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June 3, 2009 |
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Welcome to ACAAI eNews - a monthly aggregated news
service from the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. To be
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Distance
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Conferences
On Line Allergy Initiative (COLA)
2008 ACAAI Annual Meeting CME Symposium
2008 ACAAI Annual Meeting Podcasts and Vodcasts
2008 ACAAI/AAAAI Certification/Maintenance of Certification Board Review Course
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Periodicals |
Annals of Allergy, Asthma and
Immunology
Current issue
AllergyWatch
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Calendar |
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JUNE
XXVIII EAACI Congress
June 5-10, Warsaw, Poland
Tel: +46 8 459 66 23
Email
Link
Asthma and Allergy Society of Virginia 2009 Symposium
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
June 19-21, Virginia Beach, Va.
Contact: Craig S. Koenig, M.D.
Tel: 757-547-7702
Email
JULY
CSAAI’s 17th Annual Meeting
A Midsummer Night’s Wheeze
July 10-12, Huntington Beach, Calif.
Contact: David Arriola
Tel: 323-442-2546
Email
IWAA Hot Topics in Allergy and Asthma
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
July 16-19, Sun Valley, Idaho
Contact: Doug Huneywell
Tel: 509-924-9722
Email
27th Annual Asthma Allergy Conference
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
July 28 - Aug. 1, Aspen, Colo.
Contact: Jill Hibbeln
Tel: 303-733-9590
Email
AUGUST
Alabama Society of Allergy and Immunology's
30th Annual Postgraduate Review Course
Aug. 7-9, Destin, Fla.
Contact: Mr. Richard Carson
Tel: 334-954-2577
Email
10th Annual Meeting of the Tennessee Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Pending Joint ACAAI Sponsorship
Aug. 14-16, Franklin, Tenn.
Contact: Reba Green
Tel: 865-584-5727
Email
SEPTEMBER
2nd European Congress of Immunology
Sept. 13-16, Berlin, Germany
Tel: +49 (0)30 24603-0
Email
Link
Long Island Allergy and Asthma Society
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
Sept. 11-13, Montauk, N.Y.
Contact: Muataz Jaber, M.D.
Tel: 516-764-4180
Email
OCTOBER
The Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Society
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
Oct. 2-3, Savannah, Ga.
Contact: Eric Bletzinger
Tel: 270-684-6144
Email
Update in Allergy and Immunology Symposium
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
Oct. 8, East Meadow, N.Y.
Contact: Marianne Frieri, M.D., PhD
Tel: 718-631-9440
Email
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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Asthma education programs cut kids’ risk for subsequent ER visits
Educational interventions are effective in reducing the risk of subsequent pediatric emergency room visits for asthma, according to a review of studies in The Cochrane Library. The review looked at 38 randomized controlled trials involving 7,843 children (most under 10 years old) and a variety of intervention programs, delivered by health care practitioners in emergency departments, hospitals, homes, or community centers. Interventions included demonstrating how to monitor breathing, teaching the importance of responding to early symptoms, and removing allergens and asthma triggers at home. The interventions effectively reduced subsequent emergency room visit risk by just over 25 percent. The interventions also resulted in fewer unscheduled doctor visits.
Women exposed to wood dust at higher risk for lung problems
Women who are exposed to wood dust at work, even at low levels, are at higher risk for asthma, cough, or chronic bronchitis than women who aren’t employed in woodworking, according to a prospective six-year study in the European Respiratory Journal. Researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark studied 1,377 woodworkers at 54 factories in Viborg County. They also enrolled 297 workers at three other factories that do not use wood as controls. Subjects completed questionnaires at the start and end of the study about their work, smoking history, and allergies or respiratory symptoms. In addition, researchers used functional respiratory testing to measure subjects' lung capacity. A smaller sample was also screened for allergies via blood tests. The participants' exposure to wood dust was determined through thousands of in-situ measurements. Women with occupational exposure to wood dust were significantly more likely to develop asthma, cough, and chronic bronchitis than control subjects, but their male colleagues did not seem to be affected.
Children allergic to cow’s milk frequently accidentally exposed
Among children allergic to cow’s milk, reactions to accidental exposure are frequent — especially among those with very high levels of IgE to cow’s milk, casein, and asthma, according to a study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Researchers at La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, used a systematized questionnaire to analyze the clinical characteristics and circumstances surrounding accidental exposure reactions in 88 children (mean age 32.5 months) allergic to cow’s milk during a 12-month period, as well as indentify risk factors for severe reactions. Forty percent of the children had accidental exposure reactions. Of those, 47 percent took place at home under daily life circumstances. Specific IgE levels to cow’s milk were higher among children with severe reactions than among those with moderate or mild reactions. And, the frequency of severe reactions was 10-fold higher among children with asthma.
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A message from ACAAI President Richard G. Gower, M.D., FACAAI
ACAAI Strategic Planning 2009: Setting Our Course for the Future
On June 20, 2009, the ACAAI Board of Regents (BOR) will convene in Chicago and spend the day discussing the future goals and activities of the College. The first strategic planning session was conceived and implemented in 1989 to set aside a specific time devoted to planning for the future. Since that time, the College has embraced a dynamic long-range process that annually re-evaluates the operations of the ACAAI. In this way, our priorities may be addressed and adjusted as needed.
To help facilitate our planning process, the College is engaging the assistance of Dr. John F. “Jack” Schlegel, PharmD, MSEd, CAE, president of Schlegel & Associates, for the third time. He will help us adapt our existing plans to better reflect issues in the current medical, economic, and political climate.
Any organization’s planning process is time-consuming and challenging, but vital to its future success. The BOR will review and update its strategic plan on June 20. Topics to be addressed at this session include a recent report from the Task Force on the Future of Allergy and Immunology, the College Public Awareness, Education and Advocacy Campaign, Joint Council, GME, and the ever-present socioeconomic and political developments.
On the afternoon preceding the ACAAI strategic planning event, the College and the Academy will participate in a joint board meeting. These joint meetings began in 2003 and occur every three years. On Sunday, June 21, the ACAAI BOR convenes to discuss and evaluate ideas generated in these sessions and to ratify the new strategic plan.
Tune in to the July ACAAI eNews for an update regarding these discussions. Please contact me at president@acaai.org at any time with questions or comments.
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Association
News |
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Ads, media help people find an allergist, find relief
The ACAAI’s Find an Allergist, Find Relief campaign and its advertising and media relations outreach are helping thousands with allergies and asthma find the help they need from an allergist.
The public education and advocacy campaign’s tactics draw attention to the AllergyAndAsthmaRelief.org Web site, which offers information about allergic diseases, an allergist locator, and a wealth of other tools.
Since the campaign’s launch in mid-April, more than 50,500 people have visited the site and 5,500 people have clicked on the allergist locator. Top keywords that are leading people to find the site include “allergies” and “asthma symptoms.” Traffic also is driven by media coverage and online ads on WebMd and iVillage, print ads in women’s and parenting publications, and radio ads in 11 major cities.
A total of 121 news items, reaching an audience of 137.7 million, have been secured through the media outreach. Coverage highlights include items in USA Today, Better Homes and Gardens, Today’s Black Woman, and Ladies Home Journal, and online articles and segments on CNN, MSNBC, and Good Morning America’s online health channel.
Local awareness efforts are spearheaded by the almost 1,100 ACAAI members who have joined the campaign’s Relief Team. To become a Team member and receive a kit with tools for marketing your practice, visit www.AllergyAndAsthmaRelief.org/order.
Come to Miami Beach for the ACAAI Annual Meeting
Plan to join your colleagues at the 2009 ACAAI Annual Meeting, “Expanding the Spectrum,” Nov. 5-10, at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Fla.
Our host city of Miami Beach will dazzle you and your guests of all ages, offering many recreational activities, world famous Art Deco architecture, nightclubs, and designer boutiques. You will be rejuvenated between dynamic scientific programs that will expand your practice.
More than seven miles of beaches await you, plus three golf courses, 20 parks, and yachting on the waters of the Atlantic. Its beaches, bordered by turquoise waters, are perfect for beach volleyball, snorkeling, jet skiing, and soaking up the sun. The city’s tree-line boardwalk is always filled with runners, walkers, bikers, and rollerbladers.
As sunlight gives way to neon lights, you can unwind at South Beach’s open-roof lounges at boutique hotels and music from international DJs that are a favorite social scene for celebrities and international visitors.
“In addition to exploring the many facets of the exciting Miami Beach area, our Annual Program Committee is ready to take you from neon lights to brilliant lectures that will expand and strengthen your practice of allergy and clinical immunology,” said ACAAI President-Elect and Program Chair Sami L. Bahna, M.D., Dr.P.H., FACAAI.
“In the plenary sessions, top experts will address topics on exciting areas in medicine: clinical immunology, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, asthma and related respiratory illnesses, occupational allergies, and current challenges for allergists. In addition, numerous symposia, workshops and seminars will cover a wide variety of commonly encountered disorders and procedures,” Dr. Bahna said.
The meeting will kick off with the 13th International Food Allergy Symposium on Thursday, Nov. 5, first initiated by the College in 1972. A full-day program will provide cutting-edge information about the basic and clinical aspects of food allergy prediction, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Indulge yourself and your guests as you grow your practice! Check out the wide array of programs offered at the ACAAI Annual Meeting, Nov. 5-9.
Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) talking points updated
The “Talking Points on Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) for Physicians Practicing in the United States” has been updated by the Immunotherapy and Diagnostics Committee and posted on the College Web site.
“The talking points are intended to help U.S. allergists answer questions regarding SLIT that they may encounter from patients, other laypersons or the media.” said Linda Cox, M.D., FACAAI, committee chair. “The questions cover topics such as the efficacy and safety in the published literature, effectiveness in polysensitized patients, and off-label use of SLIT in the United States.”
CDC updates on H1N1 flu
On June 1, CDC reported 10,053 confirmed and probable H1N1 flu cases and 17 deaths in 51 states (including the District of Columbia). The CDC Web site provides current information and healthcare measures. Below are updates:
WHO is coordinating the global response to human cases of H1N1 flu and monitoring the corresponding threat of an influenza pandemic. Information includes tracking the evolving global situation and provides access to both technical guidelines and information useful for the general public.
Connect to live and podcast COLA conferences
The College’s Allergy Conferences Online (COLA) free Web-based interactive series of live conferences and podcasts are complementary and not sponsored by industry. CME is available through Children’s Mercy Hospital for those who participate in the live presentation. Scheduled programs are listed on the COLA calendar with instructions on how to participate. To access the conferences, go to the College member Web site to the Distance Learning menu.
Dr. Susan Bailey named TMA president-elect
Susan Rudd Bailey, M.D., FACAAI, of Fort Worth, was named president-elect of the Texas Medical Association (TMA), the largest state medical society in the nation, representing nearly 44,000 physician and medical student members. Dr. Bailey assumed the role May 2 at the association’s annual meeting in Austin. She will serve as president-elect for one year, after which she will become TMA’s 145th president.
An allergist in private practice at Fort Worth Allergy and Asthma Associates, she has been active in TMA for years, and chairs its delegation to the American Medical Association’s (AMA’s) House of Delegates. She served as speaker and vice speaker of TMA’s House of Delegates; chaired the TMA Council on Communication; and chaired the TMA and AMA Medical Student sections.
The College launches Premier Partner Program
The new ACAAI Premier Partner Program is designed to recognize the significant role that corporations play in furthering the mission of the College. Through the program, corporations that provide unrestricted educational grants, charitable contributions, and promotional sponsorships are honored as an ACAAI Premier Partner in numerous ways depending on the organization’s level of support. Annual cumulative support recognition will be based on the following levels:
- Diamond: $300,000 and above
- Platinum: $200,000 - $299,999
- Gold: $100,000 - $199,999
- Silver: $50,000 - $100,000
The first industry sponsors inducted into the program include:
Diamond
Schering-Plough Corporation
Platinum
AstraZeneca LP
Meda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
UCB/sanofi-aventis U.S.
Gold
GlaxoSmithKline
Genentech, Inc. and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Merck & Co., Inc.
Teva Specialty Pharmaceuticals
Silver
Abbott Laboratories
Alcon Laboratories, Inc.
UCB
ViroPharma
TAAIS state society donates $10,000 to the Foundation
The Texas Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Society (TAAIS) recently donated $10,000 to the Foundation, and is the first state society to join the Foundation’s 10K Club.
“The gift was approved at the recent Board of Directors meeting, and we are hoping other state societies will respond in kind,” said Lyndon E Mansfield, M.D., a member of the TAAIS Board.
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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.
AMA Annual Meeting June 13-17 in Chicago
The 2009 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates will convene at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 13, and adjourn by noon Wednesday, June 17, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker Drive. Any AMA member may attend the reference committee hearings, and any AMA member allergist may attend our Caucus meeting to be held Saturday morning.
AAPPO and AMA partner on new contracting toolkit
To help physicians, preferred provider networks and payers develop a common understanding during contracting discussions, the American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations (AAPPO) and the AMA have partnered to develop a contracting toolkit for physicians. This educational guide is designed to create a common ground for discussions between physicians, preferred provider networks, and payers by fostering a better understanding of contractual agreements and diminish the potential for problems or misunderstandings that arise after a contract is executed.
Health insurer settlement information explained
The WellPoint/Anthem settlement prohibits the health insurer from overpayment recovery efforts initiated more than 18 months after the original payment. But WellPoint/Anthem has continued this practice, requesting the return of thousands of dollars from physician practices. Physicians who have filed compliance disputes concerning WellPoint/Anthem overpayment recovery efforts that extend beyond the 18-month limit have received refunds from WellPoint/Anthem. If physicians receive an unfair recoupment request, they can consider filing a compliance dispute to protect their practices.
AMA resources promote coordination between physicians and patients
Informed patient choice and shared decision-making between physicians and patients are key elements to ensuring patient safety and quality of care, and the AMA offers a number of resources to help doctors work effectively with their patients—which has the potential for achieving better outcomes. These tools and resources, relevant to all physician-patient encounters, are available as part of the AMA’s Making Strides in Safety® program, which encourages physician leadership and involvement in improving patient care. Resources include:
- As part of the systems improvement toolkit “Accelerate together! Take the next step to improve patient safety in hospitals,” the AMA developed tables (see page 8) that compare the differences between an adviser and partnership model and identify potential barriers to implementing the partnership model of care.
- Also available is “The patient-physician relationship: A partnership for better health care and safer outcomes,” a resource developed by the AMA in partnership with AARP that outlines physician-patient responsibilities for better health care and safer outcomes.
- The AMA also created a tip sheet on communication effectiveness to help physicians improve staff communication.
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Fellows-in-Training |
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Have any questions, suggestions or comments? Feel free to contact your regional or national FIT representatives listed on the Fellows-in-Training page of the College Web site.
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: Pediatric Allergy: Principles & Practices, edited by Donald Y.M. Leung, et al. Questions and answers were written by:
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Chapter 53: Atopic Dermatitis – by Nathanael Brady, D.O., University Hospitals, Cleveland, and Jennifer W. Mbuthia, M.D., Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
- Chapter 54: Urticaria and Angioedema – by Christopher R. Martin, M.D., Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and Druhan L. Howell, M.D., Duke University Medical Center.
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