FOCUS: Journal for Respiratory Care Managers and Educators articles from January 1 2003

FOCUS: Journal for Respiratory Care Managers and Educators archives from January 1 2003

Notes from the Dungeon.
January 1, 2003... Welcome to the Winter issue of FOCUS Journal for Respiratory Care & Sleep Medicine. As usual, there's a lot going on around here that we want to bring you up to speed on. First of all, this issue marks the 12th consecutive year of national...

Smart travel tips. (Conference Highlight).
January 1, 2003... Cramped airline seats. . . long car rental lines. . . congested expressways. . . lost hotel reservations. . . Yikes! It's a litany of horror familiar to any traveler. And there's more to come: Despite the growth of electronic commerce we're...

Chronic bronchitis. (Clinical Keeper #3).
January 1, 2003... Chronic bronchitis is an obstructive pulmonary disease that causes definitive changes to the airways of the patients afflicted. This results in structural changes to the airways, airway inflammation, excessive mucus production, and permanent...

Ten reasons you won't get promoted. (Management Keeper #45).
January 1, 2003... You've been campaigning for a promotion into management. You've enlisted your boss's help and you've read job postings until you're bleary-eyed. You've been promised a promotion by everyone who could make such a promise, including your...

The morality of meddling. (Management).(article includes author correction: "The Fuzzy Line Between Work and Home", Fall 2002 issue, was authored by Leah Curtin)
January 1, 2003... There is an old story told about a devout elderly woman who swayed and rocked in her pew, murmuring 'Amen. Amen. Praise God!' as the minister preached against all the more common sins... Until he started in on the evils of snuff-dipping. At...

Have a life and a career. (Personal Growth).
January 1, 2003... Lately, the complaint we hear most is not a frustrated desire for advancement but a longing for more control over their work lives. This complaint is not limited to the under-thirty set. Forty-and fiftysomethings want more leisure and less...

The emergence of tele-home care. (Homecare).
January 1, 2003... As reimbursement continues to decline and demands for services and costs associated with providing a respiratory therapist in the home continue to escalate, the DME provider is being forced to search for alternatives to the traditional...

Millions drive Drowsy and fall asleep at the wheel, says new poll. (Sleep Medicine).(National Sleep Foundation report)
January 1, 2003... About one-half of America's drivers, approximately 100 million people - are feeling sleepy while they drive. Nearly two in 10 drivers - 17 percent or approximately 14 million people - say they have actually fallen asleep at the wheel in the...

Evidence-Based Medicine for weaning & discontinuing ventilatory support. (Clinical).
January 1, 2003... Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. The practice of EBM means combining individual clinical expertise with the best...

Nursing homes....Is there a therapist in the house? (Homecare).
January 1, 2003... At the behest of the Focus editor, I was encouraged to write about the status of respiratory care in nursing homes and subacute nursing facilities (SNF's). My first reaction was, THERE IS NONE! What could I possibly write about other than the...

Enhance your research and professional presentations. (Respiratory Care On-Line).
January 1, 2003... A straZeneca, makers of such familiar pharmaceutical products as Pulmocort, Theo-Dur, and Turbohaler, have sponsored a wonderful website titled AZ-Air (http://www.az-air.com ). They tout the site as "a website for international respiratory...

Jcaho news. (Management).(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
January 1, 2003... An upcoming Joint Commission survey is bound to bring anxiety and angst to management and staff alike in any health care organization. In addition, there has been serious debate throughout the healthcare industry regarding the value of the...

3rd Annual focus conference keynote speaker. (Conference Highlight).
January 1, 2003... I'm a communicator," says Naomi Judd, "whether I'm expressing through writing a song or a book or I am singing, acting, speaking at an engagement or even chatting one-on-one with a stranger on the street. Finding a way to share common...

Nashville and the Grand Old Opry. (Conference Highlight).
January 1, 2003... Whether or not it's your first visit to Music City, you're certain to enjoy Nashville's traditions from the Grand Old Opry to the historic Ryman Auditorium to entertainment at the Wildhorse Saloon. Enjoy a great view aboard the General...

The "paranormalcy" of sleep. (Sleep Medicine).
January 1, 2003... In the state between sleep and wake, many people have paranormal experiences - abnormal events credited to an invisible agent (ghost, spirit, etc.). These experiences can leave a person feeling frightened, worthless, blessed, tormented,...

Choose continuing education courses that boost your career. (Personal Growth).
January 1, 2003... Your boss would send you for a course, seminar, even for another degree if you wanted to go. You know you could use some updating. You've seen dozens of brochures from various sources. How do you choose? Here are some strategies which can...

Basic respiratory physiology for the sleep technologist. (Sleep Medicine).
January 1, 2003... Sometimes when we are so focused on getting our patient's CPAP titrated to just the right pressure before time runs out and they wake up, we miss seeing "the forest through the trees". We look so closely at the "airflow" channel to determine...

On the text...: Sleeping: On the Job! - A Technical Resource Guide for Sleep Labs. (OOK Review - Sleep).(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... According to market research, projections for the US sleep apnea diagnostic and therapeutic market under the sleep medicine umbrella will surpass $1 billion by 2007, a considerable increase from 2000 industry generated revenues at $386...

Glossary of terms and acronyms for mechanical ventilation. (Clinical).
January 1, 2003... I have assembled a glossary of common terms for the clinician. Yes, I realize that there exist reliable texts that handle this task expertly, but, what I have attempted to do here is to simplify the most common terms or concepts utilized in...

Some financial resolutions you can keep. (Personal Growth).
January 1, 2003... There are solid reasons to make financial resolutions for 2003. For those in the financial world, setting higher ethical standards must be a top priority. Providing more accurate, information to shareholders and employees is a must. ...

Michigan Instruments -- PneuView Training and Test Lung (TTL) 5600i. (University of Kansas Equipment Reviews).
January 1, 2003... The Michigan Instruments Training/Vest Lung (TTL) [R] is an instrument familiar to most, if not all, practicing RCPs. A workhorse of the mechanical ventilation teaching labs in most Respiratory Care education programs, most of us learned the...

On the text...: Oakes' Ventilator Management: A Bedside Reference Guide. (Book Review).(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... For as long as I can remember, Dana Oakes has been writing pocket reference guides used by respiratory therapists across the country. Mr. Oakes' guides have been very well received and used by thousands of practitioners as an easy to use,...

APT presidential address. (News from the APT).(Association of Polysomnographic Technologists)(assoication seeks eligibility in Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs )
January 1, 2003... In March 2002, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) organized a meeting with representatives from the Association of Polysomnographic Technologists (APT), the Joint Review Committee for...

AARC seeks RTs in CORFs for government project. (News from the AARC).
January 1, 2003... AARC has been asked by a federal agency to help them study the provision of respiratory care services in Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (CORFs). The AARC is looking for members who are willing to be interviewed on the...

AARC, CDC & others sponsor Quality Institute Conference. (News from the AARC).
January 1, 2003... The AARC will sponsor the Quality Institute Conference: Making the Laboratory A Key Partner in Patient Safety with the CDC and other health care organizations. The meeting is set for April 13-15, 2003, at JW Marriott Lenox Hotel, in Atlanta,...

New recognition for Neonatal-Pediatric practitioners. (News from the AARC).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... If you're a respiratory therapist who has taken and passed the NBRC's Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Care Specialty Examination, you now have a new way to demonstrate your enhanced competency to your employers and your peers. The NBRC...

AARC notified of new CMS rule to reduce medical errors. (News from the AARC).(American Association for Respiratory Care and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published a new rule instructing hospitals to develop and implement quality improvement programs in an effort to further reduce medical errors. Under this final rule, hospitals must...

Tax tips for teachers .. and others. (Education).
January 1, 2003... Filing my federal income tax return isn't something I much like to think about. But I just sat down at my computer with the intention of drafting out the winter Focus article when I ran across my new federal income tax guide. That's when it...

A less than Merry Christmas. (On a Lighter Side).
January 1, 2003... We were 15 and assembled at our country house in the Helderberg Mountains looking south toward the Catskills in upstate New York. Two came from London, four from Los Angeles, four from Washington, two from Boston, two from Connecticut and one...

Professional staffing services. (Product Highlights).
January 1, 2003... RTTEMPS and RNTEMPS provide qualified Respiratory Therapy and Nursing staff for short-term or long-term assignments nationwide. Founded and operated by healthcare professionals, RTTEMPS and RNTEMPS are dedicated to meeting the staffing needs...

Silicone re-usable resuscitators. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Laerdal's[R] re-useable resuscitator is easy to assemble and use. It offers sensitivity to signal changes in impedance to gas flow and has superior bag re-expansion qualities. The one-piece see-through mask design offers a better seal, is...

New airway pressure monitor. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... ResMed Corp. recently released their ResAlarm II airway pressure monitor. A back-lit LCD screen provides viewing from across the room. The peak airway pressure display and pressure bar graph verify accuracy of breath delivery. An internal...

New Humidifier Heater. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The DeVilbiss 9200 Humidifier Heater is a new addition to the DeVilbiss sleep therapy line. The DeVilbiss 9100 Humidifier stacks on top of this new heater providing an add-on solution for patients requiring heated humidity. Temperature can be...

New Nasal CPAP System. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... VIASYS Healthcare Inc.'s Orion Nasal CPAP System delivers exact pressures changeable in 0.5 cm H20 increments. Built-in compliance meter automatically tracks hours of patient use. The noise level, at less than 32 db makes it one of the...

Littmann Stethoscope Model 2000. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... 3M manufactures the Littman Electronic Stethoscope Model 2000 which amplifies sounds up to 14 times (20 decibels) greater than conventional stethoscopes. With state-of-the-art filtering systems and an ergonomic design, the Model 2000 is an...

New Holding Chamber. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... New OptiChamber[R] Advantage Valved Holding Chamber from Respironics HealthScan Asthma & Allergy Products has a clear mouthpiece and low-resistance valve, detachable masks, and a flexible MDI adapter that accommodates a wide variety of CFC...

Breath Simulation Module. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Michigan Instruments, Inc. has introduced a Breath Simulation Module that will turn existing Michigan Instruments lung models into a spontaneously breathing lung simulation system. The system simulates a spontaneously breathing patient for...

Portex tracheostomy products. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Portex[R] manufactures high-quality tracheostomy products. Combining Per-fit[TM], D.I.C.[R], Blue Line[R] and Bivona[R] product ranges, Portex[R] offers you an unmatched selection of tracheostomy products including adult and pediatric tubes,...

Value in pre-owned equipment. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Save 30%-40% on quality, pre-owned equipment. Excellent values on ventilators, oximeters, PFT units, end tidal CO2 monitors, oxygen monitors, cardiac monitors, stress test equipment, defibrillators and more, all backed with full warranties....

New tabletop Mini-Pasteurmatic. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... IDEAL FOR SLEEP LABS... This edition to Olympic's Pasteurmatic line is ideal for low volume reprocessing needs. Its tabletop design requires no hard wiring or plumbing - just fill it with tap water and plug it in. Like all Pasteurmatics, the...

Home disinfection training kit. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... An introductory training package is now available (or CONTROL lit(r) surface and instrument home disinfecting products. This package includes educational patient materials describing product applications and usage. Product samples with...

New Keystone 3 PFT lung Analyzer. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Pulmonary Data Services, Inc. introduces the all new Keystone3, modernizing the industry standard Keystone PF Analyzer. The affordable Keystone3 is a comprehensive PF system, which performs spirometry, FRC and DLCO. The system features...

Bronchial provocation device. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The TURBOAIRE CHALLENGER from EQUILIBRATED BIO SYSTEMS, INC. is an excellent source of portable arctic air for bronchial provocation and Exercise Induced Asthma studies. Perform bronchial challenge testing using cold air, without the wait or...

New Oxygen Monitor. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... MSA is proud to offer its new portable MiniOX [R] 3000 Oxygen Monitor replacing our long-running MiniOX lit Monitor. The MiniOX 3000 Monitor with large display features automatic calibration, battery strength indicator, alarm verification...

Oakes' ventilator management. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... THE GOLD STANDARD - For quick and easy bedside reference: ACCP/AARC/SCCM Weaning/Discontinuation Guidelines, ARDS Network, COPD GOLD Standard, NIH Asthma, AHA Near-Fatal Asthma, AARC Clinical Practice Guidelines, Lung-Protective Strategies,...

Vortran products. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... VORTRAN Medical Technology 1 manufacturer of a unique line of inexpensive, single patient use, respiratory products for hospital and home: VORTRAN Automatic Resuscitator (VAR) - a MRI compatible, hands-free automatic resuscitator for...

Futuremed introduces "Bubbles". (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Futuremed's new SpiroVision-3+ for Windows now includes the Bubbles' incentive display, using soap bubbles to encourage patients during spirometry testing. During an FVC maneuver, an "actual bubble' based on real test data forms within a...

Modular blood gas system. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... AVL OMNI Systems offer optional menu additions for centralized and decentralized hospital testing. High volume blood gas testing, full automated quality control, touch-and-go operation, maintenance-free electrodes, liquid calibration,...

[O.sub.2] analyzers & replacement sensors. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... VTI manufactures [O.sub.2] analyzers, monitors, and replacement [O.sub.2] sensors. Our monitor is a full feature unit that remains outaide of the capital budget. Our [O.sub.2] analyzer has been developed for spot checks' in instances where...

New hand-held spirometer. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The new MicroGP spirometer from Micro Direct, Inc. offers exceptional features at an exceptional price. The MicroGP offers a high degree of accuracy with simplicity of operation. Available in two versions. The basic MicroGP measures eight key...

New Ventilator introduced. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Newport HT50 Ventilator is appropriate for pediatrics and adults, and is suitable for emergency room, sub acute care, homecare and transport applications. The HT50 features an internal micro dual piston gas delivery system, a 10-hour...

New holding chamber. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... PARI Respiratory Equipment, Inc.'s new Vortex[TM], non electrostatic valved holding chamber increases the amount of a given medication dose that gets delivered to the patient's lungs. With most aerosol chambers particles are trapped in the...

"Alizes" the New Nasal CPAP Mask. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Hans Rudolph introduces the "Alizes", a Newly designed Nasal CPAP / Bi-Level / NIPPV Mask & Swivel Port assembly that can withstand Steam Autoclaving, Dishwashers & Cold Chemical disinfection. It also has a New CO2 Deflector Vest design that...

The secretion solution. (Product Highlights).(heated humidification equipment)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Reducing ICU Heated Water Bath costs to near zero is the goal of ARC Medical, Inc. The ThermoFlo[TM] System provides optimal humidification so that sputum characteristics are unchanged when compared to heated water baths. The ThermoFlo[TM]...

Inspiratory Flow Meter. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Ferraris Medical, Inc. introduces the In-Check[TM] Dial Inspiratory Flow Meter, a new training device that offers an easy solution to wondering if your patients are receiving the optimum benefits from their inhaled medications. By selecting...

Manual Jet Ventilator. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Instrumentation Industries, Inc.'s Manual Jet Ventilator and Transtracheal Catheter may be she emergency intervention of choice for the patient with facial trauma, partial airway obstruction, upper airway bleeding, or otherwise difficult...

Neonatal Nasal CPAP. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... ACKRAD LABORATORIES has manufactured respiratory products for over 10 years. Ackrad's Neonatal Nasal CPAP Systems provide a secure and user-friendly alternative for the neonate. They are designed to achieve maximum flow, comfort and assembly...

Finger Oximeter. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... BCI, Inc., introduces the Digit[TM] Finger Oximeter. The Digit[TM] provides fast, reliable SpO2, pulse rate and pulse strength measurements on patients from pediatric to adult. The pocket-size Digit[TM] has a large LED display for use in a...

New Octagonal Sleep Watch. (Product Highlights).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Ambulatory Monitoring, Inc. now offers the Octagonal SLEEP WATCH. This innovative device is a motor activity recorder with 2MB memory; event marker; 2-3 Hz filter; sensitivity .016G at mid band; and numerous codes of operation. It includes an...