Free CME

In this online, self-learning activity:

Dravet syndrome (DS) is a rare form of early-onset epilepsy syndrome affecting between 1:16,000 and 1:46,000 and is associated with pleomorphic seizure activity, cognitive decline, motor, and behavior abnormalities. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy is the cause of death in nearly half of the deaths in patients with DS, with the mean age of death 8.7 years old and 73% of deaths occurring before age 10. Seizures typically begin in the first year of age, with most occurring between months 5 and 8, and it is usually a prolonged, tonic-clonic (accounting for 52% of first seizures) or hemiclonic (35%) seizure. Environmental triggers or events, such as fever, acute stress, and physical exercise may precipitate seizures, and at least 85% of those who are clinically diagnosed with DS have variations in the SCN1A gene. Unfortunately, diagnosis is not uncommonly delayed until a patient 3 years of age or older, prior to which antiseizure medication selection may be suboptimal or ineffective, which may lead to seizure exacerbation, an increased risk of status epilepticus, and worse cognitive outcomes.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common monogenic blood disorder, affecting millions of people worldwide and approximately 100,000 Americans. Although it may be found in various areas of the world, SCD predominantly affects individuals of African or Hispanic heritage. It is caused by the inheritance of b-globin alleles that code for hemoglobin S, resulting in an amino acid substitution in hemoglobin’s b chain and clinical disease. Patients with SCD have impaired circulation, and lysis of the erythrocytes contributes to a chronic inflammatory response, causing severe pain and less efficient oxygen delivery. The hallmark clinical features of SCD are hemolytic anemia and painful vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs), which may lead to emergency department visits, hospitalization, and potentially fatal complications such as acute chest syndrome, stroke, or pneumonia. In one US study, 45% of deaths among people with SCD were related to cardiopulmonary causes, and VOCs alone have been shown to increase the risk of death by 50%. SCD may disrupt employment or school and is associated with a significant reduction in quality of life. This learning activity has been designed to bring HCPs’ knowledge of rationale behind treatment of SCD up to date and to enhance their competence and performance in the condition’s management.

CME is available in many groups including:
• Disclosure and Apology Series
• Patient Safety Series
• Improving Communications in Health Care
• Key Risk Areas
• Managing a Medical Malpractice Case

Target Audience: Physicians specializing in Risk Management

All courses are about new and current imaging modalities, with a primary focus on breast imaging.

Courses fall into these groups:
• Advanced MRI Tutorials
• Automated Breast Ultrasound
• Breast MRI
• Breast Stereotactic Biopsy
• Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT)
• Breast Ultrasound
• DXA
• Liver LI-RADS
• Prostate MRI

Target Audience: Radiologists

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Thymidine kinase 2 deficiency (TK2D) is an ultrarare mitochondrial disease caused by recessive mutations in the TK2 gene and manifesting as a form of mitochondrial DNA depletion/deletion syndrome (MDDS) and mitochondrial myopathy. Under normal conditions, the TK2 gene encodes for the thymidine kinase enzyme present in the mitochondria, which is responsible for the phosphorylating of pyrimidine nucleosides, deoxythymidine, and deoxycytidine. These are the first steps in mitochondrial DNA synthesis, and researchers speculate that TK2 mutations affect muscle tissue because its higher energy demands make it most susceptible to mitochondrial impairment. Mutational analyses of patients with MDDS have found that approximately 15% have TK2 mutations, which may be extrapolated to about 600 to 2,700 individuals in the US.

Target Audience:

HCPs including but not limited to: neurologists, pediatric neurologists, pediatricians, primary care providers, pulmonologists, gastroenterologists, and medical geneticists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and nurses who practice in the aforementioned areas of specialty; and any other HCPs with an interest in or who may clinically encounter patients with TK2D.

Pri-Med’s P.A.C.T. Update: Practical Approaches to Comprehensive Treatment of Pain 2024-25 curriculum focuses on improving practitioners’ ability to recognize, diagnose, and classify pain; educating clinicians on the full spectrum of pain management options, including non-opioid pharmacologic interventions; and providing risk reduction strategies through integration of opioids into individualized pain management plans. Clinicians will learn to recognize signs and symptoms of opioid dependence and abuse in order to optimally manage patients’ pain and medication use.

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the definitions and mechanisms of pain
• Identify risk factors and stratification for opioid-related aberrant behavior and opioid use disorder as part of the initial assessment
• Apply individualized recommendations for nonpharmacologic and non-opioid treatment options for patients in pain
• Review general characteristics of opioid analgesics including their intended use and risks
• Differentiate among tolerance, physical dependence, and manifestations of opioid use disorder
• Recognize best practices to reduce the risks associated with prescription of opioid analgesics, including safe storage and disposal
• Anticipate and manage adverse effects of opioid use including signs of opioid overdose and the use of naloxone
• Select approaches to safely initiate opioids for the treatment of acute pain and chronic pain
• Identify strategies for ongoing safe and effective use of opioids in patients with chronic pain, including titration, referral, and discontinuation, when appropriate
• Summarize counseling strategies for caregivers and patients on opioid therapy
• Act appropriately to evaluate, treat, or refer patients with opioid use disorder

Target Audience: Cardiologists and PCPs; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who practice in Cardiology and Internal Medicine, with overlaps in Endocrinology and Hematology depending on the course topic.

Target Audience: Physicians focusing on Allergy, Rheumatology.

Physicians specializing in Allergy or Dermatology.

Target Audience: Physicians focusing on Pain Management