Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) is pleased to announce our participation in the upcoming “Respiratory Assessment and Management of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Current Standards and Future Directions” meeting, which will take place in Rome, Italy, from September 26–27, 2024. This important event will bring together experts from around the world to discuss advancements in respiratory care and management for individuals living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

About the Meeting

The two-day meeting will focus on current standards of respiratory diagnostics, chronic therapeutic care, and the role of new therapies in treating Duchenne. Hosted by Duchenne Parent Project aps, the event will include a mix of expert lectures, group discussions, and collaborative sessions aimed at improving the quality of respiratory care provided to patients with Duchenne across different care settings.

Key Topics

Attendees will engage in discussions on a range of critical topics, including:

• Routine and sleep assessments of pulmonary function
• Best practices in the use of airway clearance, chronic nocturnal ventilation, and chronic daytime ventilation
• Natural history of respiratory decline and threshold FVC levels
• The use of innovative methodologies to track respiratory function 
• Management of acute respiratory failure at home and in a hospital setting
• Respiratory needs from the perspective of patients and families

Group Discussions and Collaboration

A unique aspect of this meeting will be the opportunity for group discussions, where attendees can share insights from their own clinical experiences. These discussions will focus on understanding the challenges and opportunities in respiratory care, and how evolving therapies might change standards of care in the future. Meeting participants will examine the challenges to providing pulmonary standard of care at different clinics. Further discussion will focus on optimal assessment and management of perioperative situations and acute respiratory failure. 

PPMD’s Role

PPMD is committed to improving care for individuals living with Duchenne, and this meeting represents an important opportunity to ensure that our community’s voices are heard in shaping the future of respiratory care. As we continue to work alongside global experts, our goal remains to advocate for every person impacted by Duchenne to receive the highest quality of care.

We look forward to an engaging meeting and are thankful to the clinicians for their collaborative efforts to move the dial forward and improve care and treatment for Duchenne.