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Jan. 14, 2009 |
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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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Conferences
On Line Allergy Initiative (COLA)
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2008 ACAAI/AAAAI Certification/Maintenance of Certification Board Review Course
2007 ACAAI Annual Meeting Podcasts and Vodcasts
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Annals of Allergy, Asthma and
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JANUARY
NYAAS: Severe Combined Immunodeficiency - A Molecular Paradigm
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
Jan. 14, New York, N.Y.
Contact: Dr. Robert M. Klein
Tel: 973-773-7400
Email
SWAF, EAC, TAAIS Combined Meeting on Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
Jan. 14, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Contact: Ginny Loiselle
Tel: 713-723-3796
Email
Western Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
Jan. 25, Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
Contact: Karol Anderson
Tel: 503-533-7156
Email
FEBRUARY
Oregon Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
Feb. 11, Eugene, Ore.
Contact: Gina J. Williams
Tel: 360-708-9555
Email
MARCH
2009 AAAAI Annual Meeting
March 13-17, Washington, D.C.
Tel: 888-869-0189 (US/Canada)
Tel: 415-979-2277 (International/Local)
Email
Link
First Middle East-Asia Allergy Asthma Immunology Congress
ACAAI Collaborating Partner
March 26-29, Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971 4 341 5663
Email
Link
ONGOING
World
Allergy Organization Society Meetings
ACAAI
CME JOINT SPONSORSHIP ACCREDITATION
Contact: Mary Campbell
Tel: 847-427-1200
Email
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Top
Stories |
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Measuring child’s NO daily doesn’t improve asthma control
Daily measuring of nitric oxide (NO) levels in an asthmatic child's breath does not improve asthma control, compared with daily symptom monitoring only, according to a study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Researchers at the Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, the Netherlands, and University of Padua, Italy, studied 151 children with atopy who were randomly assigned to either an NO-plus symptom monitoring group or a symptom-only monitoring group. After 30 weeks, researchers found that the added knowledge from daily NO levels did not improve asthma exacerbation rates or symptoms nor did it improve the use of medications more than adjusting medication use based on symptoms alone.
Atopy not more likely in children with chronic constipation
Atopy is not significantly more likely among children with chronic constipation, according to a study in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. In addition, cow's milk allergy does not appear to be related to atopy. Six primary care physicians at the University of Naples, Italy, looked at the 5,113 children in their practices, studying the 2,068 children who were 6 months to 6 years of age. Among the subset group, 69 had chronic constipation. The 69 constipated subjects and 69 age- and sex-matched control subjects were given specific serum IgE and/or skin prick tests. Atopy was diagnosed in 12 subjects and 13 control subjects. In addition, 11 constipated subjects (three with atopy) were taken off cow’s milk protein for four weeks but showed no improvement, according to the researchers.
Small study: Antifungal drug may help some asthma sufferers
Patients with severe asthma who are also sensitive to certain fungi may benefit from oral antifungal drug itraconazole, according to a small study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Scientists at the University of Manchester enrolled 58 patients with severe asthma sensitized to at least one of seven fungi by skin prick or specific IgE testing in the double-blind study. Subjects were treated with either 200 of itraconazole or placebo mg twice daily for 32 weeks, with follow-up for an additional 16 weeks. For 62 percent of the subjects receiving itraconazole, it improved runny nose, morning lung function and the subject’s quality of life. However, the remaining subjects receiving itraconazole dropped out of the 32-week trial before its completion. Some cited side effects such as nausea, breathlessness, and muscle weakness.
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A message from ACAAI President Richard G. Gower, M.D., FACAAI
In keeping with leadership’s commitment to continue international meeting support, especially for under-funded emerging societies, the College is sending faculty to countries around the globe and is offering CME opportunities globally. Webinars are part of our plans and will allow expansion of CME activities to many more areas in the future.
Representative “ambassadors” will be speaking at 2009 meetings in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (March); Czech Republic (May); Acapulco, Mexico (July); Guayaquil, Ecuador (September); Bydgoszcz, Poland (September); Dominican Republic (September); and Lviv, Ukraine (December).
International meeting participation has allowed us to increase our International Affiliate Members, strengthen our ties to other medical societies around the globe, and learn from the experiences of our international colleagues.
The IACCI-ACAAI meeting in Jerusalem last month offered members a unique opportunity to participate in a state-of-the-art scientific program in one of the most fascinating cities in the world. The meeting was a great opportunity for the other US attendees and me to represent the College by demonstrating our commitment to worldwide educational efforts. In addition, I was very impressed by the quality of the meeting and the interactions among meeting speakers and attendees.
Last year, ACAAI speakers also participated in meetings in Singapore; Venice and Verona, Italy; Vilnius, Lithuania; Baia Mare, Romania; Almaty, Kazakhstan; as well as many countries in Latin America, including Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.
 College faculty who participated in the Israel meeting (from left): Jonathan A. Bernstein, M.D., FACAAI; William S. Silvers, M.D., FACAAI; William K. Dolen, M.D., FACAAI; Jay M. Portnoy, M.D., FACAAI; Myron J. Zitt, M.D., FACAAI; Richard G. Gower, M.D., FACAAI; and Daniel Ein, M.D., FACAAI.
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Association
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Join the College's campaign to help people
Find an Allergist, Find Relief
All ACAAI member-allergists have an opportunity to be part of the largest, most
expansive public education and advocacy campaign about the benefits of seeing
an allergist.
Allergy and asthma sufferers need you, but may not know about you. That's the
reason for the coordinated national and local strategies to spread the word
about allergists. You can be part of this mobilization by joining the Allergy
and Asthma Relief Team.
All Relief Team members receive a "toolkit" for spreading the word in their
communities and for marketing their own practices. The toolkit includes:
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patient education brochures
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advertising templates
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a window cling featuring the new allergist logo
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community and media tips
Join the estimated 500 ACAAI members who have already joined the Relief Team.
Visit www.AllergyAndAsthmaRelief.org/order
to register and receive your free toolkit.
Update on CFC MDIs transition: What drugs are discontinued?
Effective Dec. 31, 2008, it is no longer permissible to manufacture or sell albuterol metered-dose inhalers (MDI) in the US that contain chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellants because they contribute to the damage to the Earth’s ozone layer. These inhalers have been replaced with four distinct non-CFC propelled alternatives, which contain hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) propellant.
The ban on all other prescription CFC-propelled asthma drugs goes into effect Dec. 31, 2009. The ban on OTC Primatene Mist epinephrine CFC metered-dose inhalers, expected to go into effect in 2009, was extended until Dec. 31, 2011.
The following CFC-propelled asthma drugs are no longer being manufactured:
- Alupent inhalation aerosol (metaproterenol sulfate USP) manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim
- Intal nebulizer solution (cromolyn sodium inhalation solution, USP) distributed through King Pharmaceuticals Inc.
- Tilade inhaler (nedocromil sodium inhalation aerosol) distributed through King Pharmaceuticals Inc.
“I received no notice, other than the general CFC ban, that Intal nebulizer solution was no longer going to be manufactured,” said Donald N. Leibner, M.D., FACAAI, East Brunswick, N.J. “Some CFC-based products, such as Maxair, have obtained extensions in order to develop a non-CFC preparation, but apparently not Intal. Granted that Intal recently has had limited use, but my patients who are allergic to pets who used Intal prophylactically before an offending exposure will no longer have that option. This may lead to increased asthma problems for those patients.”
For a list of drug shortages and drugs to be discontinued, visit the FDA Web site.
Come to Dubai for the first Middle East-Asia Immunology Congress
 The College is a collaborating partner on the first Middle East-Asia Allergy Asthma Immunology Congress, New Horizons in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, March 26-29 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
“In recent years there has been a significant increase in the incidence of bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis in the Middle East,” said Talal M. Nsouli, M.D., FACAAI (Honorary), and chair of the Middle East and Africa International Committee Portfolio. “Therefore, the first Middle East-Asia Allergy Asthma Immunology Congress to be held in Dubai, U.A.E., in March will be a very significant and enlightening event. It will bring together in Dubai leading authorities in allergies and asthma from around the world presenting state-of-the-art allergy treatments. Hopefully, their presence in Dubai will further increase awareness and the seriousness of allergic diseases.”
The Emerging Societies Program (ESP), a joint initiative of WAO and ACAAI, will conduct an Emerging Societies Meeting and the WAO Allergy Training School (WATS) in conjunction with the Dubai congress.
For more information, visit the congress Web site or contact MEAAAIC2009@mci-group.com.
College invites its Fellows to apply for leadership roles
The College invites applications for the 2009-2010 positions of vice president and treasurer, and for a position on its Board of Regents for 2009-2012.
All interested Fellows are encouraged to complete a questionnaire and submit it with a cover letter and curriculum vitae to the College office no later than Feb. 15.
Fellows with a track record of excellent service on College committees or who are substantially involved in other College activities are given the highest priority. Candidates for the positions of treasurer and vice president must have previously served a three-year term on the ACAAI Board of Regents.
Applications will be enclosed with the upcoming issue of ACAAI News and are available on the College Web site.
“Hot Topics in Allergy” airs daily on ReachMD XM Satellite Radio
The "Hot Topics in Allergy"
series — airing exclusively on
the ReachMD XM Satellite Radio (Channel 160) — is created in partnership with
the ACAAI.
New programs, with hosts Todd A. Mahr, M.D., FACAAI, and Ketan K. Sheth, M.D., M.B.A., include the following topics:
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Diagnosing and Managing Childhood Food Allergies (1/19/09) — Scott H. Sicherer, M.D.
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Clinical Phenotypes in Asthma: The Importance of Biomarkers (1/26/09) — William J. Calhoun, M.D., FACAAI
ReachMD offers breaking medical news, roundtable discussions, medical education and other unique programming 24/7 to more than 250,000 weekly listeners. It is available via live streaming, OnDemand listening and downloadable podcasts.
Connect to upcoming COLA interactive conferences
The College’s Allergy Conferences Online (COLA) free Web-based interactive series of live conferences are complementary and not sponsored by industry. Upcoming programs include:
- Rapid Drug Desensitization — Jan. 16
- Research Conference — Jan. 16
- Abbas 10: B-cell Activation — Jan. 19
- Bronchiectasis & Chronic Cough — Jan. 23
- Abbas 11: Immunologic Tolerance — Jan. 26
- Churg Strauss & Wegener’s Granulomatosis — Jan. 30
- Jeopardy Board Review — Jan. 30
To access the conferences, go to the College member Web site to the Distance Learning menu and click COLA. You will see a calendar that lists scheduled programs and instructions about how to join them. Podcasts of previous COLA programs are available on the Web site.
Register for the 2009 MOC exam and
ACAAI/AAAAI Online Board Review Course
Registration for the 2009 Maintenance of Certification (MOC) examination is open through Jan. 31. Regulatory agencies, health maintenance organizations and the health care community require reassurance and documentation of continuous professional development and education by physicians. MOC is a professional response to the need for public accountability and transparency, assessing physicians using the Six Core Competencies as defined by American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).
For those who wish to be certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI), the 2008-2009 ACAAI/AAAAI Certification/Maintenance of Certification Online Board Review Course is available for purchase. By registering now, participants gain unlimited access to the course recordings through October 31.
Call for Acorn grant applications
The ACAAI Board of Regents continued the Acorn Project, funding up to three fellowships at institutions whose allergy/immunology training programs are experiencing financial difficulties.
The Acorn grants — intended to support the salaries of fellows-in-training for two years of training at $50,000 each — will be provided for the period of July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2012. The deadline for receipt of completed applications and materials is Feb. 2. For applications, visit the Application Forms page on the ACAAI member Web site.
If you have any questions, please contact Dianne Kubis in the ACAAI executive office at (847) 427-1200 or e-mail DianneKubis@acaai.org.
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AMA Corner
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Welcome to the AMA Corner, prepared by Alnoor A. Malick, M.D., FACAAI, the College’s Delegate to the AMA House of Delegates. AMA Corner helps keep you abreast of important AMA news and developments impacting allergy-immunology.
Learn about transition to Medicare Administrative Contractors
According to the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is required to more competitively select companies that process physician claims. A special edition of “MLN Matters” alerts fee-for-service physicians about what to expect as their carriers transition their work to a new Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC). Preparing for this process can help physicians minimize disruptions in their Medicare business.
New MACs are already at work in some states. Physicians in states where MACs soon will be in place might find the “MLN Matters” article helpful. For example, the article explains that physicians who receive Medicare reimbursements through an electronic funds transfer will need to complete a new form (form 588). While the AMA continues to voice its significant concerns with these additional paperwork requirements, physicians are urged to learn about the requirements to avoid payment interruptions.
Free CME activity explains dangers of secondhand smoke
The New Year is often a time for making resolutions, improvements and changes, and it’s a common time for patients to have thoughts about quitting smoking. The AMA is offering a continuing medical education (CME) activity to help guide physicians when advising their patients, particularly parents, on this topic and the dangers of secondhand smoke. “Secondhand Smoke: Changing Clinical Practice to Improve Children’s Health,” from the American Medical Association, is a CME activity available at no charge, courtesy of Medscape, and is part of a 3-year initiative the AMA launched with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to address the dangers of secondhand smoke.
Latest online video focuses on motivational interviewing
“Motivating patients to change behavior,” the newest free video release from the AMA’s Educating Physicians on Controversies and Challenges in Health series, introduces physicians to motivational interviewing and how it can help change or improve patient health behavior. At the end of this program, the viewer should be able to define motivational interviewing, explain the basic principles of this strategy and identify how motivational interviewing differs from traditional patient-physician interactions.
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Fellows-in-Training |
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Board Review Corner
Welcome to the Board Review Corner prepared by Jennifer W. Mbuthia, M.D., and Christopher R. Martin, M.D., Senior and Junior Representatives of ACAAI’s fellows-in-training (FITs) to the Board of Regents. The Board Review Corner is an opportunity to help hone your Board preparedness.
To refer to a previous Board Review Corner, click the "FIT Archive" link in the
left column.
Review Questions: Chapter 44 of Pediatric Allergy: Principles & Practices, edited by Donald Y.M. Leung, et al. Review questions were written by Druhan L. Howell, M.D., Duke University Medical Center, and Christopher Martin, M.D., Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
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