FOCUS: Journal for Respiratory Care & Sleep Medicine articles from March 2003

FOCUS: Journal for Respiratory Care & Sleep Medicine archives from March 2003

Notes from the dungeon.(Editorial)
March 22, 2003... Welcome to the Spring issue of FOCUS Journal for Respiratory Care & Sleep Medicine. Let me say at the very outset, before I say another word--that NO, that was not really the President of the United States who addressed the 1638 attendees of...

Avoid costly age bias lawsuits.(Management)
March 22, 2003... If you're like many employers in this unsettled economy, you're looking to trim your staff to a more productive level. Beware: Firing people over the age of 40 can be dangerous to your financial health. You may be hit with a costly lawsuit for...

Acute respiratory distress syndrome.(Clinical Keeper #4)
March 22, 2003... The expression acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) emerged from the American-European Consensus Conference on ARDS in 1994. Previous to that date, the designation adult respiratory distress syndrome, introduced by Ashbaugh in 1967, was...

Should you accept that breakout project?(Management Keeper #46)
March 22, 2003... Your boss has asked you to take on what she calls a "breakout project. If you succeed you'll be the most in-demand employee in the organization. Even if she can't promote you, you will gain so much visibility that someone else will. The down...

The asymptotic principle.(Management)
March 22, 2003... It isn't true. The shrug of the shoulders, the implication that there is nothing any one can do about the situation in health care today. It's a cop out. You personally cannot turn the entire health care system in the U.S.A. around. This is...

Bright light therapy: hope for dementia.(Sleep Medicine)
March 22, 2003... Although Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, it can be caused by various diseases. Lewy body disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, HIV (human immunovirus) encephalopathy, strokes, infection, Wilson's...

Direct marketing of health care, is it good for the patient?(Homecare)
March 22, 2003... It is difficult today for an average American to get through a single day without being exposed to direct marketing of health care medications, products or services. Direct marketing of medical products and services can also be found on...

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome: (SARS).(Clinical)
March 22, 2003... Sars is a newly recognized respiratory illness, some cases resembling atypical pneumonia, which initially appeared in China's Guangdong Province in November 2002. To date, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World...

How to get paid what you're worth.(Personal Growth)
March 22, 2003... A simple maxim still holds true for most compensation negotiations. The best way to get what you want is to prove you've earned it. This means documenting your worth as an employee and negotiating effectively with your manager. You need...

Respiratory state licensure: if they're equal, then why aren't they?(Homecare)
March 22, 2003... Ageometric corollary states that if A = B and B = C, then A = C. In other words, equality is implied by this equation. I bring this up because recently I've heard several stories from licensed therapists in one state, trying to obtain licensure...

The talk of the town: asthma education.(Respiratory Care On-Line)
March 22, 2003... This past fall a Scottish research team reported the results of a study they conducted on asthma education. They investigated the benefits that would be incurred by an education program for asthmatics that teaches self-management. The result of...

JCAHO news.(Management)
March 22, 2003... Patient safety is really nothing new. It is something that all of us have strived for our entire careers. However, the increased focus on medical errors and patient safety came to the forefront of healthcare in the late 1990's when the...

Highlights of the 3rd Annual FOCUS on Respiratory Care & Sleep Medicine Conference.
March 22, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Plan now for Baltimore April 22-24, 2004 4000+ people have now been to a FOCUS conference. 95% of them have called it the most incredible conference exprience of their careers. Find out why in...

The National Association for Public Education in Respiratory Therapy: an interview with N.A.R.T. Chairman David Walch.(Interview)
March 22, 2003... What is N.A.R.T.? N.A.R.T. is the National Association for Public Education in Respiratory Therapy, a 5OI (c) (3) not-for-profit (pending) organization incorporated in the state of Illinois. What are the goals of N.A.R.T.? ...

Wake up and learn to make sleep a priority.(Sleep Medicine)
March 22, 2003... Well, the kids are out of school now. The sun is shining. There are places to go, vacations to take, baseball games to play, gymnastics to flip over, camp to get ready for, and more. How in the world do you and the family get enough sleep to...

On the text ... The Promise of Sleep.(Book Review)
March 22, 2003... The Promise of Sleep, a historical and factual work by the virtual pied piper of "a good night's sleep," not only heralds the start of a revolution for a healthier, more productive, alert and living-longer society, but if readers take heed, it...

Smallpox and me--scabbing towards Bethlehem.(Clinical)
March 22, 2003... As I pulled into the long entrance road leading to the County Fairgrounds, I recall asking myself a rhetorical question, "Is this any way to treat a first responder?" I was met at the end of the long approach road by a plainclothes Deputy...

If you hate risk, scrap junk bonds.(Personal Growth)
March 22, 2003... Fed up with the feeble investment returns of just about everything in 2003, many Americans are making a mad dash to high-yield "junk" bonds. Ninety percent of the $6 billion that flowed into longer-term taxable bond funds last month went...

Personal practice tips.(Personal Growth)
March 22, 2003... Sweet Potato Pie Sweet potatoes add fiber and beta carotene, an antioxidant that converts into sight-saving vitamin A. In addition to serving as a metabolic source of retinol, betacarotene, also functions as antioxidant that can prevent...

Perinatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care.(Book Review)
March 22, 2003... The National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) recently released the designation of neonatal/pediatric specialist for respiratory therapists who successfully pass the examination for this content area. The NPS credential recognizes proficiency...

APT request for eligibility approved by CAAHEP commissioners.(News From The APT)
March 22, 2003... The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Healthcare Educational Programs (CAAHEP) approved the request of the Association of Polysomnographic Technologists (APT) to be eligible to participate in the CAAHEP system and to form a Committee on...

APT educational opportunities.(News From The APT)(Brief Article)
March 22, 2003... The Association of Polysomnographic Technologists (APT) is offering several educational opportunities and items of interest during upcoming events. The APT has also released its 2nd Edition Advanced Review Course CD--a four-CD set with Real...

International Fellowship Program pays off in India.(News From The AARC)
March 22, 2003... The AARC/ARCF International Fellowship Program was established in 1990 to get the word out about the respiratory care profession in nations around the world. The idea: bring health care professionals from abroad to the U.S. to see how RT works...

Cheating--A classroom epidemic.(Education)
March 22, 2003... Nowadays it's hard to find a teacher who's not confounded beyond words over the culture of cheating that pervades college classrooms. In a recent issue of Focus, I wrote about plagiarism, the most common violation of academic integrity. For...

Team building.
March 22, 2003... What does it take to resolve a quarrel? Two managers quarreled constantly, keeping their two departments on edge and blocking the flow of work and information. Their senior manager tried the usual interventions--individual and joint...

On a lighter side.
March 22, 2003... Is it Music or Noise? Nothing divides one generation from another so definitely as its popular music. Those who grew up listening to the Beatles are either not interested in, or actively dislike, the sound of rap, hip hop or heavy metal....

No nonsense ET tube control.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... STABILTUBE: Hospitals' 1st choice for no nonsense ET tube control. Eliminates sticky handmade tube holders and puts you in complete control of your patients ET Tube. STABILTUBE installs in a matter of seconds and you can easily reposition the...

Point of care testing.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... The i-STAT[R] System is a hand-held battery operated system that allows critical care tests to be performed in about two minutes at the bedside. Tests are automatically stored for printing or transmission into the LIS or HIS. Tests include...

Ambulatory Monitoring.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... Data Examiner enhances the Inductotrace System, providing an interface to Windows 9X/NT via a RS232 serial port from which the device is powered, (no batteries or power connection). Included software provides an effective method to capture...

W.T. Farley, Inc. products.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... W.T. Farley, Inc. is a manufacturer of durable oxygen cylinder holders, carts, I.V. poles, manifolds, regulators, MRI equipment, emergency suction and oxygen supply, hoses, oxygen tanks, walkers, newborn warmers, post-operative suction pumps,...

Post-sternotomy pain management.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... Heart Hugger [TM] from General Cardiac Technology is an adjustable support harness which lets patients control pain management after thoracic surgery. When patients need to cough, breathe deeply or make uncomfortable movements, they squeeze the...

PC-based holter and more ...(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... HOLTER for WINDOWS [R] features arrhythmia templating, multiple editing modes, bidirectional superimposition, paging, ambulatory pulse oximetry, 12-Lead ECG analysis, comprehensive Pacer, QTd, and HRV reports. Cardio ID [TM] Recorders provide...

Multi-setting ventilator.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... VersaMed Inc. is a leading manufacturer of intelligent ventilation systems. VersaMed Inc.'s iVent201 flawlessly performs invasive and non-invasive ventilation, using the same circuit, with volume and pressure control modes in SIMV or A-C, as...

O2 analyzers & replacement sensors.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... VTI manufactures [O.sub.2] analyzers, monitors, and replacement [O.sub.2] sensors. Our monitor is a full feature unit that remains outside of the capital budget. Our [O.sub.2] analyzer has been developed for "spot checks" in instances where...

CPAP/Bilevel/NPPV Masks.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... Designers & Manufacturers of respiratory products & patient interfaces since 1938 which include TWO NEW Dishwasher Safe & Steam Autoclavable CPAP/BiLevel/NPPV MASKS. The Oro-Nasal (Full Face) 7600 V.I.P Vmask and the ALIZES[TM] Nasal Mask with...

AARC approved self study module.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... The Self-Study Training/QA Program is a computer based certification and quality assurance program outlining current guidelines for Provocholine [R] challenge testing. Methapharm also distributes a full range of respiratory products;...

Professional staffing services.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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 of...

New Nasal CPAP System.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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 quietest...

Silicone re-usable resuscitators.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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...

Littman Stethoscope Model 2000.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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 airway pressure monitor.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... ResMed Corp. recently released their ResAlarm II airway pressure monitor. A backlit 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 holding chamber.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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 and...

New humidifier heater.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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...

Breath Simulation Module.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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...

Zoey Inspiration[R] 626.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... Featuring Zoey and Light Buddy on the cover, this compressor nebulizer system for use with aerosol medications was designed with compliance in mind. Built-in conveniences make this efficient nebulizer the ideal choice for encouraging adherence...

Portex[R] tracheostomy products.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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...

Respiratory products since 1938.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... New dishwasher-safe, steam-autoclavable, leak-free, Oro-Nasal(full-face) and Nasal CPAP Masks, including the 7600 VIP Series Vmask [TM] Oro-Nasal (full-face) CPAP/NPPV Mask and the ALIZES [TM] Series Nasal CPAP Mask with a Comfort Seal [per...

Value in pre-owned equipment.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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)
March 22, 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...

VORTRAN products.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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 transport...

Home disinfection training kit.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... An introductory training package is now available for CONTROL III [R] surface and instrument home disinfecting products. This package includes educational patient materials describing product applications and usage. Product samples with patient...

Futuremed introduces "Bubbles".(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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...

New Keystone 3 PFT lung analyzer.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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 advanced...

Modular blood gas system.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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, extensive...

Bronchial provocation device.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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...

O2 analyzers & replacement sensors.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... VTI manufactures [O.sub.2] analyzers, monitors, and replacement [O.sub.2] sensors. Our monitor is a full feature unit that remains outside of the capital budget. Our [O.sub.2] analyzer has been developed for "spot checks" in instances where...

New oxygen monitor.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... MSA is proud to offer its new portable MiniOX [R] 3000 Oxygen Monitor replacing our long-running MiniOX III Monitor. The MiniOX 3000 Monitor with large display features automatic calibration, battery strength indicator, alarm verification...

Oake's ventilator management.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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,...

New hand-held spirometer.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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...

The secretion solution.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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]...

New ventilator introduced.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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...

Inspiratory flow meter.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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...

New holding chamber.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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...

Manual Jet Ventilator.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... Instrumentation Industries, Inc.'s Manual Jet Ventilator and Transtracheal Catheter may be the emergency intervention of choice for the patient with facial trauma, partial airway obstruction, upper airway bleeding, or otherwise difficult airway...

"Alizes" the new nasal CPAP mask.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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 Vent design that...

Neonatal nasal CPAP.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... Ackrad Laboratories, a CooperSurgical Company, has manufactured respiratory products tot 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...

Neonatal/adult breathing simulator.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... IngMar Medical's ASL 5000 represents a new class of breathing simulator for research, product development, ventilator and spirometer evaluation and teaching. Cutting edge technology allows you to configure the spontaneously breathing of passive...

Finger oximeter.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 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...

Cost effective 3 channel ECG.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... Futuremed America introduces the EX-3 ECG. Small and less than 7 lbs the AC/DC power and rechargeable batteries, allow use in any setting. EZ-3 collects data on 12 simultaneous leads. A printer produces easy to read tracings on 90 mm (3.6")...

New octagonal sleep watch.(Product Highlights)
March 22, 2003... Ambulatory Monitoring, Inc. now offers the Octagonal SLEEP WATCH. This innovative xmotor activity recorder with 2MB memory; event marker; 2-3 Hz filter; sensitivity .016G at mid band; and numerous codes of operation. It includes an LCD feature...