ScientiaCME Free CME Courses

In this online, self-learning activity:

Osteoporosis in aging men is a growing public health problem yet remains under-recognized in primary and specialty care. Population-based cohorts show that adults aged ≥80 years now account for most hip fractures, and in this age group men experience higher perioperative morbidity and mortality than women at comparable ages. Contemporary US trend analyses confirm a high and in some groups increasing prevalence of osteoporosis and low bone mass among adults ≥50 years, with substantial burden among older men. Health-economic models and actuarial reports estimate more than two million osteoporotic fractures annually in the United States, costing about $17 billion in 2005 and rising to an estimated $57 billion over the past two decades, with further growth expected by 2040; men already account for more than one-quarter of this burden. Prospective outcomes work from the ICUROS US study and Medicare claims analyses underscores prolonged quality-of-life loss and markedly higher all-cause costs after fragility fractures, especially hip and vertebral fractures in older adults, including men.

In this online, self-learning activity:

Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (nRDS) remains a leading cause of respiratory failure and morbidity among preterm infants worldwide, despite major advances in antenatal steroids, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and surfactant therapy. Contemporary guidelines emphasize early noninvasive respiratory support from birth, selective surfactant rescue once CPAP begins to fail, and structured, protocolized care across gestational age strata. Yet practice-pattern studies across high- and middle-income settings show wide variation in initial respiratory support, surfactant thresholds, and use of minimally invasive techniques, with extremely preterm and late preterm infants often receiving care that diverges from guideline-concordant pathways. These inconsistencies increase cumulative ventilator exposure and risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and other complications, underscoring a persistent implementation gap between best evidence and routine NICU care.

In this online, self-learning activity:

Asthma remains a highly prevalent chronic respiratory disease, affecting more than 26 million people in the United States, including over 4.5 million children, with several thousand deaths and substantial emergency department and inpatient utilization each year despite effective preventives. Persistent symptoms, recurrent exacerbations, and preventable hospitalizations indicate gaps in risk stratification and in the consistent application of guideline-based care, even with comprehensive frameworks such as the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) strategy. Many severe attacks still occur, requiring parenteral bronchodilators, systemic corticosteroids, magnesium sulfate, oxygen, and respiratory-support devices, underscoring missed opportunities to optimize maintenance regimens and device use upstream.