ATS will sponsor 30 postgraduate courses at this year’s International Conference.

The Society has planned an exciting and informative program for the ATS 2011 International Conference, which will be held May 13 to 18 in Denver. More than 500 symposia, seminars, poster sessions and workshops are planned and will feature more than 800 speakers.

In addition to these sessions, on Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 14, the ATS will sponsor 30 postgraduate courses on a variety of topics, ranging from managing tobacco dependence and identifying biomarkers in asthma to critically appraising scientific studies and publishing for academic success. A number of these courses will feature small-group breakout sessions, creating opportunities for sustained interaction with leading clinicians and researchers. The postgraduate courses that will be offered at ATS 2011 are listed below.

Friday, May 13

• PG1*: Biomarkers in Asthma and COPD
• PG2: Novel Genetic and Genomic Approaches in Respiratory Diseases
• PG3: Health Outcomes Assessment in Research and Quality Improvement: Challenges and Opportunities
• PG4: Tobacco Dependence: From Genes to CNS Pathways to Diagnosis and Treatment
• PG5: Thoracic Imaging
• PG6: Evolving Concepts in Lung Transplantation
• PG7: Incorporating Ultrasound and Echocardiography into ICU Practice
• PG8: Will this Study Help My Patients? Critically Appraising Studies in Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine
• PG9: Non-Invasive Ventilation from ICU to Home: Evidence, Guidelines and Best Practice
• PG10: Pulmonary Epidemiology: Methods and Real Life Examples
• PG11: Diagnostic Tests for the Pediatric Pulmonologist
• PG12: Nuts and Bolts of Aerosol Delivery: Theory, Guidelines and Practice
• PG13: Engineered Nanoparticles and Airway: Therapeutic Applications and Health Risks
• PG14: Physiology Master Class: Hemodynamic Assessment and Management in the ICU
• PG15: Comprehensive Update on Polysomnography: Interactive State of the Art Review and Case Discussion

Saturday, May 14

• PG16: Asthma and Allergic Diseases: State of the Art in Biology and Therapeutic Targets
• PG17: Scientific Writing: Publishing for Academic Success
• PG18*: Lung Cancer in 2011: The State of the Art
• PG19: Management of Interstitial Lung Disease
• PG20: Mechanical Ventilation: State of the Art
• PG21: ICU Monitoring: Everything You Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask
• PG22: Pulmonary and Critical Care Reviews: Built Around ABIM 2010 Modules (Updates) in Pulmonary and Critical Care
• PG23: Therapeutic Hypothermia Post-Cardiac Arrest: A Review of the Physiology, Evidence and A Practical Approach to Implementation
• PG24: Lung Innate Immunity: At the Frontlines of Host Defense
• PG25: The Physiologic Basis of Pediatric Respiratory Function Testing
• PG26*: Practical Approach to Pulmonary Hypertension: A Case-Based Discussion
• PG27: Functional Analysis of Stem Cells: Getting Ready to Translate
• PG28: Implementing Modern Microscopy for Imaging Living Cells and Intact Animals
• PG29: Physiology of Intermittent Hypoxia
• PG30: Leadership Workshop: Developing Skills to Advance Your Career and Improve Your Work Environment

PG Course Focuses on Hypothermia and Cardiac Arrest
At ATS 2011 in Denver, the Society will host a hands-on postgraduate course on therapeutic hypothermia following cardiac arrest, which has been shown to substantially improve the mortality and neurologic outcome of patients. The program, which will include a number of breakout sessions, multi-media presentations and case-based discussions, is designed to improve attendees’ understanding of the evidence and guidelines related to therapeutic hypothermia.

“Therapeutic hypothermia is now the standard of care for patients following VT/VF arrest and is also being developed as a core measure by the Joint Commission for the care of patients following cardiac arrest,” said Carey Conley Thomson, MD, MPH, Mount Auburn Hospital and Harvard Medical School, who will co-chair the course with Kees H. Polderman, MD, PhD, and Barry Fuchs, MD.

Carey Conley Thomson, MD, MPH

The majority of the day will focus on practical aspects of building a multi-disciplinary team and developing and implementing a cooling protocol. Small-group sessions with clinical experts in the field will then help participants fine-tune their understanding of protocol development and the bedside management of these patients.

Other topics to be covered include the basics of thermal biology; the pathophysiology of therapeutic hypothermia; cardiovascular considerations; neurologic monitoring and prognosis before, during and after therapeutic hypothermia; post-arrest care; a review of cooling methods; management of common side effects; and patient selection and protocol implementation.

Experts will demonstrate techniques on a simulated patient, which will be attached to an electronic device that will give attendees feedback on their performance. This hands-on approach will allow faculty members to simulate scenarios like an overshoot, sudden warming due to shivering or the development of an infection. Faculty members will also hook the patient up to EEG and biospectral index (BIS) monitors.

“At the conclusion of this course, attendees will be able to identify new strategies to manage the care of cardiac arrest patients who remain in a coma, improve the clinical outcome of patients who remain in a coma following cardiac arrest and apply their knowledge and tools to begin to develop a protocol for hypothermia,” Dr. Thomson said.

James M. Beck, MD

The postgraduate course is sponsored by the Education Committee and Assemblies on Critical Care, Behavioral Science and Clinical Problems.

“Dr. Thomson and her colleagues have put together a state-of the-art course that will allow attendees to bring this complex but necessary therapeutic intervention back to their own institutions,” said James M. Beck, MD, University of Michigan, who chairs the ATS Education Committee. The course’s multidisciplinary focus and hands-on approach, he added, exemplify a growing focus of the Society’s educational programs

The daylong program will conclude with a panel discussion about future directions, institution-specific questions and troubleshooting common issues.

* PG1 and the International Conference are supported by an educational grant from AstraZeneca LP and Forest Laboratories, Inc. 

* PG18 and the International Conference are supported by an educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 

* PG 26 and the International Conference are supported by educational grants from Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc., Gilead Sciences Medical Affairs, Pfizer, Inc. and Bayer Healthcare.

These grants have no influence on the content, quality and scientific integrity of this CME activity, which is developed by the American Thoracic Society. All CME sessions are free of the control of commercial interests.

See the descriptions of the International Conference’s 30 postgraduate courses.