RTs know COPD as a disease that’s mainly treated with inhaled and systemic medications, lifestyle changes, and ideally, pulmonary rehabilitation. But several new treatments are coming down the pike as well. Here’s what you need to know about them – Targeted Lung Denervation In targeted lung denervation (TLD), a special catheter is passed through a… Read more »
Read MorePatient Education is an important tool for self-care. This GateWay Community College student is teaching diaphragmatic breathing by demonstrating and getting the patient to return-demonstration during pulmonary rehab at the clinic. (Photo Courtesy of Gateway Community College) Giving your COPD patients a network of peer support offers a platform for empathy and understanding. It’s a… Read more »
Read MoreOften COPD can impair a patient’s quality of life. What can RTs do to help their patients improve their quality of life? Stephanie Williams, BS, RRT, director of community programs, with the COPD Foundation offers tips for working with your COPD patients and helping improve their quality of life. November is COPD Awareness Month Tip… Read more »
Read MoreProviding a network of support, education, and guidance for your COPD patients greatly benefits their health care. But how do you start developing a COPD Program for your patients? We asked AARC Member Denise McKinnon, RRT, AE-C, CTTS, from Duke University Hospital in North Carolina, to share her tips for developing a COPD Program. About… Read more »
Read MoreMany people with COPD also live with obstructive sleep apnea, or (OSA). Separately, COPD and OSA contribute to the mortality of hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. However, when OSA coexists with COPD it is referred to as “Overlap Syndrome.” Proper use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, or sleep mask, is crucial… Read more »
Read MoreIs your facility working on goals related to the COPD National Action Plan? To help the COPD National Action Plan maximize its effectiveness and reach its goals, respiratory therapists need to learn the plan and how to apply it in their daily work with patients. “RTs need to download the plan and make sure they’re… Read more »
Read MoreEnable cookies to see embeded content. In this episode of Big Ideas Theater, Grace Anne Dorney Koppel discusses COPD and the value of pulmonary rehab for patients. The conversation opens with the statistic that there are about 30 million Americans with COPD, but only about 16 million have been diagnosed. Dorney-Koppel explains that this discrepancy… Read more »
Read MoreAs medical director of the Women’s Respiratory Health Program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and an investigator for the COPDGene study and the Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures In COPD study, Meilan Han, MD, MS, is intimately familiar with the needs of the COPD population. She addressed many of those concerns during… Read more »
Read MoreLeonard Nimoy, 1931-2015 During the month of November, PBS is airing a special film: “Remembering Leonard.” This film looks at the life and legacy of Leonard Nimoy and his battle with COPD. The documentary was produced and directed by Nimoy’s daughter, Julie, and son-in-law, David Knight. Nimoy, best known for playing the role of Spock in… Read more »
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