Asthma is a disorder characterized by periodic attacks of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. Another new initiative, the interstitial lung disease program, will focus on diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis and asbestosis, which result in permanent damage and scarring to the air sacs in the lungs. Researchers at the University of Maryland are actively studying both the cause and treatment of these diseases, including improved protocols for lung transplantation. Dr. Hasday is also working to develop an acute lung injury and sepsis program in conjunction with doctors at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to a bacterial infection that can originate anywhere in the body.
Sepsis can cause high fever, severe lung injury and death.
I believe our research will lead to more effective treatments for sepsis, says Dr. Hasday. Dr. Hasday directs a research laboratory that studies how fever can contribute to inflammation and affect one s ability to fight infections. Dr. Hasday is also the director of the pulmonary outpatient clinic at the Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center and is the immediate past president of the Maryland Thoracic Society. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Lung Association, and serves on the Research Committee of the American Heart Association Mid-Atlantic Affiliate. This information is not intended to be a substitute for individual medical advice in diagnosing or treating a health problem.