On Friday, June 14, Erlanger Health System is hosting a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patient expo for patients, family and caregivers at the Hamilton County Health Department in the Golley Auditorium beginning at 9 a.m.
This patient centered expo features speakers Mike Czarnecki, MD, Salik Jahania, MD, Sibaj Shome, MD, Chris Dominguez, FNP and Christine Smith, RN. Dr. Czarnecki is discussing Alpha-1 deficiency testing, a condition people are born with which can cause liver disease in infants, children and adults and cause lung disease in adults.
"Alpha-1 deficiency is often misdiagnosed as asthma or COPD," officials said. "The Alpha-1 protein travels from the liver to the lungs and protects the lungs from damage. People can be a carrier for the deficiency, not have the deficiency or have both marker alleles denoting that they are severely deficient. Determining if you have Alpha-1 or are a carrier can help determine the best action steps for overall better health with this deficiency."
“We are excited to offer the COPD Patient Expo to the community again this year,” said Takesha Pratt, RRT with Erlanger Heart and Lung Institute. “The importance of education and giving our patients the tools to live a healthy life managing their condition drives our whole team. We strive to continue educating our community about COPD and how to best manage this disease so patients can continue to lead healthy lives.”
Other topics include COPD management, low-dose CT, the importance of nutrition and palliative care. These topics can all help COPD patients and caregivers achieve success in management of the disease and its symptoms.
Breakfast and lunch will be provided as well as free parking for all attendees. There will also be door prizes given away, including a set of four new tires from Hi-Tech Tires, as well as several other prizes. For more information and to register for the expo, call 423-778-5465.