Intended learning outcomes (knowledge, skills and competences to be developed by the students):
The primary objectives of this CU consist in the acquisition of knowledge regarding the clinical indications of the cardiac imaging techniques, particularly the non-invasive ones that have grown in capacities in the last decades. Secondarily, the students will learn how each modality is performed, the background of the associated physics and chemistry behind the machine work, the kind of obtained information and its usefulness for the cardiovascular diagnosis, monitoring and prognosis.
The final desired learning outcome will be acquiring to appropriate use of Cardiac imaging modalities in the clinical setting and its integration in the clinical diagnosis, including the role of multimodality for each pathological condition. Considering the importance and impact of imaging in cardiac diseases management, elements of cost-effectiveness and health costs will be added to the curriculum.
Syllabus:
In this CU, dedicated to students in the 5th year, the overall program will cover the following topics:
- Introduction to Cardiac Imaging – from non-invasive to invasive modalities;
- Non-invasive modalities – the millennium advances. Historical background, summarised presentation of all modalities, and its value from a general point of view;
- Echocardiography, Cardiac Magnetic Resonance, Nuclear Cardiology, Cardiac Computerised Tomography
- Fundaments of performance, how it works, how to acquire the information, what is the range of information, how to analyse the outputs;
- Risks and safety issues;
- Clinical indications – what the guidelines say;
- An introduction to invasive modalities for diagnosis and therapy;
- Clinical cases for discussion of application of the cardiac imaging modalities in a large number of representative clinical cardiovascular conditions;
- Practical sessions in cardiac Imaging labs and clinical settings