In this episode, Michelle M. Cloutier, M.D., chair of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Coordinating Committee (NAEPPCC) Expert Panel Working Group and professor emerita of UCONN School of Medicine, will provide highlights from the updated recommendations to the national asthma guidelines that are most relevant to primary care providers and share how clinicians can turn the new information into practice. Understanding the 2020 Focused Updates to the Asthma Management Guidelines is a two-part podcast series informing clinicians about the updated asthma guidance, highlighting important changes to the recommendations, and discussing how these changes can improve diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients with asthma.

Increasing numbers of patients are talking with their health care professionals about specialized diets and testing for allergies and food sensitivities as part of their overall wellness plan. Good diet quality is a well-recognized element of lifestyle medicine, but there is growing confusion among medical professionals and consumers about "good" foods and if they should eliminate certain foods from their diet. This talk will cover several of the popular media approaches to healthy living, including diets like Gluten Free, Whole 30, Ketogenic, as well as relevant data for health-related outcomes for each. The differences between allergic bowel disorders and intolerances will be discussed. Clinical and nutritional counseling tips will be provided.

Opioids are an important therapy for the management of pain in older patients with cancer-related chronic pain, as well as in some with chronic noncancer pain. This program reviews important concepts in initiating and continuing opioid therapy in older patients. This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from the Opioid Analgesic REMS Program Companies. Please see https://ce.opioidanalgesicrems.com/RpcCEUI/rems/pdf/resources/List_of_RPC_Companies.pdf for a listing of REMS Program Companies. This activity is intended to be fully compliant with the Opioid Analgesic REMS education requirements issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ​

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used for pain management in a variety of settings and for a variety of conditions. This podcast summarizes the evidence for efficacy as well as for toxicities associated with this drug class and outlines current guideline recommendations. This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from the Opioid Analgesic REMS Program Companies. Please see https://ce.opioidanalgesicrems.com/RpcCEUI/rems/pdf/resources/List_of_RPC_Companies.pdf for a listing of REMS Program Companies. This activity is intended to be fully compliant with the Opioid Analgesic REMS education requirements issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Chronic kidney disease is common, yet many clinicians find it intimidating to manage. This session will give you the tools that you need to identify renal disease, recognize which patients are at risk for a decline in renal function, and practice the components of care. This activity will also discuss the potential interaction between renal physiology and COVID-19 Please note that any data, indications, and guidelines presented in this activity are current as of the recording on 05/08/2020 and they are subject to change as new information is published.

Screening recommendations issued by the USPSTF in the past year will be summarized and reviewed. The most significant and controversial topics will be prioritized. Within the past year, the USPSTF has issued screening recommendation statements on the following topics: cervical, prostate, and ovarian cancer; osteoporosis; CVD; atrial fibrillation; syphilis among pregnant women; adolescent idiopathic scoliosis; and vision problems among young children.

This session, recorded on 5/8/2020, will describe the recent advances in treatment for severe asthma. Faculty will use patient case examples to describe a systematic approach for assessing patients with difficult-to-control asthma and review the stepwise treatment of asthma. They will also discuss how primary care clinicians can help to identify patients in their practice who would benefit from further subtyping of their asthma and treatment with biologic therapies. Please note that any data, indications, and guidelines presented in this activity are current as of the recording on 5/8/2020 and they are subject to change as new information is published.

Coadministration of drugs should be done with caution, because drug-drug interactions can cause serious adverse effects. Being cognizant of relevant pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacogenetics aspects of a variety of drugs, including analgesics, can reduce such effects.

With the COVID-19 pandemic moving through the country, it is important for clinicians to have the most up-to-date information. Join this session with Dr. Peter Libby and Dr. Erin Bohula to learn about the cardiovascular complications of COVID-19 and how you can help patients facing these issues. Please note that any data, indications, and guidelines presented in this activity are current as of the recording on 05/08/2020 and they are subject to change as new information is published.

Infectious diseases syndromes are common in primary care practices. However, staying current with relevant literature that may influence appropriate evaluation and treatment of patients with these syndromes can be difficult, given the volumes of applicable articles and diversity of journals publishing these reports. This session will present some common infectious disease scenarios and provide crucial literature updates. You will learn about how responding to histories of penicillin allergy may result in adverse patient outcomes, the proper timing of influenza vaccination, the influence of substance abuse on risk medication adherence and infectious diseases risk, the appropriate evaluation of patients with suspected cellulitis syndromes, and the role of preoperative urine screening.

The vast majority of opioid overdoses are inadvertent. While not a substitute for emergency medical care, naloxone can reduce the risk of opioid overdose mortality. It is important for medical professionals, patients, and families to become familiar with naloxone use.

This presentation will hone in on the practical overlap between psychiatry and medicine in diagnosis and treatment. The speaker will cover (1) the interview, establishing rapport, and the efficient use of time; (2) major areas of psychiatric dysfunction and how they interact with other aspects of health; (3) differential diagnosis of anxiety, psychosis, depression, mood instability, and cognitive problems; (4) behavioral risk, especially suicide; and (5) pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments.