Strategies to prevent exacerbations of childhood asthma.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The goal of this review is to discuss strategies to prevent asthma exacerbations in children, focusing on recent advances in knowledge and understanding. RECENT FINDINGS: Asthma exacerbations are common, and their prevention is an important goal to avoid detrimental impacts such as loss of disease control and lung function and significant healthcare costs. A number of strategies have been studied as tools for prevention of asthma exacerbations. Daily inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) are effective for many children with asthma. However, alternative strategies such as intermittent ICS therapy, antileukotrienes, and biologics have been studied as means to lessen corticosteroid exposure. Further, recent studies have examined add-on strategies for children not controlled with ICS alone. Finally, personalizing therapy with targeted approaches has provided significant benefit to those with moderate-severe disease. SUMMARY: Recent research highlights many potentially effective treatment strategies to prevent asthma exacerbations in children. We have reviewed and summarized the data on treatment approaches to help provide a better understanding of the methods that can be utilized. An individualized approach with careful monitoring is essential to identify the most effective strategies to prevent asthma exacerbations in each child.

Use of the dialectical behavior therapy skills and management of psychosocial stress with newly diagnosed breast cancer patients.

Stress-related health concerns have the potential to impact quality of life for patients with breast cancer. National cancer organizations such as the National Cancer Institute, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network have acknowledged that all patients with cancer experience some level of distress during the course of illness and treatment. Literature on cancer suggests a range of expected distress from 20% to 50% among all patients diagnosed with cancer. Acknowledging and managing this distress with patients with cancer and providing them behavioral-based Interventions are important parts of cancer research. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy skill is are an empirically proven treatment modality across numerous patient populations. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the utilization and effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills modified for use with patients with breast cancer.