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Feb.
28, 2007 |
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Welcome to ACAAI eNews — a bi-weekly
aggregated
news service
from the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. To be
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•
Annals of
Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Current issue
• AllergyWatch
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Calendar |
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MARCH
IX
International Symposium on Respiratory Viral Infections
The Macrae Group
March 3 - 6, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tel: (+1) 212.988.7732
E-mail
Link
APRIL
2007 World Immune Regulation Meeting
April 11-15, 2007
Davos, Switzerland
Email
Link
Allergy and Clinical Immunology (65th Annual Course)
University of Minnesota
April 20, Minneapolis, Minn.
Tel: 612-626-7600 or 800-776-8636
E-mail
Link
International Conference on Asthma
Impacts of Air Pollution
South Coast Air Quality Management District
April 26-27, Anaheim, CA
Tel: 909-396-2432
Link
JUNE
2007 Annual Meeting of the Florida Allergy, Asthma &
Immunology Society
June 8-10, Sarasota, Fla.
Tel: 904-765-7702
2nd World Congress on Work-Related and Environmental Allergy
/ 6th International Symposium on Irritant Contact Dermatitis
June 13-16, Weimar, Germany
Tel: 49-0-3641-35-330
Email
Link
JULY
2007 International Congress on Respiratory Viruses
The Macrae Group
July 20-22, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Tel: 212-988-7732
E-mail
Link
25th Annual Aspen Allergy Conference
July 24-28, Aspen, CO
Conference Coordinator: Jill Hibbeln
Tel: 720-384-5917
E-mail
Link
ONGOING
World Allergy Organization Society Meetings
ACAAI CME Website
Contact: Mary Campbell
Tel: 847-427-1200
E-mail
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Sponsored
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Top
Stories |
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Eczema, wheeze at one year not
tied to early vaccines
Vaccinations during a child’s first 6 months, such as
diphtheria, pertussis, poliomyelitis, tetanus, and Haemophilus
influenzae type b, seem to have little effect on the development
of eczema or recurrent wheeze at one year, according to a study
in Pediatrics. The study’s authors analyzed data from
2,545 infants participating in the KOALA Birth Cohort Study in
the Netherlands, looking for eczema or recurrent wheeze in
infants who received standard, incomplete, or no vaccinations.
Of the infants included in the study, 7 percent were never
vaccinated, 15 percent received an incomplete schedule and 77
percent received a standard schedule. No statistically
significant difference was seen in occurrence of eczema and
recurrent wheeze among the groups.
Stressful life events may
affect asthma quality of life
Emotional events that cause stress, such as divorce or the
death of a loved one, may affect asthma quality of life,
especially among asthmatics with lower incomes, according to a
study in Thorax. Scientists at the University of
California, San Francisco, followed 189 adults with asthma,
using standard questionnaires, lung function tests, and blood
tests to measure cotinine, reflecting exposure to tobacco smoke.
Subjects’ asthma-related quality of life declined as their
number of recent stressful events increased.
FDA requests new warnings on Xolair labels
The Food and Drug Administration recently announced its
request that Genentech Inc. add a boxed warning to the product
label for omalizumab, marketed as Xolair. The boxed warning
would emphasize that Xolair may cause anaphylaxis. In addition,
the FDA also asked Genentech to revise the Xolair label and
provide a medication guide for patients to strengthen the
existing warning for anaphylaxis. The strengthened warning
includes the possibility of a patient developing anaphylaxis
after any dose of Xolair, even if there was no reaction to the
first dose. Following administration of Xolair, patients should
carry and know how to initiate emergency self-treatment for
anaphylaxis.
COPD patients benefit from salmeterol, fluticasone
propionate
Patients with COPD can benefit from salmeterol and
fluticasone propionate treatment, including less frequent COPD-related
exacerbations, significantly improved quality of life and
improved lung function, according to a study in the New
England Journal of Medicine. British researchers during the
Towards a Revolution in COPD Health, or TORCH, study followed
6,112 COPD patients for three years, comparing subjects
receiving combination therapy, salmeterol alone, fluticasone
propionate alone, and placebo. Combination therapy reduced by 25
percent (compared with placebo) COPD-related exacerbations —
defined as the worsening of symptoms requiring systemic
steroids, antibiotics, or hospitalizations. Taking both
salmeterol and fluticasone propionate also reduced subjects’
risk of death by 17.5 percent over three years compared to
patients taking placebo.
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 A
message from ACAAI President Dr. Daniel Ein
ACAAI members will get a taste of Texas hospitality
during the 2007 Annual Meeting at the Gaylord Texan
Resort. On my recent visit to Dallas, the Gaylord
proved itself to be a great destination for
meetings.
The complex includes a large, self-contained
convention center with excellent meeting facilities,
lots of good restaurants and comfortable hotel rooms
— all adjacent to the meeting area. In fact,
everything is in close proximity and extremely
convenient. (One of the criticisms I heard about the
Philadelphia meeting was that the major sessions in
the Pennsylvania Convention Center were too far from
the rooms.)
You won’t forget you’re in Texas. The Lone Star is
ubiquitous in the hotel’s décor — on the floors,
walls, and ceilings. Longhorn cattle busts jut from
the external walls, and Tex-Mex cuisine and all
things beef are well-represented — and delicious.
You’ll find excellent workout facilities and jogging
trails, as well as two first-rate golf courses
within five minutes of the hotel. And for those of
you who like nightlife, the Glass Cactus nightclub
is open Tuesday through Saturday evenings for
dancing.
If you or your guests want to get in a little
shopping, the hotel offers regular shuttle service
to several nearby malls. The Alliance is planning
outings to downtown Dallas to see the JFK Museum and
associated sights, including the “grassy knoll” and
the Texas School Book Depository. Dallas also offers
several good museums. And, in nearby Ft. Worth,
you’ll find more world-class museums and a charming
old Western district with first-class dining and
nightlife.
The Program Committee, chaired by Dr. Jay Portnoy,
is looking at many new and exciting sessions, so I
have no doubt that this fall’s meeting will continue
the College’s tradition of first-class learning
opportunities.
Watch for more information about the meeting in the
months ahead. I am excited about how it is shaping
up, and I hope you will be, too. |
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Call for
action: submit your comments on the NHLBI guidelines
by March 5
As you may know, the draft document, Full Report of
Expert Panel: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management
of Asthma (EPR-3), has been posted on the NHLBI Web
site for public review and comment by no later than
Monday, March 5, 2007.
Drs. Ira Finegold and Linda Cox have prepared comments
which have been approved by your College and which it will
submit to NHLBI for the record. The ACAAI comments are
available on the College
Web
site. Please feel free to consult these notes for
your own comments.
“The Executive Committee of the College is concerned that
immunotherapy is not adequately presented as a bona fide
treatment for asthma,” said ACAAI President Dr. Daniel
Ein. “There is a section on immunotherapy to be found on
page 148 of the document and some other mentions of it
elsewhere.
“If, however, one looks at the proposed treatment steps in
the tables for management of asthma, there is no mention
of immunotherapy. (Look at Figure 4-5 on page 517 in
Component 2 of the document). This is particularly
troublesome because most of the readers of the guidelines
will only look at the tables and this is where
immunotherapy needs to be included. Other glaring
omissions are documented in our official response,” he
said.
We strongly urge you to send your individual comments to
NHLBI to point out the shortcomings in the document. All
comments must be submitted electronically by March 5 using
the “review and comment form” on the NHLBI Web site. The
URL is:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/epr3
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Association
News |
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 The
College partners with ReachMD
on content for new XM Satellite Radio physicians’ channel
In collaboration with ReachMD, the College will pilot a
weekly show to be aired on the new satellite radio channel
for physicians. ReachMD, scheduled to launch this spring, is
the only 24/7 radio channel for clinicians, providing talk,
news, and education.
“We are pleased to announce that ReachMD of XM Satellite
Radio has identified the College for the relevance of its
content across the entire medical community,” said ACAAI
President Dr. Daniel Ein. “ReachMD provides the perfect
platform for the medical community to exchange ideas with
busy, practicing clinicians to improve patient care.”
The College’s weekly show will highlight articles in
Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and
AllergyWatch in short format 15-minute sessions. Content
from Annual Meeting programs such as the Literature Review
Course and the Food Allergy Symposium may also be adapted to
upcoming programs.
 XM
Satellite Radio is America’s number one satellite radio
company with more than 7.6 million subscribers. Some 170
digital channels of sports, news, talk, and commercial-free
music are beamed directly from three powerful satellites to
cars, homes, and hand-held portable receivers nationwide.
Look for more information on the launch of ReachMD on XM
Satellite Radio in future issues of ACAAI eNews and
ACAAI News.
Register for the Nationwide Asthma Screening Program by
March 15
You can bring the Nationwide Asthma Screening Program to
your community to educate the public about the diagnosis and
treatment of asthma and position allergists as specialists
who treat asthma.
The program, supported by AstraZeneca, has screened more
than 100,000 people and about half have been referred for a
professional diagnosis. Most of the 300 screening days each
year are conducted in May as part of National Asthma and
Allergy Awareness Month. May also is the time the College
conducts national media relations to publicize the screening
program.
The deadline for registration for the 2007 program is March
15. For more information, visit the College member
Web site or call the screening program Help Line
at (312) 558-1175.
College members considering a screening program for their
community can access background information online with
answers to frequently asked questions about the program and
tips about site selection and partnering with patient
support groups. While visiting the Web site, allergists can
download a Screening Program Coordinator Registration form
for the program.
New features enhance ACAAI Job Source online service
 The
ACAAI Job Source -- service for posting and
searching employment opportunities within the specialty has
been upgraded with many new features.
Job seekers can continue to access the Job Source at
no cost to search employment opportunities and to post their
resumes for advertised positions. The new system requires
previous users to complete a new candidate profile. An
anonymous resume feature enables you to list your experience
and qualifications in a protected environment.
A new Job Alert system notifies you by e-mail when a
new job has been posted that matches your search criteria.
Other program enhancements allow you to save searches, store
jobs in an account, keep notes on job opportunities, and
communicate with employers using an internal messaging
system. Candidates stay connected to the employment market
while maintaining full control of their confidential
information.
Employers can purchase an ad for their available
position. When making your purchase, you have the option to
pay online with a credit card or to be invoiced. Your
account will allow you to post and manage job openings,
search and manage job candidates, and create a company
profile.
The Job Source includes all categories of Allergy, Asthma
and Immunology personnel, including physicians, program
directors, investigators, laboratory technicians, nurses,
and administrators.
Members in the spotlight
 Congratulations
to Dr. Mark Stein, North Palm Beach, Fla., for receiving the
2007 “Man of the Year” award from National Jewish Medical
and Research Center in Denver. Dr. Stein will receive his
award at a luncheon on March 22 at the Kravis Center in West
Palm Beach, Fla.
If you would like to help honor him, contact Lauren Wahl at
the National Jewish Regional Office at (561) 477-5400.
Have you won a prestigious award? Have you written a new
book? Are you doing something that ACAAI members would
really find interesting? Submit notable achievements and
read about those of your peers in ACAAI eNews. Please
e-mail member news notices to
joannfaber@acaai.org. |
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Fellows-in-Training |
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Did
you know the FITs have their own list serve? By joining, you can
participate in an ongoing discussion among fellows-in-training
across the nation and around the world. Offer a comment. Ask or
answer a question. Start a discussion. You can register online.
Once registered, you can send a message at any time to the
members of the list serve.
To access the list service, find news and announcements for
fellows-in-training and a list of your national and regional
representatives, visit the
FITs Web site. |
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Board Review Corner
The Board Review Corner, prepared by Dr. Soo Kim-Delio,
senior representative of ACAAI’s fellows-in-training (FITs) to
the Board of Regents, will continue with the next issue of ACAAI
eNews.
To refer to a previous Board Review Corner, click the “FIT
Archive” link in the left column. |
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Copyright
© 2007 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. All
rights reserved.
E-newsletter services provided by the medical editors at Ascend
Media, LLC.
Do you have news, responses or opinions to share with us? Please
e-mail the association office at
enews@acaai.org.
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