The course is designed to provide an understanding of specific topics related to the cardiovascular system. At the end of the course, students should be able to understand the clinical care situations of patients suffering from the main cardiovascular diseases.
Course Prerequisites
The required and recommended knowledge at entry refers to the disciplines of anatomy and physiology, specifically the cardiovascular system.
Teaching Methods
Lectures conducted by the instructor with the support of slides. Video screenings. Clinical case analyses.
Assessment Methods
The final assessment includes an oral exam. Students with learning disabilities (LDs) certified and recognized by the Unipv SAISD Center will be able to benefit from the compensatory measures recognized for them.
Texts
The teaching materials will be made available on the Kiro platform. The following are the reference texts for the study: • Nursing in Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (authors: Gabriele Carlin, Patrizia Borinato, published by C.G. edizioni medico scientifiche). • The ESC Textbook Cardiovascular Nursing (Oxford 2021, authors: Catriona Jennings, Felicity Astin) • ESC Guidelines
Contents
• Fundamentals of cardiovascular anatomy. • Fundamentals of cardiovascular physiology. • Basics of the approach to cardiovascular patients: history taking, risk factors, examination, and semiotics, including telemedicine. • Differential diagnosis of chest pain. • Differential diagnosis of dyspnea. • The electrocardiogram: execution and interpretation criteria. • Fundamentals of cardiovascular diagnostics: echocardiogram, stress testing, MRI, and CT scan. • Atherosclerotic plaque. • Pathophysiology of coronary artery disease: stable and unstable angina. • Pathophysiology of myocardial infarction: definition and management of STEMI and non-STEMI. • Arterial hypertension: pathophysiology, diagnosis, and basic treatment principles. • Fundamentals of diagnosis and medical treatment of valvular heart disease. • Epidemiology and pathophysiology of heart failure. • Diagnosis and treatment of heart failure. • Cardiac arrhythmias: mechanisms and causes. • Supraventricular arrhythmias, with particular reference to atrial fibrillation. • Ventricular arrhythmias, with particular reference to life-threatening conditions, such as tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation (e.g., procedures: defibrillation); inherited arrhythmogenic diseases. • Basic concepts of pacemakers and implantable defibrillators (including wearable defibrillators). • Overview of cardiac surgery (aortic disease, valvular heart disease, CABG; heart transplant; LVAD). • Overview of pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension. • Overview of infectious cardiac diseases: pericarditis, endocarditis, and myocarditis. • Overview of angiology (PDA, DVT)
