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RSC441 Advanced Respiratory Laboratory Diagnostics (8)

Abstract

This subject describes the practical performance and physiological basis of selected specialised clinical respiratory studies. These areas include blood gas analysis, need for domiciliary oxygen and assisted ventilation, assessment of distribution of ventilation and perfusion, bronchial challenge testing, exercise testing and sleep disordered breathing.

+ Subject Availability Modes and Location

Session 2
DistanceWagga Wagga Campus
Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: RSC441
Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.

Subject information

Duration Grading System School:
One sessionHD/FLSchool of Biomedical Sciences

Assumed Knowledge

RSC201 or (RSC410 and RSC421)

Enrolment restrictions

Available only to students enrolled in Postgraduate Respiratory Science, undergraduate BMedSc(Clinical Physiology) or at the discretion of the Subject Co-ordinator.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
* describe the equipment and the testing methods used in determination of blood gas concentrations, homogeneity of pulmonary ventilation and perfusion, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, exercise performance and obstructive sleep apnoea;
* describe the calibration procedures and minimum equipment specifications for instruments used in the specialised clinical respiratory tests described above;
* appreciate the influence of equipment characteristics on the accuracy of physiological measurements attained by these methods;
* identify the rationale governing minimum patient performance criteria for each of the specialised clinical respiratory tests described above;
* define the parameters measured and their physiologic significance, for each of the specialised clinical respiratory tests described above;
* describe the process of quality control specific to each of the specialised clinical respiratory tests described above;
* perform some of these specialised clinical respiratory tests;
* indicate the appropriate use of these clinical testing methods as aids in the assessment of respiratory disease;
* describe appropriate therapeutic methods such as domiciliary oxygen or assisted ventilation for improving patient care when respiratory pathology is determined.

Syllabus

The subject will cover the following topics:
The syllabus will cover the following topics: Module 1: Blood gas analysis * physiologic basis: hypoventilation, heterogeneity of ventilation (V) and perfusion (Q), V/Q mismatch. * clinical measurement: calibration and minimum equipment specifications, sample procurement, normal ranges. * quality control issues. * tests of respiratory function employing blood gas determination: ideal alveolar gas equation, pulmonary shunt, anatomical shunt, Bohr equation. * arterial blood gas interpretation; oxygen therapy, assisted ventilation. * noninvasive estimates of blood gases: oximetry, capnography, transcutaneous monitors, expired gas analysis. Module 2: Distribution of ventilation and perfusion * physiological basis: anatomical, alveolar and physiological dead space; closing volume, closing capacity, pulmonary perfusion, anatomical shunt, physiological shunt and ventilation-perfusion matching. * clinical measurement: single breath nitrogen (Fowler's method) and multiple breath nitrogen washout tests * calibration and minimum equipment specifications; gas analysers, volume and flow meters, pulmonary artery catheters and plethysmographs. * minimum patient performance criteria, prediction equations and quality control issues. Module 3: Challenge tests *physiologic basis: bronchial hypersensitivity, hyper-reactivity and hyper-responsiveness. * challeng protocol: direct (histamine and methacholine) and indirect (cold/dry/isocapnic hyperventilation, exercise, osmotic - hypertonic saline and mannitol), nebulisers * clinical measurement: calibration and minimum equipment specifications, airflow limitation indices, dosage (cumulative dose versus concentration) * quality control issues Module 4: Exercise testing * physiologic basis: cardiorespiratory regulation and response to exercise. * interpretation: cardiorespiratory indices. Module 5: Sleep disordered breathing * physiologic basis: respiratory control, sleep staging, inspiratory flow limitation. * interpretation: EEG, ECG, EMG data, sleep disturbance, apnoea/hypopnea index. * assisted ventilation therapy: CPAP, PEEP

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The information contained in the 2015 CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: 01 October 2015. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.