The Vicious Cycle of Bronchiectasis The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. According to a recent paper, bronchiectasis falls into this category of insanity due to its’ patient variability and being a heterogeneous disease with numerous, different underlying etiologies and presentations.¹ Bronchiectasis is [...]
Bronchiectasis and Treatment Options What is Bronchiectasis Bronchiectasis is a condition affecting the airways in the lungs that causes cough, increased mucus production, and recurrent lung infections.¹ The symptoms are caused by abnormal widening of the airways of the lung, also known as bronchi. The cells lining the airways become [...]
COPD Readmissions and Root Cause 22.6%. This is the percentage of COPD patients readmitted within 30-days of hospital discharge.¹ This is a number physicians, clinicians and hospital management know all too well. This number can cause anxiety among healthcare professionals due to the lack of clear consensus and guidelines on [...]
What’s New in Pneumonia – Nothing Really The mortality rate from pneumonia in the United States has had limited improvement since antibiotics became widespread more than 50 years ago.¹ Pneumonia is the most common cause of hospital admissions for U.S. adults other than childbirth. About 1 million adults seek care [...]
Keeping Airways Clear in COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that impedes airflow from the lungs. The statistics on the prevalence of COPD are well known:¹ More than 16.4 million people diagnosed with COPD in the U.S. Millions more believed to have COPD, but [...]
Respiratory Care Awareness With over 51 million people in the U.S. having a chronic lung disease and over 200,00 deaths each year due to respiratory illnesses (pre-pandemic) there needs to be a continued focus on respiratory care¹’². Since Respiratory Care Week is fast approaching it is time for an added [...]
Preventing that Next Virus With an on-going respiratory related pandemic and the upcoming flu season it is imperative that a preventative healthcare strategy is implemented to promote good, bronchial hygiene for your at-risk pulmonary patient so they can be in the best health possible for normal, everyday living now and [...]
Minorities with Cystic Fibrosis Cystic fibrosis is a common genetic disease within the Caucasian population in the United States. The disease occurs in 1 in 2,500 to 3,500 Caucasian newborns. Cystic fibrosis is less common in other ethnic groups, affecting about 1 in 17,000 African Americans and 1 in 31,000 Asian Americans.¹ The [...]
Chronic Airway Disease: It is Not Just About Asthma or COPD Not all patients with chronic airway disease have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Nonspecific symptoms, such as cough and dyspnea can easily be applied in support of an incorrect or incomplete diagnosis and delay initiation of appropriate [...]
Importance of Patient Education in Bronchiectasis Treatment Adherence Bronchiectasis (bron-kee-eck-tuh-sis) is a chronic lung condition in which the breathing tubes, also known as airways or bronchi, become abnormally dilated. While there are many causes, damage to the airways by lung infection is the most common. These damaged airways can no [...]