setting of refractory hypoxemia.

HFOV and APRV

Eddy Fan MD, Toronto Ontario

An overview of the evidence related to high-frequency ventilation and airway pressure-release ventilation.

PEEP and Recruitment Maneuvers

Dean Hess PhD RRT FAARC, Boston MA

A discussion of PEEP titration in the setting of refractory hypoxemia and the role of recruitment maneuvers. Included will be use of oxygenation tables, best compliance, stress index, and esophageal manometry.

Extracorporeal Life Support

Ira M Cheifetz MD FCCM FAARC, Durham NC

This will be a discussion of the role of extracorporeal life support for refractory hypoxemia. What are the indications for this approach? An overview of veno-venous and veno-arterial approaches.

Prone Position

Richard H Kallet MS RRT FAARC, San Francisco CA

When should prone positioning be used in patients with refractory hypoxemia? When is it indicated? A discussion of the technical aspects of proning a hypoxemic mechanically ventilated patient will occur.

Risky Business: When the Business of Patient Care Puts the Caregiver at Risk

Jenni L Raake MBA RRT-NPS, Amelia OH

In the everyday role of the Respiratory Therapist, there are risks that present themselves to the bedside caregiver. They present themselves in the form of workplace injuries, complications from shift work, depression from dealing with patient deaths, exposure to infectious pathogens, and the potential for physical violence. Understanding these risks and development of strategies to overcome these risks is vital for the safe well-being of the Respiratory Therapist in the line of duty.

Pulmonary Function Testing in the Elderly

Jeff Haynes RRT RPFT, Nashua NH

This presentation will discuss how age-related changes in pulmonary function are reflected in PFTs. Quality issues and test interpretation of elderly PFT testing will also be discussed.

What Are the Different Types of Research Projects in Which RTs Can Play a Vital Role? From Bench to Publication

John D Davies RRT MA FAARC, Durham NC

This lecture will examine the different types of research projects available to respiratory therapists. Bench studies, case studies, prospective studies, retrospective reviews and equipment evaluations will be discussed.

How To Conduct a Risk Audit

Anthony L DeWitt RRT JD, Jefferson City MO

Learn how to identify critical areas of risk in your facility by learning how lawyers think. This presentation focuses on risk management strategies that can be employed by leaders in any size organization and will provide valuable information on how to manage your department and avoid potential legal pitfalls.

Establishing a Clinical Ladder in the Pulmonary Function Lab

Bonnie Crabb JD RRT RCP, San Diego CA

In light of the increasing entry level requirements to respiratory services, diagnostic lab managers may want to establish a unique internal system that will provide opportunities for upward mobility within the Pulmonary Function lab. This presentation will outline the implementation of a clinical ladder based on competencies, application of skills and direct participation in advanced or expanded practices.

What Is the IRB and How Does It Help Guide Research?

Robert L Chatburn MHHS RRT-NPS FAARC, Cleveland OH

Once a great idea for a research project has been developed and a hypothesis/protocol has been drawn up what happens next? This lecture will discuss the role of the Institutional Review Board to protect patients, and as a facilitator between institutional research and the FDA. The resources that the IRB has to offer will also be highlighted.

Monitoring Mechanical Ventilation At the Bedside

Thomas Piraino RRT, Hamilton Canada

This presentation will provide an overview of different noninvasive methods of monitoring mechanical ventilation and detecting ventilator-associated lung injury (VALI) at the bedside in patients with ARDS. Monitoring modalities that will be discussed include esophageal manometry, lung ultrasonography, quantitative CT, and electrical impedance tomography (EIT).

You Talking to Me? Communication Techniques for Patient Safety

Jenni L Raake MBA RRT-NPS, Amelia OH

Communication within the health care team is vital to the care of the patient. Various communication techniques such as SBAR, ARC, and STAR can be used to improve dialogue with members of the health care team. These techniques can enhance team dynamics as well as patient safety.

Developing a Bronchial Thermoplasty Program

Tamela Carroll RRT RPFT, Falls Church VA

Developing a new program is exciting but the team work involved is extensive and very critical. This presentation will take you through the steps in developing a Bronchial Thermoplasty program in your pulmonary diagnostic department.

Recent Algorithms Dramatically Change Approaches to Difficult Airway Management

Charles G Durbin Jr MD FAARC, Charlottesville VA

One of the most frightening experiences is finding it impossible to provide manual ventilation to a critically ill or injured person. New approaches and devices have been shown to reduce this problem by plotting proven paths to success during this life-threatening situation. New recommendations have been issued by numerous organizations this past year and these will be introduced and harmonized for the attendees of this presentation.

Open Forum #7 - Asthma/Pulmonary Diseases

Researches and clinicians present the results on bread-and-butter issues in respiratory care. Audience and authors review the posters during the first part of the session. A brief oral presentation (no slides) and audience questions and discussion allow presenters to expand on the work featured on the poster.

Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from

Open Forum #8 - Home Care/O2 Therapy

Researches and clinicians present the results on bread-and-butter issues in respiratory care. Audience and authors review the posters during the first part of the session. A brief oral presentation (no slides) and audience questions and discussion allow presenters to expand on the work featured on the poster.

Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from

WWMD: What Would MacGyver Do?

Zachary Gantt RRT, Livingston TN

Today’s call to action in health care is to improve quality and reduce costs. Unfortunately, many employers are responding with cost-cutting and downsizing measures that marginalize our value. Now more than ever, RCPs must prove their value to the health care system. This presentation will address the pressures facing employers, offer an action plan to help us take a proactive approach to leading change to improve clinical quality for their departments/organizations, and improve outcomes for patients and the entire field of respiratory care.

Health Promotion/Disease Prevention: A Vital Component of the Affordable Care Act

Bill Galvin MSEd RRT CPFT AE-C FAARC, Gwynedd Valley PA

Health promotion/ disease prevention has always been cited as a vital component of any effective and comprehensive health care system. Personal responsibility, accountability and ownership of one's health and well-being are at the heart of the wellness movement. Health experts advocate for change - change from an acute care, treatment-dominated HC system to one of proactivity where preventing disease and promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors become the focus. This presentation will address the essential elements of the health promotion/ disease prevention movement. It will specifically address such topics as behavioral causes of death, life expectancy and longevity, determinants of health status, predisposing and enabling factors associated with disease/illness, the illness/wellness continuum, and the fascinating topic of optimum life expectancy. Just how long can the human body exist? Join the presenter and the audience for a discussion on what centenarian does to prolong life.

Creating Order Sets in the PFT Lab

Bonnie Crabb JD RRT RCP, San Diego CA

This presentation will describe how to package pulmonary function and/or exercise tests according to diagnosis or test objective. This approach guides the physician to order (almost) by diagnosis and provides information they may not know they need or can use.

Optimizing the Ventilator for COPD

John S Emberger RRT FAARC, Newark DE

Patients with COPD can be complex to manage during mechanical ventilation. This lecture will outline key optimizations that will improve synchrony, reduce work of breathing and potentially minimize ventilator time. These optimizations will be demonstrated with cases. Literature will be reviewed for benefits of optimizing the patient with COPD.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation: The New Guidelines

The New ATS/ERS Guidelines for Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Brian W Carlin MD FAARC, Pittsburgh PA

This session will review the recently released ATS/ERS Guidelines for Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

Airway Management, Not Just for Anesthesia and Certainly Not Just in the OR

Out of Operating Room Airway Management for Non-Anesthesia Personnel - Part I

Thomas M Fuhrman MD MMSC FCCP RRT, Miami FL

The VA established a directive for OOORAM (Out of Operating Room Airway Management) training and credentialing. This entails the training in didactics, simulation and hands-on for Non-Anesthesia providers to be credentialed as OOORAM providers. This presentation will discuss other Airway Learning studies and review the OOORAM program in general and specifically at one VA Hospital.

Out of Operating Room Airway Management for Non-Anesthesia Personnel - Part II

Julio Warren MD, Bay Pines FL

The VA established a Directive for OOORAM training and credentialing (Out of Operating Room Airway Management). This entails the training in didactics, simulation and hands-on for Non Anesthesia providers to be credentialed as OOORAM providers. This presentation will discuss other Airway Learning studies and review the OOORAM program in general and specifically at one VA Hospital.

Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis: An Improving Outlook?

Jeremy Parks RRT, St Louis MO

Treatment approaches for the patient with cystic fibrosis continue to advance. Inhaled therapies, secretion clearance devices, and increasing success of lung transplantation have made a real difference in outcomes. This presentation will provide an overview of the current approach to the management of the patient with cystic fibrosis.

Airway Clearance in Pediatrics: Does Device Matter?

Kathleen M Deakins MSHA RRT-NPS FAARC, Cleveland OH

Choosing the optimal airway clearance modality in infants and children continues to be a challenge with an increasing choice of approaches. This presentation will review the available evidence and discuss the potential therapeutic options for airway clearance from an expert in the field.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Management

Anthony L DeWitt RRT JD, Jefferson City MO

Whether you are a seasoned leader, most recently promoted, or you're considering a career as a leader, this presentation will teach you how to avoid the pitfalls of ineffective management. Attend this presentation to learn about the seven deadly sins that every manager must avoid in order to be successful.

Prepare a Message that Matters: Understanding Health Literacy

Gerogianna G Sergakis PhD RRT RCP, Columbus OH

Recent changes to the health care system increase the emphasis on delivery of clear health communication to prevent exacerbations and reduce readmissions. Low health literacy impacts health status and further increases health care disparities for vulnerable populations. This presentation will address fundamental concepts related to health literacy to reduce the impact of low health literacy in respiratory care. Use of interactive vignettes will put your health literacy evaluation skills to the test to improve your professional skills in providing clear health communication.

Deep Inhalation: Dilating, Constricting, and False Negative Challenge Tests

Jeff Haynes RRT RPFT, Nashua NH

A simple deep breath has the power to produce bronchodilation, bronchoconstriction, and false negative challenge tests. This presentation will review the physiology of deep inhalation in health and disease and give examples of how deep inhalation can affect pulmonary function testing.

How Patent Is Your Patient's Airway? Identifying and Managing a Partially Occluded Endotracheal Tube

John S Emberger RRT FAARC, Newark DE

Partial occlusions of the endotracheal tube can be tricky to identify and manage. Partial occlusions can masquerade as respiratory failure and cause increased ventilator time. This lecture will cover the signs of a partial endotracheal tube occlusion and solutions to regain a patent airway. Graphics and images from cases will be shown before and after clearing partial endotracheal tube occlusions.