September is Pain Awareness Month, a time when various organizations work to raise public awareness of the issues of 

 and pain management. With that, it is important to recognize the different types of pain patients experience from a variety of disease states.

While there are traditional methods of treating pain, such as prescribing opioids, an epidemic has led to addiction, overdose, and death. According to 

 an average of 41 people died each day from overdoses involving prescription opioids in 2018, totaling nearly 15,000. Still, there was a 13.5% decrease in prescription opioid-involved death rates from 2017 to 2018.

Although typically opioids are prescribed to treat pain, guidances have been instilled to limit the number of pills prescribed to patients. And alternate therapies and technologies exist to completely remove opioids from the treatment plan of patients.

I had the opportunity to speak to Alan Kaye, MD, PhD, a pain interventionist and professor at LSU Health School of Medicine, to discuss the importance of recognizing Pain Awareness Month, which was first declared a medical holiday in 2001, alternate treatments for pain, drugs in the pipeline, caring for a patient with pain, and much more.

Podcasts

Alan Kaye, MD, PhD, joins DocTalk during Pain Awareness Month to discuss opioids, alternate pain therapies, and caring for patients with pain.

Alan Kaye, MD, PhD: Treating Pain Traditionally and with Alternate Therapies

The transition to the school year during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was going to be difficult for mostly every student.

There will be enhanced safety measures to promote social distancing and mask wearing. There will also be a virtual learning component for many.

This upheaval of a traditional school routine can be especially daunting for students with 

 (ADHD). For these students, any deviation from the regular set routine can be difficult.

, Theresa Cerulli, MD, a psychiatrist in North Andover, Massachusetts and a lecturer at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, discusses just how difficult this school year might be for students suffering from ADHD.

Cerulli explained there are a number of challenges for these students, including the likely cancellation of extracurricular activates such as sports, clubs, and recess. These activities can often help an ADHD stay focused and exert some excess energy.

There are also things teachers and parents should watch for and help with in order to reduce some of the ADHD symptoms should the child become frustrated.

Cerulli also said there is hope on the way as there are new drugs in development she believes will really have an impact treating pediatric and adult ADHD patients.

Dr. Cerulli discusses some ways ADHD can manage the changes in routine during COVID-19.

Theresa Cerulli, MD: ADHD Students Struggling During COVID-19 

 (Wet AMD) begins in the dry form of AMD, it remains difficult, if not impossible to diagnose the disease in patients younger than 50.

However, researchers are hoping to improve screening and diagnostic markers in the next few years, as it is becoming increasingly important to get a handle on the disease earlier with the population in the US aging.

There has also been big advancements made in terms of treating Wet AMD with the advent of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections in 2006 to treat various ophthalmological disorders. This medication class has shown success in helping patients retain vision or recover vision loss.

, Joshua Mali, MD, a board certified ophthalmologists at the Eye Associates in Bradenton, Florida, talks about some of the concern regarding wet AMD and why there is hope for new treatments and better screening outcomes in this patient population.

Mali said in the interview that wet AMD is the most common disorder seen at his practice. While there are some known risk factors, including age, family history, smoking history, and obesity, Mali said if clinicians are able to screen patients earlier and earlier it could have a major impact in this patient population.

Dr. Mali talks about advancements in treatment and screening for Wet AMD.

Joshua Mali, MD: Hope for Patients with Wet AMD

 deal with big numbers—large-scale vaccination trials; massive production and distribution agreements; new testing, tracing, and prognostic projects that look to halve the ever-rising tally of new cases and mortality.

With an act that saved just one life, though, Ankit Bharat, MD, delivered a historic win for the state of COVID-19 care and capabilities.

In May, the chief of thoracic surgery and surgical director of the Northwestern Medicine Lung Transplant Program performed the first double lung transplant for a critically ill COVID-19 patient in the US.

The patient—a young, healthy Hispanic women—had little to not therapeutic options remaining as her lungs began to fail. Without precedence among his national peers and with intensive care cases skyrocketing in the Chicago area, Bharat’s team found a solution for her.

In this, the second ever episode of Lungcast from 

 and the American Lung Association (ALA), Bharat talked with ALA Chief Medical Officer Al Rizzo, MD, about the groundbreaking procedure and its contribution to developing COVID-19 care and research.

He also gave perspective on the current and evolving role of thoracic surgery, the benefit of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in his work, and the need for innovation in invasive lung care.

Subscribe or listen to Lungcast on your favorite platforms:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1F3u1hKrwxi9snSQ0q3nti

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lungcast/id1524712350

The chief of thoracic surgery and surgical director of the Northwestern Medicine Lung Transplant Program discusses his unprecedented procedure during the pandemic.

COVID-19 Double Lung Transplant with Ankit Bharat, MD

Professional leagues like the MLB, NHL, and NBA have implemented drastic safety measures to limit exposure to athletes by limiting travel and in some cases creating a bubble to prevent outside interactions.

Thus far, many NCAA fall sports have been postponed with hope the spring will provide a safer landscape to play. Professionals leagues have banned crowds, increased testing, and in the case of the NBA and NHL created a bubble that they hope prevents anyone not approved from coming in.

But what are the risks to athletes who contract the virus? Could there be long-term lung or heart damage that could put the remainder of their careers at risk?

In the latest episode of the DocTalk Podcast, Louis Kovacs, MD, Medical Director of Towson University Athletics, discusses some of the challenges and measures needed to keep athletes safe, from youth soccer players to college and professional football players.

Dr. Louis Kovacs discusses the risk of playing youth, college, and professional sports during the ongoing pandemic.

Returning to Sports During COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may leave a lasting impact in mental health across the world.

While the shelter-in-place orders had an obvious effect on mental health, there are still more hurdles to clear as their are questions regarding in-person schools and just how long it will take before a protective vaccine is available.

In the latest episode of the DocTalk podcast, George S. Everly, Jr., PhD, The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, discusses some of the mental health issues related to the ongoing pandemic.

A leading psychiatric expert discusses some of the pitfalls people face due to the ongoing pandemic. 

George Everly, PhD: The Mental Health Burdens of COVID-19

Time and time again, the worlds of public health, news, and medicine have merged on the topic of 

. In the last half-decade, matters on vaping effects, rising pollution concerns, and increasing COPD and lung cancer deaths have made headlines.

And in the last 6 months, a respiratory virus has altered global medicine, healthcare and society in unprecedented fashion. Its severity has strained ICU personnel and ventilator resources, and its highly infectious spread has sparked debate over public mask-wearing.

 pandemic has dramatically and irrevocably tipped over the public’s interest in respiratory health, and clinicians face heightened dual tasks: adapt to new parameters set by the virus, and serve as counselors on the developing research of SARS-CoV-2.

As providers of timely and topline clinical news and insights, 

 should provide content which reflects the new agenda of healthcare.

Introducing Lungcast, a new podcast series produced in collaboration with the American Lung Association (ALA). Hosted by chief medical officer Al Rizzo, MD, FACP, the monthly podcast series will feature interviews with world-leading researchers, clinicians, and healthcare experts on the biggest topics in respiratory care.

Every episode will be made available here on 

, as well as on the ALA’s website. Listeners can also subscribe to Lungcast on 

Our first guest is among the most qualified people in medicine to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic: world-leading virologist, AIDS research pioneer, 

1996 Man of the Year, and current coronavirus investigator David Ho, MD.

In an illustrious four-decade medical career bookended by observing the earliest cases of AIDS at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and now leading his New York-based laboratory in COVID-19 vaccine pursuits, Ho has a world of perspective to share on epidemic response.

From US response failures to promising monoclonal antibodies, and from the caveats of herd immunity to the similarities between early AIDS discovery and COVID-19, listen in on Ho’s insights into the current pandemic.

World-leading virologist and AIDS researcher David Ho, MD, joins the inaugural podcast episode.

COVID-19 Complications & Searches for a Cure with Dr. David Ho

With more and more states relaxing some of the lock down measures put in place during the early stages of the 

 (COVID-19) pandemic, what will the “new normal” look like and how will the public psychologically handle the phased reopening?

Many people across the country, particularly in the densely populated cities in the Northeast and California, public appearances have been few and far between, mainly limited to grocery stores and other essential places.

, Mark Smith, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of VistaGen, talked about the anxiousness individuals will feel as they begin to regain some of form of normalcy.

This normalcy also includes maintaining regularly medical appointments that have largely been put on hold for the last few months. Smith said measures are being put in place to ensure the safety of patients despite the growing COVID-19 threat.

While Smith is hopeful the majority of the country will be able to enjoy some places outside of the home, maintaining social distances and wearing masks remain important to decrease the odds of contracting the virus.

While he said he was surprised at how well the public handled the quarantine, he was concerned over a potential second wave of infections and the psychological costs attached to that.

In the latest edition of the DocTalk Podcast, Smith discussed psychological impact of the pandemic, what the new normal may look like, and the promising initial results of social anxiety treatment, PH94B.

In the latest edition of the DocTalk Podcast, Dr. Mark Smith talks about some of the issues related to the COVID-19 lockdown and how a second wave might psychologically impact individuals.

DocTalk Podcast: The Psychological Damage of the COVID-19 Pandemic

New meta-analysis data planned for presentation at the 

American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2020 International Conference

 this year showed interleukin-targeting biologic dupilumab (Dupixent) significant redued severe exacerbation rates of in subgroups of patients with uncontrolled, persistent eosinophilic 

The international analysis of phase 2 and 3 trial data, led by Dr. Ian Pavord, a professor in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford, showed dupilumab 200-300 mg outperformed standard-of-care therapies including fellow biologics benralizumab, mepolizumab, and reslizumab in reducing severe asthma exacerbation rates.

Though outcomes from the assessment were limited in nature due to its being a meta-analysis, there’s plenty to draw from the growing case of evidence for the IL-4 and IL-13-targeting biologic in the treatment of type 2 inflammatory disease.

Pavord, from his home in England, joined the DocTalk podcast this week to discuss the newest dupilumab findings, as well as the current state of biologic care and research in respiratory medicine.

He also discussed the drug class’ influence on the advancement of asthma and inflammatory disease definitions, and their role in the clinical pursuit of individualized therapy.

And, of course, discussion turned to the 

 pandemic, as it moved ATS 2020 to a virtual platform, and is extremely topical in the fields of respiratory and inflammatory care today.

Meta-Analyses of Dupilumab Versus Standard of Care in Patients with Uncontrolled, Persistent Asthma

Dr. Ian Pavord discusses new meta-analyses of dupilumab planned for ATS 2020 on the DocTalk podcast.

Biologics in Inflammatory Care, COVID-19 Research

Health inequity is among the most glaring issues in the US healthcare system. And now, the 

 pandemic has taken a magnifying glass to the issue.

A recent update from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

 showed that 45% of observed COVID-19 patients for whom race or ethnicity data was available were white, compared to 55% of individuals in their surrounding community. 

However, one-third of all hospitalized patients were black, versus just 18% in the community. Another 8% of hospitalized patients were Hispanic, compared to 14% in the community. Minorities are over-representing the population of COVID-19 patients in hospitals right now.

Death rates are also more severe for Black and Hispanic patients—almost double the rate of white or Asian patients to die from COVID-19 per 100,000 population.

In the most recent DocTalk podcast interview, Panagis Galatsatos, MD, MHS, of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, joined HCPLive to discuss the underlying effect of health disparity in the US, how the COVID-19 severity inequity could burden differing populations, and what large-scale solutions might better access to care and clinical monitoring of disease.

Galatsatos also explained why metrics including the above CDC data doesn’t shock him and his colleagues.

“For those of us who study health equity, it’s not a shock, but it is an ethical reckoning,” he said. “What to make of this, for a lot of us, is, ‘welcome to the conversation.’ We’ve been having it for decades, and a pandemic will sure as heck shine a light on these issues that we’ve been screaming about constantly.”

Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, MHS, joins to discuss the underlying issues and potential solutions to COVID-19 patient disparities.