Clinician's Roundtable

Guest: Eric Prystowsky, MD Host: Matthew J. Sorrentino, MD, FACC, FASH Can we reduce cardiovascular deaths by preventing a recurrence of atrial fibrillation? Dr. Eric Prystowsky, Director of Electrophysiology at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, will discuss the results of the ATHENA trial; a study using dronedarone, an amiodarone-like medication, that was shown to significantly reduce cardiovascular deaths and hospitalizations due to atrial fibrillation and acute coronary syndromes. Join host Dr. Matthew Sorrentino.

Guest: Gwen Huitt, MD Host: Lee Freedman, MD Dr. Huitt discusses the range of atypical mycobacterial infections encountered in practice. She emphasizes the settings in which these infections present, how a diagnosis can be made and how they should be treated and followed.

Guest: Gwen Huitt, MD Host: Lee Freedman, MD First and foremost, what is hot tub lung? Not surprisingly, it typically affects patients who spend time in and around pools, hot tubs and other aquatic environments. But several additional issues of this condition require answers, including diagnosis and treatment patterns. Further, how do we gauge the prognosis for patients who suffer hot tub lung? Dr. Gwenn Huitt, a mycobacterial infection specialist from the National Jewish Medical and Research Center, probes these questions and more with host Dr. Lee Freedman.

Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA Guest: James Cawley, MPH, PA-C With the increase use of physician assistants, understanding the certification requirements is becoming of greater importance to physicians and practitioners alike. Host Lisa D'Andrea talks with Jim Cawley about the potential changes and certification requirements for physician assistants. Mr. Cawley explains the greater need for physician assistants to demonstrate competency in their field of practice by a certification process. Mr. Cawley views this as a positive change that will benefit physician assistants even though it will limit the physician assistant's freedom to change specialties.

Guest: James Cawley, MPH, PA-C Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA Lisa D'Andrea talks with Jim Cawley about the physician assistant doctorate degree.

Guest: James Cawley, MPH, PA-C Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA Host Lisa D'Andrea speaks with James Cawley, professor of health care science and director of the PA/MPH Program at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, about the steady movement of physician assistants away from primary care medicine. How will this trend, similar to what we're seeing among entering physicians, impact the medical community?

Guest: Joe Goveas, MD Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD Mild cognitive impairment occurs in up to 29 percent of our geriatric patients. What should we be doing after the diagnosis is made? Host Dr. Leslie Lundt welcomes Dr. Joseph Goveas, assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee to discuss interventions for mild cognitive impairment.

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD Guest: Joe Goveas, MD Memory complaints in those of us aged 50 and up are not unusual. How can you determine whether subtle changes are due to normal aging, early dementia or some other medical problem? Dr. Joseph Goveas, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss mild cognitive impairment.

Guest: Thomas E. Eissenberg, PhD Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD We recognize that tobacco use kills millions of people around the world each year, but most of the available research focuses on cigarette smoking. The scope of tobacco use extends well beyond cigarettes, and includes an upswing in hookah, or water pipe, smoking, which many young people believe is less harmful than other forms of tobacco use. What do we know about the growing popularity of hookah smoking? What can we do to educate our young patients about the dangers of this form of tobacco use? Dr. Thomas Eissenberg, associate professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University and an expert in the behavioral pharmacology of drugs of abuse, joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss his research on waterpipe smoking.

Guest: Beth Ann Malow, MD, MS Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD Insomnia is a common sleep concern in children with autism spectrum disorders. As these children often have a complex array of other conditions, hypnotic use can be problematic. Is melatonin a reasonable alternative? Dr. Beth Malow joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss her research in this area.