Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Internationally Recognized Pulmonary Faculty and Programs The Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine provides a full array of clinical services and research activities that have attained national and international recognition. The Division’s programs include the Interstitial Lung Disease program, which is a leader in the use of stem cells, pioneering their use for interstitial lung disease. The Cystic Fibrosis Center is nationally accredited and its clinical trial efforts facilitated the FDA approval of a breakthrough medication that directly targets the genetic defect present in cystic fibrosis patients. The Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Center, part of the Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) Foundation’s Clinical Network, is nationally recognized for its efforts to improve treatments for these patients. Clinical trials are currently focused on inhaled antibiotics and the development of instruments to assess quality of life. The Asthma Center provides clinical care and conducts research to improve the lives of those suffering from asthma. The Lung Cancer Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Center provides a full array of services, including bronchoscopy and biopsy procedures. Lastly, the Sleep Center provides sleep disorder assessments and clinical trials that diagnose and treat these diseases. Many of these programs are funded through federal, state, foundation, and philanthropic resources.
USING NOVEL THERAPIES TO TREAT LUNG DISEASE Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by severe shortness of breath and scarring of the lungs. Various clinical trials were conducted and one multicenter in particular, led to the FDA approval of a new medication. This research has helped the national effort for longer symptom-free survival in patients with IPF.
BACK TO BASICS—FIGHTING INFECTIONS Infections acquired in health-care facilities are one of the leading causes of death in U.S. hospitals. Exposure to the hospital environment is often a risk factor, especially in Intensive Care Units (ICU). The Division focuses, as part of a national consortium, on the prevention and treatment of severe ICU-acquired infections by having all employees use the proper hospital gowns and gloves, as well as thorough hand washing, prior to being in contact with patients.
SLEEP CENTER Alex Abreu, MD, is leading the sleep center’s clinical operations and its fellowship program. More than 4,700 clinic visits and 2,350 sleep studies were performed during Fiscal Year 2014, representing a 25% increase in comparison to Fiscal Year 2013. The Sleep Center has engaged in multiple research projects, many of which have been published in internationally-recognized Sleep Journals, as well as presented in the yearly National Sleep Medicine Meeting.
TACKLING THE CAUSES OF COPD Alpha one antitrypsin deficiency is a risk factor for developing severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The lack of alpha one antitrypsin, a protein that usually protects from excessive inflammation in the lungs and airways, allows inflammation to go unchecked, thereby leading to emphysema and airway disease. The Division’s COPD Center is actively involved in finding improved treatments for these patients.
in the
Artist House 42
Gulls on Siesta Key near Sarasota, Florida by Marc Lippman, MD, MACP, FRCP, Leonard M. Miller Professor of Internal Medicine, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Deputy Director, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
U H ea l t h | U n i v er s i t y o f M i a m i M i l l er Sch o o l of Med i c i ne