Western Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (WSAAI) 56th Annual Scientific Session

Western Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (WSAAI) 56th Annual Scientific Session is organized by Western Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (WSAAI) and will be held during Jan 21 - 25, 2018 at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii, United States of America.

The target audience for this medical event is Physicians and other medical professionals who specialize in allergy and immunology. This CME Conference has been approved for a maximum of 20 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the activity, participants should be able to:
• Diagnose and treat autoimmunity in primary immunodeficiency patients
• Recognize and manage inflammatory complications in primary immunodeficiency patients
• Develop a strategy for monitoring primary immunodeficiency patients for malignancy
• Develop a strategy for the orderly use of testing approaches based on history and PE
• Utilize flow cytometry and functional immune testing to evaluate frequency/ distribution of immune cells and function
• Apply genomics particularly in settings where outcome could provide new avenues of therapeutics
• To understand the natural history of allergies to different foods
• To recognize the potential effects of baked milk and egg on the natural history of those food allergies
• To understand the value and limitations of allergy testing in predicting natural history
• To understand the current treatments under study
• To recognize of the risks associated with these treatments
• To be aware of potential future treatments under development
• Discuss the clinically relevant disease subtypes and molecular targets for new biologic medications in asthma
• Understand the impact of biomarkers on understanding future impairment and risk in our asthma patients
• Comprehensively assess patients with symptoms of severe asthma to determine the level of disease control and uncover potential phenotypes that can guide ongoing therapy
• Define the current definitions of COPD and ACOS
• Understand the current GOLD classification and treatment for patients with COPD
• Discuss therapeutic approaches to the chronic airflow obstruction phenotype
• To describe the appearance of mast cells and their mediators in evolution and how they are both the earliest and best preserved immune mechanism
• To appreciate the overarching role of NON-IgE mechanisms as instigating virtually all immune responses
• To understand the role of mast cells in protection against pathogens and toxins
• To appreciate the role of bystander allergic reactions in the pathogenesis of RV-induced asthma exacerbations.
• To describe the role of aberrant innate immune responses in RV-associated asthma exacerbations
• To understand therapeutic implications for treating and preventing asthma exacerbations
• Recognize clinical presentation of mastocytosis and mast cell activation syndromes
• Understand the use and limitations of diagnostic testing in mast cell disorders including serum tryptase levels
• Formulate a therapy plan according to disease category and understand indications for emerging and cytoreductive therapies
• Review clinical presentation and diagnostic testing for hymenoptera venom hypersensitivity
• Review indications for venom immunotherapy
• Understand the role of clonal mast cell disease in venom hypersensitivity
• Understand the pharmacology of cannabis metabolism and medicinal effects
• Learn about constituents of marijuana smoke and compare them to tobacco smoke
• Understand the effects of cannabis on airway function
• Understand the effect of marijuana smoking on histology and lung function
• Contrast the role of eosinophils, platelets and T cells between those with and without Nasal Polyps
• Understand the clinical phenotype in Chronic Rhinosinusitis between those with and without nasal polyps
• Understand the emerging concepts in dysregulation in the Th2 pathway contributing to the pathophysiology in Nasal Polyps between those with and without aspirin sensitivity
• Understand the role of the IL-4 pathway in nasal polyp phenotypes
• Understand the most important forces changing the healthcare environment
• Understand the most important contributors to physician burnout and their effect on patient care
• Appreciate steps that can be taken to both prevent physician burnout and decrease burnout that already exists among healthcare providers
• Understand the past and likely future trajectory of the US Healthcare system
• Understand how these key trends and forces are affecting patients and physicians
• Understand the steps that need to be taken by both physician and executive leadership to improve the care environment for both patients and clinicians
• To understand the prevalence and patterns of e-cigarette use
• To know the data on the efficacy of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid
• To identify the potential positives and negatives of e-cigarette use on health
• To identify the indications for use of inhaled steroids in preschool wheezing children
• To understand the benefits vs risks of using episodic steroids in Preschool Wheezing Children
• To know the benefits vs risks of using continuous steroids in Preschool Wheezing Children
• Describe the mechanisms of eosinophilia and eosinophil-mediated pathogenesis
• Recognize the heterogeneity of eosinophilic disorders
• Outline a basic approach to the differential diagnosis of eosinophilic disorders
• Compare and contrast the most common agents used to treat hypereosinophilic • syndrome (HES)
• Employ a systematic approach to the treatment of HES
• Discuss recent advances in targeted therapies for eosinophilic disorders
• Recognize that atopic dermatitis is a chronic disease – brief therapies fail
• Consider the spectrum of factors that flare atopic dermatitis
• Familiarize with the spectrum of new and evolving therapies for atopic dermatitis
• View the spectrum of allergies associated with atopic dermatitis
• Recognize the variants between atopic dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis
• Differentiate hand eczema of atopic dermatitis from other variants
• Understand how to incorporate use of phenotypes and biomarkers in the selection of appropriate biologic therapy for uncontrolled asthma
• Review indications for biologics in the management of atopic dermatitis and urticarial
• Discuss concerns patients may have regarding the use of biologics

Additional Details will be posted as soon as they are available