{"id":1291,"date":"2014-12-23T11:40:08","date_gmt":"2014-12-23T16:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/?p=1291"},"modified":"2016-12-13T18:26:56","modified_gmt":"2016-12-13T18:26:56","slug":"the-cooper-breathing-center-south-jerseys-only-comprehensive-resource-for-diagnosing-dyspnea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/2014\/12\/23\/the-cooper-breathing-center-south-jerseys-only-comprehensive-resource-for-diagnosing-dyspnea\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cooper Breathing Center: South Jersey\u2019s Only Comprehensive Resource for Diagnosing Dyspnea"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shortness of breath can be a symptom of myriad conditions, and identifying the underlying cause isn\u2019t always clear-cut. To aid in this process and speed the time to treatment, the Cooper Breathing Center<\/a> offers a one-stop multidisciplinary resource for accurate, timely diagnosis and treatment planning.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re the only comprehensive center in South Jersey focused on why someone has shortness of breath,\u201d says the Center\u2019s Director Melvin R. Pratter, MD, FCCP, FACP<\/a>. He heads a team of six pulmonologists who utilize today\u2019s most advanced diagnostic modalities including cardiopulmonary exercise testing, bronchoscopy and other interventional pulmonary proce du re s, a nd a state-of-the-art sleep lab \u2013 a l l conveniently located on site.<\/p>\n

In fact, Dr. Pratter and his colleagues have set the standard in how to diagnose a patient who presents with shortness of breath, publishing two research studies that show a systematic algorithmic approach is the most efficient \u2013 and ensures the most appropriate utilization of resources.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur approach emphasizes using the minimum number of carefully selected tests, moving from the simplest to the more complex,\u201d he explains. \u201cIf the patient can be diagnosed with simple analysis, no further tests are needed. If not, it\u2019s a systematic progression, with more complicated, invasive tests used only if preliminary testing indicates they\u2019re required.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a result of this focused approach, we make diagnoses in 99 percent of cases with fewer tests,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

Another strength of the Center is its close collaboration with other Cooper specialists.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though we\u2019re all pulmonologists, we don\u2019t approach a diagnosis strictly from that point of view,\u201d Dr. Pratter notes. \u201cWe really take a holistic approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn many cases, shortness of breath might indicate a heart problem or something else outside the lungs,\u201d he continues. \u201cSo instead of doing what most pulmonologists do an exhaustive workup in their own specialty then, when nothing is found, referring the patient to another specialist for yet more tests \u2013 our evaluation isn’t complete until we have a diagnosis. \u201cThe most common causes of shortness of breath relate to<\/p>\n

the lungs and heart, so we work closely with cardiologists and radiologists [on imaging studies],\u201d he says. \u201cBut if other tests or expertise are needed, we have it all here at Cooper, and we\u2019re used to doing this together.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, he notes, it\u2019s not uncommon for there to be more than one underlying cause of a patient\u2019s shortness of breath\u00a0\u2013 underscoring the advantage of Cooper\u2019s multidisciplinary collaborative approach to diagnosis.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do a lot of communicating in person, by phone and by sharing records,\u201d Dr. Pratter says. \u201cEverything one specialist is doing is transparent and available to everyone involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to lung diseases such as COPD, asthma, asbestos, and cancer, and heart and vascular disease, other underlying causes of shortness of breath may include obesity, allergies, anxiety, airway obstruction, disorders affecting breathing nerves and muscles, disorders of the blood and metabolism, restriction of chest volume due to such conditions as scoliosis, and certain medications.<\/p>\n

When the reason for a patient\u2019s dyspnea is not clear-cut, Dr. Pratter urges physicians to refer to the Cooper Breathing Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have both clinical and research capabilities here,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have enormous experience doing this. And patients can be seen the same week they call.\u201d n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shortness of breath can be a symptom of myriad conditions, and identifying the underlying cause isn\u2019t always clear-cut. To aid in this process and speed the time to treatment, the Cooper Breathing Center offers a one-stop multidisciplinary resource for accurate, timely diagnosis and treatment planning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[140,139,138],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-dzarnosky","4":"has-excerpt","5":"post-1291","7":"format-standard","8":"category-featured","9":"post_tag-cooper-breathing-center","10":"post_tag-pratter","11":"post_tag-shortness-of-breath"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1291"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1584,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291\/revisions\/1584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}