Asthma is a reversible disease requiring appropriate pharmacological treatment by the Respiratory Therapist. This presentation will cover existing and new aerosolized medications recommended by national and international guidelines in both acute and maintenance treatment of the disease.

Presented by Douglas Gardenhire EdD, RRT, RRT-NPS, FAARC

Approved for 1.0 CRCE

• Please note that all programs require the participant to view the entire program before taking the final quiz and obtaining a course certificate.

• AARC-University courses are reviewed and updated every 3 years to ensure the quality and relevance of your learning experience. You can only claim CRCE credit for a course once within its 3-year active period.

• This course was reviewed in 2024.

The AARC Asthma Educator Certification Preparation Course has been assisting RTs and RNs since the NAECB debuted the AE-C examination in 2002. Over 5,000 professionals have benefited from the collection of lectures, self-assessment examinations, and CRCE post-tests based on the content of the NHLBI Expert Panel Reports (EPR).

This course assists clinicians in preparing for the Asthma Educator Certification (AE-C) examination offered by the National Asthma Educator Certification Board (NAECB) and is a general refresher course on asthma care. This course has been updated to reflect the September 2018 detailed content outline published by the NAECB.

The speaker will discuss the challenges of managing chronic disease processes and the key components of successful disease management programs, including assisting patients with self-management skills.

This course was reviewed in 2026

Approved for 1.0 CRCE Hour

**Please note that all programs require the participant to view the entire program prior to taking the final quiz and obtaining a course certificate.**

Wildfires are increasingly common and expose large populations to smoke containing high levels of fine particulate matter (PM?.?). This lecture will summarize key clinical evidence from their recent review on the respiratory health effects of wildfire smoke, with emphasis on acute and long-term outcomes, vulnerable populations, and implications for clinical practice and public health preparedness.

Presenter: Aleksandra Savich, MSc, RRT, RRT-NPS

Aleksandra Savich, MSc, RRT, RRT-NPS is a Respiratory Clinical Specialist at Rush University Medical Center, where she provides care to adult patients. She earned her Master of Science in Respiratory Care from Rush University, during which she contributed to a narrative review examining the impact of wildfire smoke exposure on respiratory health. Her professional interests include critical care, pulmonary disease management, and mechanical ventilation. She is passionate about evidence-based practice and advancing respiratory care through clinical excellence and research.

[Live webcast date: Jul 6, 2026]

Diagnosing and managing asthma can be challenging, particularly because several conditions may mimic asthma while requiring different treatment approaches. Adhering to established guidelines and technical standards, including the appropriate use of objective testing for each patient, is essential to confirming an accurate diagnosis. This presentation outlines the recommended diagnostic tests to support confident asthma identification and applies these principles to four real-world case studies. Together, these cases demonstrate the critical role of testing in both the diagnosis and ongoing management of asthma.

[Original broadcast date: May 26, 2026]

Presenter: Heather Murgatroyd BA, RRT, CPFT, AE-C