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New treatments for diseases are what 86 percent of readers responding most want to acquire at the Annual Meeting.

Woman receives nut allergy with blood transfusion
Two days after receiving fresh frozen plasma for minor surgery from a donor with a severe nut allergy, an 80-year-old woman (who had never had an allergic reaction to peanuts before) suffered a life-threatening reaction after eating a muffin with peanut butter. This may be the first recorded case of a severe food allergy being passed from one person to another through donated blood, according to an article in the Archives of Internal Medicine. She received aerosolized racemic epinephrine and intravenous corticosteroids, and her symptoms resolved within hours. 

Unapproved drug manufacturer agrees to halt production
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced the entry of a Consent Decree of Permanent Injunction against a drug manufacturer to stop the illegal manufacture and distribution of prescription and over-the-counter drug products lacking FDA approval. PharmaFab Inc., its subsidiary, PFab LP, and two company officials, Mark Tengler, PharmaFab president, and Russ McMahen, Pfab vice president of scientific affairs, are named in the injunction. Consumers should consult their physicians if they have products manufactured by PharmaFab, such as:

• De-Congestine Sustained Release Capsules
• GFN 1200/DM 60/PSE 60 Extended-Release Tablets
• Rhinacon A Tablets
• Sudal 12 Chewable Tablets
• Histex PD 12 Suspension
• Atuss HX CIII
• Ergotrate Tablets
• Hyoscyamine Sulfate Time-Release Capsules

Online asthma program helps urban teens control symptoms
A Web-based asthma management program was effective in helping low-income, mostly minority high school students manage their asthma, according to a study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Researchers at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit studied the “Puff City” program, which taught students how to better manage their asthma by focusing on three core behaviors: controller medication adherence, rescue inhaler availability, and quitting or reducing smoking. The 314 mostly black students were randomized into two groups: to receive the Puff City program (treatment) or to access generic asthma Web sites (control) made available on school computers. The treatment group reported slightly fewer nights with symptoms, less missed school, and fewer days of restrictive activity than the control group.

FDA OKs Singulair for adult exercise-induced asthma
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved montelukast sodium (brand name Singulair) for patients 15 and older who experience exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. According to manufacturer Merck, during clinical testing involving 160 people, patients who took a 10-milligram dose of Singulair two hours before exercise showed a significant reduction in symptoms compared with the control group.

Veramyst approved for seasonal, perennial allergy symptoms
The FDA also recently approved fluticasone furoate (brand name Veramyst) for the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergy symptoms in patients 2 years and older. The manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, said the corticosteroid spray — when evaluated in clinical trials involving more than 2,900 adults and children — was effective in reducing itchy, watery eyes, and nasal symptoms, such as congestion, sneezing, and itchy and runny nose. Veramyst is expected to be available throughout the United States by the end of May.

Annual Meeting program on asthma control now available as vodcast
View the newly released video podcast (vodcast) “Asthma Control: How Are We Doing?” as presented at the 2006 ACAAI Annual Meeting. The vodcast lectures include:

• “How Should We Measure Asthma Control?” – Dr. Allan T. Luskin (May 9-22)
• “How to Search and Interpret the Medical Literature” – Dr. Lyndon E. Mansfield (May 23-June 5)
• “Asthma Management to Achieve Control” – Dr. Stephen A. Tilles (June 6-19)

Each vodcast contains the original audio and presentation slides and can be viewed from a computer or downloaded to a portable media player (such as an iPod).

The College will begin posting weekly 30-minute vodcasts featuring the popular Literature Review Course beginning June 20. Previous vodcasts of the International Food Allergy Symposium are archived for continued viewing.

The ACAAI vodcast program is sponsored by an unrestricted educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline.

Board Review Course attracts 382 attendees
The ACAAI/AAAAI Certification/Maintenance of Certification Board Review Course attracted 382 attendees. The course, held April 19-22 at the Renaissance Hotel in Chicago, featured 35 speakers and 27.5 hours of CME credit.

The program was coordinated by the ACAAI, in conjunction with the AAAAI.

The purpose of the intensive course – made possible by a generous educational grant from Teva Specialty Pharmaceuticals – was to help allergists prepare for the ABAI Certification Exam and the Maintenance of Certification Exam on Oct. 9-13.

Program co-chairs were Drs. Emil J. Bardana Jr., representing the College, and Dennis Ledford, representing the Academy. Opening remarks were made by Dr. Bardana.

The College initiated the ABAI Board Review Course in 1985 to assist fellows-in-training and other physicians in preparing for the certification and recertification exams. It has continually been held in conjunction with the ABAI Exam.

Program co-chairs (from left) Drs. Emil J. Bardana Jr., Dennis Ledford, and Greg Lund, Teva Specialty Pharmaceuticals.

Unable to attend the ABAI review? Course materials now available
If you were unable to attend the ACAAI/AAAAI Certification/Maintenance of Certification Board Review Course held April 19-22, you can take the course from the convenience of your home or office.

The Review Course DVDs, Audio CDs and MP3s are available for purchase at the ACAAI Online Store. Plus, the syllabus is still available for $110 by e-mailing Dianne Kubis at diannekubis@acaai.org. The 2005 and 2006 Question & Answer booklets are also available for $20.

Is your voice fully represented in the AMA House of Delegates?
The College is once again in danger of losing its AMA representation. This happened several years ago but was averted because of a concerted campaign to ensure that those College members, who also were AMA members, designated the ACAAI as the organization for which they were affiliated.

This is your opportunity to help shape health care policy and the positions of medicine’s most influential organization. Make your voice – and the voice of your specialty – as strong as it can be. Making your selection takes just a few moments. If you are a member, but have not chosen an organization to represent you, or if you wish to change your representation, please go to the Members Only page of the AMA Website. After you log in, go to “Specialty Society Balloting” and designate ACAAI as your representative organization.

Dr. William Dolen presents the Scanlon Memorial Lectureship
ACAAI Past President Dr. William K. Dolen delivered the 13th Annual Robert T. Scanlon, M.D., Memorial Lectureship on May 4 at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington.

The College has supported the annual lectureship honoring Dr. Scanlon, past president of ACAAI (1993-94), since his death in 1995. The Board of Regents attended the dinner in honor of Dr. Dolen and Mrs. Pat Scanlon, widow of Dr. Scanlon.

Dr. Joseph A. Bellanti presents the Memorial Lectureship Award to Dr. William K. Dolen.

CNN features Nationwide Asthma Screening Program
On May 6, CNN’s “House Call with Dr. Sanjay Gupta” featured the College’s Nationwide Asthma Screening Program. The telecast directed consumers to the ACAAI Web site, showing a full screen shot of its home page. Dr. Gupta interviewed ACAAI Fellow Dr. Kathleen A. Sheerin, Atlanta.

The screening program also is featured in the May issues of Family Circle, Ladies’ Home Journal, Parenting, Self and Weight Watchers magazines and has been highlighted in the Chicago Tribune, AAP News and Internal Medicine News.

Board Review Corner
Welcome to the Board Review Corner prepared by Dr. Soo Hee Kim-Delio, Senior Representative of ACAAI’s fellows-in-training (FITs) to the Board of Regents. The Board Review Corner is your chance to test your Board preparedness.

Beginning with the May 23 issue of ACAAI eNews, the Board Review Corner will feature questions from Pediatric Allergy Principles and Practice edited by Donald Y.M. Leung, et al. We believe a Pediatrics text will add to the depth of information already provided by Middleton’s Allergy Principles and Practice, edited by N. Franklin Adkinson, et al, and Cellular and Molecular Immunology, edited by Abul K. Abbas and Andrew H. Lichtman, which have been reviewed in the past.

To refer to a previous Board Review Corner, click the “FIT Archive” link in the left column.

Review Questions: Chapter 93 of the Sixth edition of Middleton’s Allergy Principles and Practice, edited by N. Franklin Adkinson, et al. Review questions were written by Dr. Soo Hee Kim-Delio, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington;