Hot Topics in Allergy

Host: Ketan Sheth, MD, MBA

Guest: Renata Engler, MD

How do insect allergies present challenges in emergency situations to first responders? What are the best ways to diagnose and treat anaphylaxis in patients away from a clinical setting? Host Dr. Ketan Sheth talks with Dr. Renata Engler, associate professor in the department of medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, about treating insect allergy in the field. How is proper transport and storage of epinephrine particularly difficult for those in the military or others traveling to remote locations, and what can physicians do to ensure safety for patients in these situations?

Host: Ketan Sheth, MD, MBA

Guest: J. Allen Meadows, MD

How are Medicare and health insurance companies affecting physicians and their patients' access to care? What can physicians do to influence policy at the local level? Dr. J. Allen Meadows, clinical instructor in the Montgomery Internal Medicine Residency Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, suggests ways allergists and other physicians can get involved with their communities and shape policies affecting how physicians care for their patients. Dr. Ketan Sheth hosts.

Host: Ketan Sheth, MD, MBA

Guest: I. Leonard Bernstein, MD

The Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Asthma has revised its allergy diagnostic testing parameters. What are the parameters trying to establish? What are the advantages of intracutaneous, skin prick, and in vitro testing for diagnosing allergies? Dr. I. Leonard Bernstein, co-director of the allergy research laboratory in the department of medicine at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, and co-author of the parameters, explores allergy diagnostic testing options with host Dr. Ketan Sheth.

Host: Todd Mahr, MD

Guest: Scott Sicherer, MD

Because more children now live with food allergies than in decades past, at what point should a physician suspect that a patient might have a food allergy? What gastrointestinal symptoms are most common in children with food allergies? Dr. Scott Sicherer, associate professor of pediatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, reviews the most effective ways to diagnose and manage children with food allergies. Surprisingly, Dr. Sicherer says skin prick testing should not be the first diagnostic step. So what should physicians do when they suspect a child might have food allergies? Dr. Todd Mahr hosts.

Host: Todd Mahr, MD

Guest: Stanley Fineman, MD, MBA

Immunoglobulin replacement therapy has been used for treating various infections over the past 50 years. It has been traditionally administered intravenously, but now subcutaneous delivery of immunoglobulin is proving to be an attractive alternative. What disorders are immunoglobulin therapy used to treat, and what are the advantages to each type of preparation? Dr. Stanley Fineman, clinical associate professor in the department of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, discusses novel approaches to immunoglobulin therapy with host Dr. Todd Mahr. Which patients are the best candidates for immunoglobulin therapy?

Host: Todd Mahr, MD

Guest: Clifford Bassett, MD

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) are both conditions stemming from acid reflux, but can manifest with different symptoms. What other health problems can be tied to LPR and GERD, and how can we determine the difference between the two? Dr. Clifford Bassett, assistant clinical professor of medicine and otolaryngology at the Long Island College Hospital and faculty member at the NYU School of Medicine, explains the characteristics of both conditions with host Dr. Todd Mahr.

Host: Todd Mahr, MD

Guest: Alan Goldsobel, MD

Cough is one of the most common symptoms but can develop as a symptom of various disorders, from asthma to bacterial infection to gastroesophogeal reflux disorder. How important is the character of a cough in determining the cause in children particularly? Host Dr. Todd Mahr explores cough guidelines and recommendations for children, alon with Dr. Alan Goldsobel, clinical professor in the department of medicine at the University of California San Francisco. At what point is a cough considered chronic, and when should a lingering cough be evaluated in children?

Host: Ketan Sheth, MD, MBA

Guest: I. Leonard Bernstein, MD

The Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Asthma has revised its allergy diagnostic testing parameters. What are the parameters trying to establish? What are the advantages of intracutaneous, skin prick, and in vitro testing for diagnosing allergies? Dr. I. Leonard Bernstein, co-director of the allergy research laboratory in the department of medicine at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, and co-author of the parameters, explores allergy diagnostic testing options with host Dr. Ketan Sheth.

Host: Todd Mahr, MD

Guest: Scott Sicherer, MD

Because more children now live with food allergies than in decades past, at what point should a physician suspect that a patient might have a food allergy? What gastrointestinal symptoms are most common in children with food allergies? Dr. Scott Sicherer, associate professor of pediatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, reviews the most effective ways to diagnose and manage children with food allergies. Surprisingly, Dr. Sicherer says skin prick testing should not be the first diagnostic step. So what should physicians do when they suspect a child might have food allergies? Dr. Todd Mahr hosts.

Host: Todd Mahr, MD

Guest: Stanley Fineman, MD, MBA

Immunoglobulin replacement therapy has been used for treating various infections over the past 50 years. It has been traditionally administered intravenously, but now subcutaneous delivery of immunoglobulin is proving to be an attractive alternative. What disorders are immunoglobulin therapy used to treat, and what are the advantages to each type of preparation? Dr. Stanley Fineman, clinical associate professor in the department of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, discusses novel approaches to immunoglobulin therapy with host Dr. Todd Mahr. Which patients are the best candidates for immunoglobulin therapy?