Need a good belly laugh? Join Claire Billingsley for Laughter Yoga and learn the respiratory benefits of laughter and how it can keep you fit … and laughing. Set your calendar to get your laugh on. Namaste style.

Dean Hess will review his research in respiratory care and describe the evidence-based practices every department should perform. This will include literature support for both evidence-based and non-evidenced-based practice. Additionally, the lecture will discuss the importance of evidence-based practice on the future of the profession.

Researchers and clinicians present their findings in sessions grouped by topic. Authors briefly present their findings and engage in an open discussion with the moderators and attendees.

Advances in respiratory and extracorporeal technology has led to expanded use of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) in previously contraindicated diagnosis. The lecture will discuss state-of-art ECMO devices, evidence-based practice guidelines and management concepts.

This session is part of the “Neonatal and Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)” symposium.

Mechanical ventilation is vital to the care of patients requiring extracoporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Unfortunately, ideal strategies remain unclear. The presenter will review the current evidence regarding mechanical ventilation of children during ECMO.

This session is part of the “Neonatal and Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)” symposium.

Pulmonary rehabilitation is constantly undergoing change. This session will review newer research in the field that has been published this year. In addition, thoughts on how to further improve provision of services with particular emphasis on increasing access to care will be presented.

This session is part of the “Pulmonary Rehab Symposium” symposium.

A vital component of all pulmonary rehabilitation programs involves the assessment of how an individual is doing within the program as well as how the program performs overall in the management of its patients. This session will focus on the patient centered outcomes and program centered outcomes that all programs should use in their assessment program.

This session is part of the “Pulmonary Rehab Symposium” symposium.

Widely available scalar graphics will be used to recognize trigger, inspiratory, cycle, and expiratory asynchrony. The potential clinical implications and ventilator parameter changes to correct each type of asynchrony will be discussed.

Spirometry has long been the gold standard for diagnosis of COPD. However, relying on one measure can miss people who still need symptom management. This talk takes a look at a proposed new diagnostic paradigm that may be of benefit when spirometry doesn't tell the whole story.

Data surrounding the effectiveness of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS devices) for nicotine cessation therapy change frequently. Should these devices be used to help people quit smoking?

Clinicians often turn to unconventional modes of ventilation as a strategy to manage ARDS, while the use of prone positioning globally is low. This lecture will discuss the current state of evidence related to unconventional modes like HFO and APRV, as well as the benefits of prone positioning.

Interventional pulmonology (IP) uses advanced diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to care for patients with benign and malignant diseases of the lung, airways and pleura. El Camino Hospital’s IP program includes an RT staff of 10 level 4 therapists trained in the knowledge of the procedure, in-depth knowledge the equipment used, and the ability to anticipate the physician’s next step. The El Camino Hospital IP program has grown to be one of the largest and most comprehensive programs of its kind in Northern California. In 2017 we co-developed with Foothill college a IP certificate program.

“Chocolate is the answer. Who cares what the question is?” Join Sara Moore, Respiratory Care Assistant Editor, for an ingenious, quick chocolate fix.

COVID-19 expiratory failure causes severe hypoxemia and is associated with significant mortality. Several groups have advanced a theory of 2 phenotypes of COVID-19 ARDS. Others have postulated alterations in V/Q caused by abnormal coagulation factors and micro emboli. Finally, endothelial dysfunction has been thought to alter V/Q through loss of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. Does any of this matter?  Do we adhere to lung protective approaches and PEEP to treat hypoxemia similarly to ARDS from any other reason? Are there other treatments?  What is the mortality associated with COVID-19 severe enough to cause ARDS requiring mechanical ventilation?

This session is part of the “COVID-19 Update on Respiratory Support” symposium.

Profound sudden hypoxemia has been a hallmark of COVID-19 respiratory failure. Oxygen administration, CPAP and invasive ventilation with PEEP are met with meddlesome success. Prone positioning has been shown to improve outcomes in severe ARDS. The role of prone positioning in COVID-19 has been espoused. Of note, self-proning with HFNC or CPAP has been advocated, attempting to take advantage of the alterations in V/Q associated with COVID-19 which remain incompletely understood. Proning teams have been developed and outcomes are still being reported. The use of ironing before and after intubation will be reviewed.

This session is part of the “COVID-19 Update on Respiratory Support” symposium.

Noninvasive respiratory support includes high flow nasal cannula and noninvasive ventilation. COVID-19 is associated with severe hypoxemia and owing to the high initial reported mortality associated with mechanical ventilation, has focused on methods to prevent intubation. HFNC has been used successfully but also has several reported failures as a result of insufficient positive pressure. NIV has mixed reviews with COVID-19 demonstrating moderate successes and high failure rates. Both leave the patient able to cough and sneeze and along with the high flows of gas may increase aerosolization of infectious droplets. What protections are necessary? What are the success rates? Who should receive NIRS? How long do we wait before intubation? Is prolonged use of NIRS associated with excess mortality?

This session is part of the “COVID-19 Update on Respiratory Support” symposium.

This presentation will focus on preparing the respiratory care student to transition into professional life as a respiratory therapist. The presenter will discuss demonstrating professionalism in student environments (clinical rotations, professional meetings, etc.), applying and interviewing for a job, and maintaining professionalism after graduation.

This session is part of the “Student Symposium for New Professionals” symposium.

The presentation will address the factors that make for success in the examination process. It will cover preparatory issues and what you will experience onsite as well as test-taking strategies and techniques. Emphasis will be placed on the new Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination.

This session is part of the “Student Symposium for New Professionals” symposium.

This presentation will address the factors that make for success on the Clinical Simulation Examination. It will cover such issues as exam content structure and unique strategies for progressing through a branching logic type of exam. It will also highlight recent changes in policy.

This session is part of the “Student Symposium for New Professionals” symposium.

Respiratory care pharmacology continues to change each year. Many respiratory therapists may be unaware of changes that in exist in medication used today. This lecture will update new medication used by the respiratory therapist to treat pulmonary disorders.

The effective delivery of telehealth requires certain technology to simply qualify it as telehealth. Respiratory care has a specific set of equipment which provides a base for the effective delivery of respiratory therapies. Telerespiratory care does not replace in-person care, but, when possible, it can be a more effective in certain elements of the profession. This talk will review opportunities, technology and legislation to make remote care possible.

Caring for the technology and ventilator dependent child is uniquely challenging and requires a high level of engagement with the respiratory therapist. The presenter will review evidence and best practice for care from transition to home ventilation through decannulation.

Researchers and clinicians present their findings in sessions grouped by topic. Authors briefly present their findings and engage in an open discussion with the moderators and attendees.

Aerosol delivery via high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy has become common in clinical practice. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that aerosol deposition is variable and depends on gas flow from the device and inspiratory flow of the patient. This lecture will review the evidence that pertains to aerosol delivery during high-flow nasal oxygen therapy.

This session is part of the “Aerosol Delivery 2020” symposium.

Aerosolized medications are commonly prescribed for the treatment of patients receiving noninvasive ventilation (NIV). Successful application of aerosol therapy during NIV depends on the effectiveness of the drug deposition in the lungs. Previous evidence showed that many factors impact aerosol delivery to patients receiving NIV. The purpose of this presentation is to review the available evidence related to aerosol therapy during NIV and provide strategies to optimize aerosol drug delivery to patients receiving NIV.

This session is part of the “Aerosol Delivery 2020” symposium.

Join the speaker as she reviews outcomes of a Pulmonary Disease Navigator program to include the impact of assuming vs definitive diagnosis of COPD, the use of a COPD registry, initial outcomes of a home monitoring, early symptom recognition, grant funded study and the power of Respiratory Therapy led data analytics reporting. Learn effective strategies for physician coordination of care plans and strategies for innovative approaches to optimize the COPD care continuum using the most current GOLD guideline.

This session is part of the “COPD — You Know What to do, Now Join Us to Learn How” symposium.

Join the presenter in a sharing of tools and processes for creating, implementing and leading a multi-disciplinary team in strategic process implementation to address COPD and pneumonia readmissions & mortality. The presenter will share pre- and post-process implementation outcomes, protocols, committee structure, patient and provider education, prescription enrollment processes. The presenter will also discuss the elevation of respiratory care in the eyes of the C-suite that this team has experienced.

This session is part of the “COPD — You Know What to do, Now Join Us to Learn How” symposium.

The presenter will discuss what has been learned from The Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety and provide quality improvement methods to decrease the incidence of UE within the collaborative experience.

This lecture will cover a brief overview of congenital heart defects, describe pathophysiology of cardiopulmonary interactions, typical post-operative course, define lesion-specific indications and goals of ventilation for cardiac pediatric patient.

After the sessions close on Dec. 3, tune in for the annual AARC/ARCF Award Ceremony Watch Party. Together we'll celebrate the amazing work of your colleagues this year. The awards ceremony will be broadcast on Facebook and YouTube. Link information to come.