November 12, 2008

November 12, 2009

1.0 Hours

Nine million US children have asthma. It is responsible for 12.7 million clinician office visits, 1.9 million emergency room visits, and 5000 deaths each year. Asthma is a complicated, heterogeneous disease that may be difficult to diagnosis. Clinicians need to know how to make an early diagnosis and understand the natural history of the disease and the heterogeneity of patient response. Clinicians also need to understand that the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) guidelines for the management of asthma have shifted from a focus on disease severity to a focus on asthma control. This program uses an interactive, case-study format to help clinicians understand the diagnosis and management of asthma within the paradigm of the revised NAEPP guidelines with the goal of improving patient safety and quality of life.

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of physicians and other clinical professionals who treat pediatric patients with asthma.

• Identify the approach used to diagnose asthma in a toddler.
• Define asthma severity and control in the NAEPP Guidelines.
• Name two risk factors that put infants with asthma at greater risk for hospitalization compared with older children.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) and Med Learning Group (MLG). PIM is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

For questions regarding the content of this activity, contact the accredited provider for this CME/CE activity: info@pimed.com, or visit www.pimed.com.

Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) assesses conflict of interest with its instructors, planners, managers and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of CME activities. All relevant conflicts of interest that are identified are thoroughly vetted by PIM for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies utilized in this activity, and patient care recommendations. PIM is committed to providing its learners with high quality CME activities and related materials that promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of a commercial interest.

The faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

The planners and managers reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

There are no fees for participating and receiving CME credit for this activity. During the period November 12, 2008 through November 12, 2009, participants must

1. Read the learning objectives and faculty disclosures
2. Study the educational activity
3. Complete the posttest by recording the best answer to each question
4. Complete the evaluation form
5. Submit your posttest and evaluation. 

A statement of credit will be issued only upon receipt of a completed activity evaluation form and a completed posttest with a score of 70% or better.

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM), Med Learning Group (MLG), and Merck & Co., Inc. do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of PIM, Med Learning Group (MLG), Scientia MedMedia LLC, and Merck & Co., Inc. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.