Fibrosis File Fourteen years ago, Celeste Belyea, the editor of The Pulmonary Paper, received a call asking her to be on the Board of Directors of a new organiza- tion that was forming to help people with Idiopathic Pul- monary Fibrosis. She agreed to join the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) even before…
Flu Season Starts Slow The 2015–2016 flu season is off to a slow start, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ordinarily, flu season in the United States typically begins in October, peaks from December to February, and is over by May. The CDC notes timing can vary dramatically from…
Calling Dr. Bauer The holiday season is great for two reasons. The first is family and friends. I hope all our Pulmonary Paper readers have the opportunity to share old memories and make new ones as they get together with family and also maybe reunite with old friends coming back to visit their…
Editor’s Note Three years ago, a 12-year-old young girl named Malala Yousafzai was on her school bus in Pakistan and proud of it. The local Taliban had banned girls from attending school. A gunman boarded the bus, asked for her by name, pointed a pistol at her and fired three shots. One bullet…
Restrictive (as Pulmonary Fibrosis) vs.Obstructive Disease (COPD) by John R. Goodman, BS RRT Although there are hundreds of dis- eases that can affect the lungs, we do broadly describe almost all lung disease as either restrictive or obstructive. The obstructive group of diseases, primarily emphysema and chronic bronchitis, are also known as Chronic…
Oxygen Rules: What are Your Rights? Univita, the company that supplied oxygen and equipment to Florida Medicaid (not Medicare) oxygen users, abruptly went out of business in August, leaving people literally confined to their homes once they had used up their portable oxygen supplies. Univita was trying to service two million people and is thought…
Protect Yourself and Get Your Flu Shot Early Reports from the CDC say unlike last year, this year’s flu vaccine seems to be tracking pretty well with the influenza viruses that are currently circulating. The vaccine has been updated to better match the H3N2 strain, sometimes referred to as the Switzerland variant. What’s…
Calling Dr. Bauer … Mary from Boston was recently told by her doctor that her diffusing capacity was low when her pulmonary function results came back. She asks Dr. Bauer to explain what this means. Dr. Bauer replies, The most common pulmonary function test is called spirometry. We all know about the…
Respiratory News Over the last seven years, the amount of British nonsmokers with lung cancer has more than doubled, and the disease is on the rise in the U.S. as well. The incidence of non-small cell lung cancer has more than doubled among individuals who have never smoked, according to research presented at…
OxyTOTE Regulator Recall There has been a recall of an oxygen regu- lator used with gas cylinders that affects all lot numbers made prior to October 1, 2014. There is a possibility that the unit could cause the tank to burst. If your tank has an OxyTOTE on it, check the model numbers…