Free Pulmonology CME

Target Audience: Physicians specializing in Cardiology, Chest Medicine, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:
In this online, self-learning activity:

Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) occurs at an estimated rate of five to ten per 1,000 hospital admissions and is the most common cause of hospital-acquired infection in the United States. It is defined as pneumonia that develops at least 48 hours after hospital admission and did not appear to be incubating at the time of admission. A significant subset of HAP that occurs most frequently in intensive care units (ICUs) is ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), which is defined as pneumonia that occurs more than 48 to 72 hours after tracheal intubation and is thought to affect approximately 10 to 20% of patients who receive mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours. Altered mechanical defenses, such as impaired ciliary motion and mucus secretion, increase the susceptibility for acquiring pneumonia in intubated patients, with over 90% of pneumonia episodes that develop in ICUs occurring in patients who are intubated or mechanically ventilated.

Target Audience:
HCPs including: pulmonologists, infectious disease specialists, and intensivists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists specializing in infectious disease or critical care; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or clinically encounter patients with HAP or VAP.

In this online CME self-learning program: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare connective tissue disease that affects between eight and 56 people per million per year and up to 341 people per million total in the U.S., of whom around 70% will experience interstitial lung disease (ILD). The disease is characterized by a progressive course of scarring to the blood vessels underlying the skin, connective tissue, joints, and organs. The pathology of SSc remains to be fully elucidated, but different immunologic and genetic pathways have been explored as potential precipitating factors for SSc. Based on what is known, SSc-ILD may be summarized into three steps: 1) continuous injury to endothelial cells, 2) activation of innate and adaptive immunity, 3) recruitment and activation of fibroblasts. Early diagnosis is crucial for preservation and survival of major organs. Lung fibrosis is considered irreversible, and if the disease has progressed far beyond repair, lung transplantation is considered. Therefore, early detection is paramount in order for patients to preserve their lung function.

Target Audience:

The following HCPs: pulmonologists, rheumatologists, radiologists, primary care physicians, dermatologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and pharmacists specializing in pulmonology; and any other HCPs who have an interest in or otherwise clinically encounter patients with SSc-ILD.

By the end of the session the participant will be able to:

• Define the clinical features of systemic sclerosis
• Discuss current understanding of the biology of systemic sclerosis
• Define clinical phenotypes of systemic sclerosis
• Explore pulmonary manifestations of systemic sclerosis
• Understand the approach to diagnosis of systemic sclerosis interstitial lung disease and other pulmonary manifestations
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Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), characterized by misfolded and lower function of the serine protease inhibitor alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT), is a genetic disorder resulting in the degradation of lung structures. Reduced levels of AAT result in overactivity of neutrophil elastase, which destroys connectivetissue within the lung and causes degradation of alveoli, reduced pulmonary elastic recoil, and airflow. Breakdown of the alveoli eventually manifest as chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), and otherassociated complications include liver disease, which occurs in about ten percent of patients with AATD.The most common cause of death in patients with severe AATD is respiratory failure, which accounts for45 to 72% of deaths.

Target Audience:

The following HCPs: pulmonologists and primary care physicians; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and pharmacists who practice in pulmonology and internal medicine; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or who clinically encounter patients with AATD.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a relatively rare, aggressive cancer that most commonly affects the pleural space (81%) in cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), followed by the peritoneum (9%). Over 80% of MPM patients and 33% of patients with peritoneal MM have a documented prior exposure to asbestos or related minerals. It is thought that the inhaled asbestos fibers interact with mesothelial and inflammatory cells, leading to repeatedly prolonged cell cycles and direct DNA damage. There are three distinct histologic subtypes of MPM, but determining subtypes requires expert assessment and suitable biopsies that are not always available, which may lead to delays in the start of treatment.

Target Audience:

HCPs including: Medical oncologists and pulmonologists; physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists specializing in oncology; and other clinicians who are involved in providing diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients with malignant mesothelioma.