AARC Explores Pathway Guides are your guides to the content of each series. Pathway Guides show you topics, speakers, content descriptions, and release dates for each video in the series.
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2025 Pathway Guide
Pathway 1 | Reconsidering Race and Ethnicity for Predicting Normal Lung Function
Lecturer: Ellen Becker, PhD, RRT, RPFT, AE-C, FAARC
Prediction equations for normal lung function commonly included a race/ethnicity variable. Recently, researchers highlighted problems resulting from the use of a social construct such as race/ethnicity to predict biological function. This presentation will help clinicians better advocate for their patients by understanding how race-neutral prediction equations impact disease severity and treatment eligibility.
Pathway 2 | Polio, Pandemics and the Birth of Intensive Care
Lecturer: Hannah Wunsch, MD, MSc
The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges in intensive care, mechanical ventilation and respiratory care. However, the genesis for intensive care can be traced to the polio epidemic in Copenhagen in 1952. With only a handful of negative pressure ventilators the team at Blegdam hospital turned to a relatively unknown anesthetist, Bjorn Ibsen, who introduced tracheostomy and positive pressure ventilation as the preferred treatment. Students hand ventilated patients for days and the mortality rate plummeted. Dr. Wunsch has exquisitely detailed this story in her book entitled, The Autumn Ghost. The story is fascinating, includes personal stories of the physicians and patients as well as the amazing success of a team of individuals dedicated to solving an unsolvable problem.
Pathway 3 | Pulse Oximetry Accuracy Facts and Fallacies
Lecturer: Michael Lipnick, MD
Pulse oximetry is ubiquitous in all aspects of the health system. Under most conditions the accuracy of pulse oximetry is considered sufficient for clinical decision making in intensive care and for determination of home oxygen therapy in chronic lung disease. The impact of skin pigment and SpO2 accuracy has been known for decades. The COVID pandemic brought these inaccuracies to light again and garnered attention from the lay press. There are a multitude of factors which will impact oximeter accuracy, including perfusion and anemia. Testing of oximeters is under revision to address these problems.
Pathway 4 | Coming Soon!
Pathway 5 | Coming Soon!
Pathway 6 | Coming Soon!
Pathway 7 | Coming Soon!
Pathway 8 | Coming Soon!
Pathway 9 | Coming Soon!
Pathway 10 | Coming Soon!