What phases does the FDA use to approve a new medication, and why does this process take several years? Why must the active and excipient components of the medication, as well as the device, complete all of the testing phases? Dr. Warner Carr, allergist at Allergy and Asthma Associates in Mission Viejo, California, shares insight from his role as a new drug reviewer at the FDA. How do physicians play a vital role in the drug-approval process by providing clinical feedback to the FDA? Dr. Todd Mahr hosts.
What's the best strategy for managing patients with chronic asthma, and how can physicians create an action plan with their patients to treat an asthma exacerbation? Host Dr. Ketan Sheth reviews recent guideline recommendations for preventing asthma exacerbations with Dr. Carlos Camargo, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Harvard Medical School. How are acute and chronic management of asthma different?
Hereditary angioedema is relatively rare and is often misdiagnosed as an allergic reaction to medication or food. What symptoms are helpful differentiating points for making an accurate hereditary angioedema diagnosis? Dr. William Lumry, clinical professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, outlines the types of hereditary angioedema, factors which can contribute to an acute attack, and therapies to prevent or treat patients with this condition. Dr. Ketan Sheth hosts.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is often diagnosed in late stages, as it is a slowly progressing condition. How can physicians diagnose patients with this deadly disease in its earlier stages, to increase the success of reversing some of its symptoms? Dr. Sidney Braman, professor of medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, describes who is affected by COPD, and how physicians can best treat these patients. Dr. Todd Mahr hosts.
Are the symptoms of exercise-induced asthma always apparent, and if not, how can physicians diagnose the condition? Can exercise-induced asthma exist independently, or does it always signify an underlying asthmatic condition? Host Dr. Ketan Sheth discusses the pathogenesis of and treatments for exercise-induced asthma with Dr. William Silvers, clinical professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Silvers will explain the phenomenon that the seemily innocuous food celery can specifically cause exercise-induced allergic reactions.
Clinical trials are essential to the safe development of medications. How are clinical trials structured, and what are the features of the various clinical trial stages? Dr. Steven Weinstein, clinical professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, provides an overview of clinical trials with host Dr. Todd Mahr. What are the ethical considerations taken into account during clinical trials?
What criteria are included in the modified asthma predictive index, and how does this index help physicians diagnose young patients with wheezing and coughing? When is bronchoscopy recommended as an important diagnostic tool for evaluating pediatric lower respiratory symptoms? Dr. Bradley Chipps, medical director of respiratory therapy at Sutter Medical Center, reviews how physicians might work up a young patient with these respiratory symptoms, and suggests the most effective treatments. Dr. Todd Mahr hosts.
A cough that continues for more than a couple of months is considered chronic. What are the most likely causes of chronic cough in non-smoking adults, other than asthma? Dr. Jason Knuffman, allergist in the department of allergy at Gunderson Lutheran Health System in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, discusses how to avoid some common pitfalls that are often encountered when evaluating and treating adults with chronic cough. Dr. Todd Mahr hosts.
What is the relationship between immunity and autism? Do the immune systems of those with autism function differently than the rest of the population? Dr. Santiago Martinez, clinical assistant professor at Florida State University College of Medicine, joins host Dr. Ketan Sheth to discuss the immune systems of autism patients. Is there any evidence that might suggest that autoimmune disorders in mothers can somehow contribute to the development of autism in their children?
How are Medicare and health insurance companies affecting physicians and their patients' access to care? What can physicians do to influence policy at the local level? Dr. J. Allen Meadows, clinical instructor in the Montgomery Internal Medicine Residency Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, suggests ways allergists and other physicians can get involved with their communities and shape policies affecting how physicians care for their patients. Dr. Ketan Sheth hosts.
How do insect allergies present challenges in emergency situations to first responders? What are the best ways to diagnose and treat anaphylaxis in patients away from a clinical setting? Host Dr. Ketan Sheth talks with Dr. Renata Engler, associate professor in the department of medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, about treating insect allergy in the field. How is proper transport and storage of epinephrine particularly difficult for those in the military or others traveling to remote locations, and what can physicians do to ensure safety for patients in these situations?
The Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Asthma has revised its allergy diagnostic testing parameters. What are the parameters trying to establish? What are the advantages of intracutaneous, skin prick, and in vitro testing for diagnosing allergies? Dr. I. Leonard Bernstein, co-director of the allergy research laboratory in the department of medicine at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, and co-author of the parameters, explores allergy diagnostic testing options with host Dr. Ketan Sheth.
Because more children now live with food allergies than in decades past, at what point should a physician suspect that a patient might have a food allergy? What gastrointestinal symptoms are most common in children with food allergies? Dr. Scott Sicherer, associate professor of pediatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, reviews the most effective ways to diagnose and manage children with food allergies. Surprisingly, Dr. Sicherer says skin prick testing should not be the first diagnostic step. So what should physicians do when they suspect a child might have food allergies? Dr. Todd Mahr hosts.
Immunoglobulin replacement therapy has been used for treating various infections over the past 50 years. It has been traditionally administered intravenously, but now subcutaneous delivery of immunoglobulin is proving to be an attractive alternative. What disorders are immunoglobulin therapy used to treat, and what are the advantages to each type of preparation? Dr. Stanley Fineman, clinical associate professor in the department of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, discusses novel approaches to immunoglobulin therapy with host Dr. Todd Mahr. Which patients are the best candidates for immunoglobulin therapy?
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) are both conditions stemming from acid reflux, but can manifest with different symptoms. What other health problems can be tied to LPR and GERD, and how can we determine the difference between the two? Dr. Clifford Bassett, assistant clinical professor of medicine and otolaryngology at the Long Island College Hospital and faculty member at the NYU School of Medicine, explains the characteristics of both conditions with host Dr. Todd Mahr.
Cough is one of the most common symptoms but can develop as a symptom of various disorders, from asthma to bacterial infection to gastroesophogeal reflux disorder. How important is the character of a cough in determining the cause in children particularly? Host Dr. Todd Mahr explores cough guidelines and recommendations for children, alon with Dr. Alan Goldsobel, clinical professor in the department of medicine at the University of California San Francisco. At what point is a cough considered chronic, and when should a lingering cough be evaluated in children?
There are numerous different asthma phenotypes, such as exercise-induced asthma and severe asthma. How does understanding the specific asthma phenotype help indicate which therapies might work best for a patient? What are the various biomarkers that can indicate asthma, and which ones can be used clincially? Dr. William Calhoun, chair of internal medicine and vice chair for research in the department of internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, discusses the relationship between asthma phenotypes and biomarkers with host Dr. Ketan Sheth.
The first federal study of food allergies in children by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found a steep increase in such allergies over the last decade. What accounts for the rise in diagnoses and hospitalizations? Is the severity of food allergies also increasing? Amy Branum, lead author of the CDC's study and a statistician at the National Center for Health Statistics, illustrates recent figures on pediatric food allergies with host Dr. Ketan Sheth.
The role that biomarkers can play in asthma control by effectively measuring lung inflammation is a topic that has begun to get more attention lately in medical journals. Although use of most biomarkers is not clinically pragmatic for physicians yet, guest Dr. Stanley Fineman, clinical associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, predicts that biomarkers will likely play a more significant role in the future. Host Dr. Ketan Sheth asks, what other methods are most effective for monitoring control in asthma?
Why are so many people allergic to peanuts? Can people have an allergy to a specific food the very first time they consume it? Both the types of food allergies and the numbers of individuals affected by food allergies increase every year. There are many potential reasons for the rise in food allergies, including the amount of food people consume and the variety of ingredients in what we eat. What other factors are involved in the development of food allergies? Dr. Sami Bahna, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine as well as the Chief of the Allergy and Immunology Section at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, explores the realities of food allergies with host Dr. Ketan Sheth.