Features

Practice Management

A Conversation About Racial Disparities in Health Care With Dr Scharles Konadu

Clinical Pain Advisor met with Scharles Konadu, MD, a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Gastroenterology Specialty Board, to discuss how deeply racial inequity is woven into our health care system.

General Pulmonology

Pulse Oximetry: Examining Racial Bias in a Valuable But Flawed Tool

Since pulse oximetry technology was developed in nondiverse populations, racial bias may influence the accuracy of pulse oximeter readings.

Influenza

Plant-Based Vaccine Manufacturing for Influenza, Implications for Future Vaccines

An emerging body of research highlights plant-based vaccine manufacturing as a potential solution to risks posed by traditional egg-based manufacturing.

Asthma

Exploring Autoimmunity in Asthma: A Clinical Overview Plus Q&A

Although asthma and autoimmune disease are thought to have mutually exclusive pathogeneses, they both result from a dysregulated immune system.

Tuberculosis

WHO End Tuberculosis Strategy Progress Stalled in Light of COVID-19

The gains in the global fight against tuberculosis have been threatened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a diversion of resources that have led to disruptions in ongoing research and control programs.

COPD Advisor Channel

Addressing the Controversy of “Pre-COPD”: A Point/Counterpoint Q&A

MeiLan K. Han, MD, and Paul Enright, MD, share their opposing perspectives on the necessity and utility of defining “pre-COPD” in at-risk patients.

Lung Infection

Moral Judgments and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Whatever strategy you employ to encourage vaccinations, it is important to be respectful and empathize with your patient’s concerns and perspectives.

Practice Management

Long-Term Repercussions of Postponing Care Due to COVID-19

Fear of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused patients to cancel or delay necessary cancer screenings, diagnostic tests, wellness exams, elective surgeries, and immunizations; the repercussions of this may be immediate, or not seen for months to years.

Allergies

COVID-19 Vaccines and Allergic Reactions: Data Analysis, What You Need to Know

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) found in mRNA-based COVID vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, have excluded patients due to risk of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis; the recent approval of Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine, which contains polysorbate, provides an alternative for this population.

Lung Infection

But Is it Fair? Bioethics, COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, and Advocacy

We speak with Mildred Solomon, EdD, President of the Hastings Center and Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, where she directs the school’s Fellowship in Bioethics, about the COVID-19 pandemic, health equity, and vaccine distribution.