RTH 243 - Advanced Assessment and Monitoring

1. Assess cardiac output and heart function and identify methods of measuring cardiac output.
2. Explain and relate invasively monitored hemodynamic pressures to their clinical application in the care of the critically ill patient and utilize critical thinking skills to make correct respiratory care decisions based on these findings.
3. Identify and assess sleep-related breathing disorders and utilize critical thinking skills to make correct respiratory care decisions based on these findings.
4. Describe the inter-dependence of respiration and nutrition and assess respiratory related factors in nutritional assessment.
5. Describe the causes of various advanced cardiac arrhythmias and the treatment procedures used in each.
6. Explain the different methods that can be used to perform a cardiac stress test.
7. Explain the use of bronchoscopy and the role of the respiratory therapist during the assessment procedure.

1. Cardiac Output Assessment
   1. Measurement of cardiac output and heart function
   2. Determinants of heart function
   3. Methods of measuring cardiac output
2. Invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring
   1. Arterial pressure monitoring
   2. Central venous pressure monitoring
   3. Pulmonary artery pressure monitoring
   4. Clinical applications of hemodynamic monitoring
   5. Technical considerations for invasive hemodynamic monitoring
3. Assessment of Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders
   1. Normal sleep stages
   2. Sleep disorders and sleep apnea
   3. Assessment of sleep-related breathing disorders
   4. Polysomnography basics
4. Nutritional Assessment and the Respiratory System
   1. Inter-dependence of respiration and nutrition
   2. Metabolism
   3. Methods of meeting nutritional requirements
   4. Nutritional assessment
5. Advanced Cardiac Arrhythmia Interpretation
   1. Review of normal rhythms
   2. Axis deviation
   3. Atrial dysrhythmias, causes and treatments
   4. Junctional dysrhythmias, causes and treatment
   5. Ventricle dysrhythmias, causes and treatment
   6. Conduction abnormalities, causes and treatments
6. Cardiac Stress Testing
   1. Treadmill stress test
   2. Nuclear treadmill stress testing
   3. Non-exercise nuclear stress testing
   4. Value of three dimensional echocardiogram in heart testing
7. Bronchoscopy
   1. Indications for bronchoscopy
   2. Procedure and equipment required
   3. Performance of therapeutic/diagnostic procedure
   4. Role of the respiratory therapist
   5. Assessment of critical findings