Los Angeles County Wildfires: Cedars-Sinai Lung Clinics Expand for Patients With Respiratory Symptoms

Cedars-Sinai pulmonologists, expecting to see an increase in individuals with respiratory issues due to the ongoing fires in Los Angeles County, have proactively added availability to their clinic schedules.

"Patients with airway diseases, such as pulmonary fibrosis, COPD and asthma, may experience worsening of symptoms due to exposure to poor air quality from wildfire pollutants," said Isabel F. Pedraza, MD, an assistant professor of Medicine and director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Cedars-Sinai. "We want to ensure that our patients have access to care when they most need it."

Pulmonology patients, Pedraza said, should be sure to take their inhalers as prescribed, as well as any other "controller" medications that contain an inhaled steroid.

"Both inhalers and controller medications can help reduce the airway inflammation brought on by smoke," Pedraza said.

Pedraza offered several other tips to anyone experiencing smoke and fire debris:

• Stay indoors as much as possible, keeping windows closed.
• Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
• Use fans to keep cool; if you are using air conditioning, adjust the system to allow for recirculation and prevent intake from outdoor air.
• Wear N95 masks when outdoors, especially in areas with dense smoke.
• Keep car windows rolled up and set vents to recirculate air.
• Ensure you have all necessary respiratory medications on hand. If you have asthma but are not currently on your maintenance steroid inhaler, consider restarting the inhaler.

For those experiencing worsening respiratory symptoms-such as an uncontrolled cough, wheezing or shortness of breath-Pedraza said patients should contact their care provider as soon as possible. Cedars-Sinai Urgent Care is also available to support patients.

To arrange an interview, contact:
Soshea Leibler | 213-215-8000 | [email protected]
Cara Martinez | 310-562-7821 | [email protected]

For the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom team's complete coverage of the Los Angeles County wildfires, please click here.