Professionals receive updates on respiratory ailments

March 3, 2018

Respiratory diseases are a widespread problem in the United States, and asthma is a particularly concerning public health issue. In Texas, approximately 1.4 million adults and 617,000 children have asthma, and it is one of the most frequent reasons for emergency room visits and missed school days among children.

Working to confront and combat the toll asthma and other respiratory illnesses have on Texans, the Texas A&M Coastal Bend Health Education Center hosted the Asthma, Allergy & Pulmonary Diseases Conference on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at the Education Service Center, Region 2 building. Topics covered at this conference empowered health care professionals, ranging from physicians to respiratory therapists, with the most up-to-date information on asthma management and treatment.

“One of the challenges we face is convincing care providers and caretakers of those with respiratory illnesses of the importance of compliance with managing symptoms and taking controller medications, if prescribed,” said Karl Serrao, MD, the conference’s course director. “The topics discussed at this conference will help medical professionals provide improved care for their patients.”

More than 120 medical professionals attended the conference. Attendees learned how to apply cutting-edge information gained from talks given by respected professionals to prevent and reduce exacerbations and mortality rates of patients with asthma, food allergies and other lung diseases.

The conference, which offered continuing education credits for physicians, pharmacists and nurses, also featured topics on how the home environment affects children with asthma, the newest methods of testing lung function and updates on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

-Les Cockrell