Quote from InHealth Technologies:

Blom-Singer® Voice Prostheses

In 1978, Drs. Singer and Blom pioneered the methods of tracheoesophageal puncture and valved silicone voice prostheses that over the past 30 years have become the international standard for voice restoration, allowing thousands of patients worldwide to regain their ability to speak. By creating a small surgical passage just inside the stoma, from the back wall of the trachea into the esophageal wall, a voice prosthesis can be placed into this passage to enable tracheoesophageal speech. Voice is produced by temporarily blocking the stoma so that exhaled air from the lungs can be directed from the trachea through the prosthesis into the esophagus and then out through the mouth. Fluent, conversational speech may be acquired within just a few days.

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SPEAKING VALVES AND VOICE PROSTHESIS

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The sentinel Towards a Revolution in COPD Health (TORCH) trial represented an approach to such an aim. This study, which has been published,^[2] examined whether combination therapy (salmeterol/fluticasone propionate combination [SFC]) with a high-dose inhaled steroid (fluticasone) and a long-acting beta₂-agonist (salmeterol) could improve survival compared with placebo over 3 years in COPD patients with moderate-to-severe airflow obstruction (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV₁] < 60% predicted). The study included 2 additional arms (salmeterol and fluticasone alone) allowing additional prespecified comparisons. The primary results suggested a trend toward improved mortality with SFC compared with placebo (hazard ratio [HR] 0.825, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.861-1.002; P = .052 after adjustment for 2 interim analyses).

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Quotation from Catestonline:

The CAT is a short, simple and validated assessment, which measures the impact of COPD on a patient’s life in an objective manner¹.

The CAT was developed to facilitate a meaningful discussion between healthcare professionals and patients and provide a reliable measure of the impact of COPD on a patient’s life. It’s hoped that, as a result of this enhanced communication, the CAT will improve the management of COPD and patients’ quality of life.

User Guide Below

CATHCPUser guideEn

Test:

CATest (english PDF)

Website

Dr. Allan B. Becker, MD, FRCPC
Consultant Allergist & Director of the Asthma Education Centre, Children’s Hospital, Winnipeg
Shauna Filuk, RN, BN, CAE
Children’s Asthma Education Centre, Winnipeg
Jo-Anne St-Vincent, RN, BN, CAE
Children’s Asthma Education Centre, Winnipeg

Download Full Information below:

RespTrec WebEx Apr 7-2011

©

Download PowerPoint below:

6 -COPD Toolkit Slide Presentation 1Sept2010 (2)

MIP&MEP CALCULATOR

From letter to CMAJ:

R. Andrew McIvor   (20 January 2011)

Recently Health Canada has approved a new combination inhaler , “Zenhale”, combining the ICS mometasone furoate and a rapid but long acting bronchodilator formoterol. This controller inhaler comes as a blue inhaler?

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From Zenhale leaflet:

ZENHALE is used twice a day to help people 12 years of age or older who need treatment for asthma and the doctor recommends a combination product. ZENHALE is not a rescue medication. Your doctor should prescribe a rescue medication for you. Use the rescue medication if you have sudden asthma symptoms.
ZENHALE is for patients with asthma that:
• was not well controlled with other asthma controlling medications or
•    is severe enough that the doctor recommends starting asthma treatment with two asthma medications

Download full Leaflet

More information from Asthma Society of Canada.

Putting a Stop to Smoky Thinking

It can be easy to lose sight of the benefits of quitting when a strong craving for a cigarette hits. You might start to lose your focus on staying smokefree. There is no good reason to smoke. You know this. So if you are giving yourself a reason to smoke, you are probably experiencing an attack of smoky thinking.

stopsmoke PDF