June 2010

Year of the Lung: Great Ideas Online
2010 is the Year of the Lung, and the AARC is a key partner in the international effort to promote the event. We’ve been featuring Year of the Lung ideas, resources, and activities on the AARC website — neatly categorized into “Do It,” “Learn More,” “Share It,” and “Focus On” sections to ensure there’s something for everyone — all year long. So head over to the PAGE and see how you can get involved. It’s a great way to showcase respiratory therapists as the lung health experts in your community. 

Questionnaire Adds No Value to Office-based Spirometry
A new study out of Switzerland suggests office-based spirometry can be useful in identifying smokers with COPD, but a short questionnaire about symptoms may not add any value to the process. The study was conducted among 8031 patients seen by 440 general practitioners who tested them for airflow limitation using an office-based spirometer without administration of a bronchodilator. Twenty-nine percent had airflow limitation suggestive of COPD. Fifty-eight percent reported at least one current symptom (cough, sputum production, or dyspnea) on the questionnaire. However, no difference in lung function was noted between those reporting symptoms and those not reporting symptoms. The study appears in this month’s Primary Care Respiratory Journal. READ ABSTRACT

Positive Reinforcement Makes a Difference
Can positive reinforcement make a difference in how well patients perform on the vital capacity test? Yes, report Brazilian researchers who studied the technique in 105 healthy volunteers who were randomly assigned to a control group or intervention group. Both groups were assessed for VC at baseline and then again 15 days later. Positive reinforcement was used during the second test in the intervention group. While an increase in VC was noted in both groups at the second testing, subjects in the intervention group had higher measurements. “These findings demonstrate the importance of using the behavioral strategy in combination with traditional practice in order to obtain better results,” write the authors. The study appeared in the April issue of the Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia. READ ABSTRACT

COPD Plus BMI: Effects on Pulmonary Volumes and Exercise Tolerance
A new study in BMC Pulmonary Medicine examines the combined effect of COPD and a high body mass index (BMI) on pulmonary volumes and exercise tolerance. Researchers studied men with COPD, dividing them into three groups according to their BMI: 84 with normal BMI, 130 considered overweight, and 64 considered obese. All underwent spirometric and lung volume assessment, and also took an incremental cycling exercise test followed by a constant workrate exercise test (CET) at 75% of peak capacity. Results showed:

• FEV1 % predicted was not different across BMI classes.
• Total lung capacity and functional residual capacity were significantly lower in obese and overweight patients compared to normal weight patients.
• Peak VO2 in L*min-1 was significantly higher in obese and overweight patients than in normal weight patients.
• CET time was not different across BMI classes, nor were changes in lung volumes and dyspnea during CET.

READ ABSTRACT

Inflammatory Markers Higher in COPD
Researchers who compared inflammatory markers among 324 stable COPD patients and 110 healthy controls found higher levels of C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-8, and nitrites/nitrates in the COPD patients. The findings held true even after they adjusted the results to take gender, age, BMI, and tobacco consumption into account. “Our results provide population-based evidence that COPD is independently associated with low-grade systemic inflammation, with a different inflammatory pattern than that observed in healthy subjects,” conclude the investigators. The study appeared in the May 25 Epub edition of Respiratory Research. READ ABSTRACT

Coding Resources from the AARC
Following the AARC webcast on “Coding and Billing for Respiratory Care - Finding the Answers” in March, there was some conversation among section members about coding. If you are searching for resources, this is just a reminder that two respiratory care coding books offered by MedLearn® are offered to AARC members at a discount when they are ordered through the AARC Online Store: the 2010 editions of Coding Essentials for Respiratory Therapy/Pulmonary Function and the Medicare Payment Guide for Respiratory Therapy/Cardiopulmonary Services.

Have You Connected Yet?
As most section members know by now, our listserve has migrated to the AARC’s new social media site, AARConnect. You may be sending and receiving messages via the new site, but have you updated your Profile Page yet? If not, GO THERE now, click on “Complete your profile” on the top right hand corner, and fill out the form. Don’t forget to upload a picture of yourself as well. AARConnect is a great way for us all to learn a little more about each other, but it only works if everyone uses the site to its full potential!