29th Annual Summer Update July 9-13, 2012

Overview

This 24 hour review and update in the areas of clinical immunology, microbiology, and infectious diseases is intended to improve knowledge about the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of infectious diseases, immunological mechanisms of disease and disease prevention, appropriate approaches to the diagnosis of infections and immunologic disorders, and utilization of the clinical microbiology and immunology laboratory including selection and interpretation of results.

This course will provide a forum for the exchange of ideas dealing with microbial infections as well as immunity to infectious diseases and immunologic disorders. Faculty consists of clinicians involved in patient care, pathologists, and clinical laboratory scientists. Discussion of timely topics by faculty and participants assures that this course will be informative, interesting, and relevant.

On completion of the course, attendees should be able to:
  • Identify new emerging pathogens, infectious syndromes, and immunologic diseases including clinical presentations.
  • Critically analyze current practice and laboratory procedures in diagnosing infectious and immunologic disorders as well as result reporting.
  • Update the current knowledge of the epidemiology and mechanisms of transmission of infectious disorders.
  • Assess new therapeutic modalities, which are being developed or utilized in treating infectious and immunologic diseases.
  • Discuss genetics and molecular diagnosis of infections and immunologic disorders.

Who Should Attend

Pathologists, clinical pathologists, laboratory scientists, pediatric, medicine and family medicine clinicians, infectious disease specialists, clinical immunologists and allergists, microbiologists, residents and postdoctoral fellows. Medical technologists, laboratory managers, nurse practitioners, hospital epidemiologists, research and development technologists, and pharmaceutical and diagnostic industry personnel will also find the course of great value (suggested background: professional degrees or medical technologist degrees in pathology, microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases.)

Special Topics

  • The Hyper IgE (Job) Syndrome
  • Common Variable Immune Deficiency
  • Defects in Innate Immunity Causing Infections
  • Medical Education in the 21st Century
  • Case Presentations
  • Syphilis in the 21st Century
  • Clostridium difficile
  • Updating the Frontline on what is Circulating
  • The Neutrophil: A Two Edged Sword
  • Global Infectious Diseases: Eradication and Prevention
  • Fusobacterium necrophorum and Lemierre’s Syndrome
  • Fulimant Hepatitis: Differential Diagnosis
  • Influenza
  • Global Infectious Diseases Perspective
  • Helicobacter pylori: Update on Diseases, Diagnosis, and Discouraging Trends
  • Underappreciated/Emerging Agents of Diarrhea
  • Viral Load Testing in Transplantation
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections
  • Update on Mycobacteriology
  • Parasitology
  • Fever in Returning Travelers
  • Ongoing Evolution of Hepatitis C Treatment
  • New Guidelines for HIV Diagnosis
  • Genetics of Primary Immune Deficiencies
  • Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID) Screening
  • Identification of CD40 Ligand and ICOS Defects in Patients with Immunodeficiencies
  • IFN-b Neutralizing Antibodies in MS Patients
  • The Winding and Perilous Road from Basic Science to Public Policy
  • HPV Testing
  • Testing for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Trichinosis Infection
  • Laboratory Evaluation of Inflammatory Bowel Disease - When Less is More
  • New Guidelines for the Diagnosis of Celiac Disease and the Challenges of Diagnostic Algorithms