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June 2007
Nominate a Fellow Section Member for Specialty Practitioner of the Year
The Diagnostics Section recognizes one of its own every year at the AARC International Respiratory Congress with a Specialty Practitioner of the Year Award, and now is the time to submit your nominations for the 2007 honor. You can find the nomination form on the SECTION WEB SITE.
Arm Span Equations Predict Pulmonary Parameters
Iranian researchers publishing in the May issue of Respirology find arm span equations are just as reliable in predicting pulmonary parameters as equations based on standing height. The study involved 1865 healthy, non-smoking volunteers who underwent standard spirometry measurements, along with standing height and arm span measurements. These findings were used to develop the prediction equations, which were then validated in an independent group of 225 subjects. Results showed arm span-based equations accurately predicted all of the spirometric parameters. The authors conclude, “Predicting pulmonary parameters using equations based on arm span is as reliable as using equations based on standing height and are more accurate for patients in whom height cannot be measured reliably.” READ ABSTRACT
GER Doesn’t Influence EIB
A new study out of Italy shows no link between exercise-induce bronchoconstriction (EIB) and gastroesophageal reflux (GER). Researchers subjected 45 patients with bronchial asthma to spirometry, exercise challenge on a bicycle ergometer, and 24-hour esophageal pH-monitoring. Those with EIB received a two week course of omeprazole and then underwent the tests again. No differences were seen at baseline in FEV1, acid exposure time, or number of refluxes measured during pH monitoring between patients with or without EIB. Nine patients with EIB and six without EIB experienced one or more episodes of GER during exercise challenge, but there were no significant differences between the two groups, and DeltaFEV1 was not changed significantly after patients were treated with omeprazole. The study appeared in the June 1 Epub edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine. READ ABSTRACT
AHR Not Better at Guiding Asthma Management
Using measures of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to guide asthma management in children didn’t afford many advantages over using symptom scores alone in a Dutch study involving 210 children between the ages of 6 and 16. During the two year trial, children with moderate atopic asthma were assessed for symptom scores every three months and also underwent testing for FEV1 and methacholine challenge. Medication levels were adjusted either based on symptom scores alone or AHR and symptom scores. Results showed no difference in symptom free days between the two groups, although pre-bronchodilator FEV1 was higher in the AHR group. The researchers credit that finding to a gradual worsening of FEV1 in a subgroup of 91 hyperresponsive children with low symptom scores. They conclude, “Two years of asthma treatment guided by AHR had no benefits in terms of symptom free days, but produced a better outcome of pre-bronchodilator FEV1 in allergic asthmatic children, especially those characterized by low symptom scores despite AHR.” The study appeared in the May 30 Epub edition of the European Respiratory Journal. READ ABSTRACT
FENO Fails to Outperform Standard Guidelines for Adjusting Asthma Medications
British investigators find little benefit from using measures of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) to manage medication use in people with asthma. The study compared 118 patients whose corticosteroid doses were titrated using either FENO or British Thoracic Society guidelines, which call for adjusting medication based on lung function tests and symptoms. Patients underwent monthly assessments for four months and bi-monthly assessments for another eight months. Both groups suffered about the same number of severe asthma exacerbations during the study period, leading the researchers to conclude, “An asthma treatment strategy based on the measurement of exhaled nitric oxide did not result in a large reduction in asthma exacerbations or in the total amount of inhaled corticosteroid therapy used over 12 months, when compared with current asthma guidelines.” The report was published in the May 11 Epub edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. READ ABSTRACT
Upcoming Educational Opportunities from the AARC
- Summer Meetings: July 12-17, Reno/Lake Tahoe, NV
- Asthma Educator Certification Preparation Course, August 25-26, Charlotte, NC
- AARC International Respiratory Congress: Dec. 1-4, Orlando, FL
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