| Introduction |
Key reading |
Submission of case presentation |
Welcome to the Year 5 Critical Care module. I hope that this 2 week attachment will give you some insight to this field of medicine. Previously this speciality was only available to students who chose it as an SCM module in their final year. Thankfully the important skills aligned to Intensive care have been realised as essential skills that all doctors should possess or experience hence its inclusion in many medical, anaesthetic and surgical rotations. Experience as a student and understanding the important relationship between medicine and physiology will only benefit you in your future careers as doctors. |
| The attachment focuses on a balance of knowledge and clinical exposure during a 2 week clinical attachment. The 2 week module also contains a formal ILS training programme. |
| In the final week of your attachment you will be expected to present a long case to the ICU department at your hospital, this is a valuable teaching lesson and also encourages you to read about a condition you may have never seen or heard of before. |
| There is a minimum attendance requirement; if you fail to meet this you may fail the module. |
| I hope you find this attachment valuable and we look forward to seeing you on the wards. |
Dr Umeer Waheed
Course Coordinator |
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Learning aims and objectives
Applied Basic Sciences:These are best discussed as ‘patient-centred’ topics.
- Cardiovascular respiratory and renal changes of the patient during their illness.
- Application of knowledge of these changes to basic organ support e.g. fluid management, oxygen therapy, inotrope therapy.
- Knowledge of basic immunology to underpin the pathophysiology of sepsis / SIRS; current and future therapies and research.
- Knowledge of basic coagulation pathways and their disturbances in critical illness – underpin the safe and appropriate use of blood products and alternatives.
- Applied microbiology as a core area of current clinical practice.
- Homeostasis and Acid Base irregularities
Practical Skills:Communication skills:
- Case presentations on ward rounds – the need to be able to communicate a clinical scenario clearly using language alone (e.g. telephone referral).
- Breaking bad news.
- Multi-disciplinary meetings
- Doctors handover – implications of handover Vs continuity of patient care
- Medical documentation – difficulty associated with trying to gain a clear clinical picture from medical notes – the aim being to emphasise the types of information that are usefully documented
Other:
- Cannulation
- Different mechanisms of oxygen delivery
- Basic airway skills
- Establishing i.v. infusion, drug dilutions and infusion rates
- Mixing drugs
- Safe drug administration
Critical Care Medicine:Basic understanding of:
- Common medical conditions in ICU
- Common surgical conditions in ICU
- Introduction to sepsis and SIRS
- Principles and management of cardiac failure
- Recognition and prevention of renal failure
- Respiratory failure and management
- Recognition and initial management of the critically ill patient
- Early clinical signs of illness (e.g. respiratory rate)
- Early warning systems and critical care outreach
- Basic oxygen therapy and delivery
- Fluid management
- The ‘ABC’ approach to critically ill patients
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| Key reading: Critical Care Medicine at a Glance - Richard Leach |
| For the more adventurous: Intensive Care Manual T.E OH |
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| Submission of case presentation |
| In the final week of your attachment you will be expected to present a long case to the ICU department at your hospital, this is a valuable teaching lesson and also encourages you to read about a condition you may have never seen or heard of before. |
| Please choose an interesting case and present it as a PowerPoint presentation to your department. This should include a short case history and a review of the up to date literature. Attach the presentation to the end of your assessment form. This will count towards your overall assessment. |
| Case presentations and assessment forms should be submitted to the Faculty of Education Office (Medicine), 1st floor, Reynolds Building on the Charing Cross campus. |
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