CPD modules: Medium
You are free to download, print and study the modules. Once you have completed your reading come back and take the multichoice test. If you obtain a pass mark of over 80% you will have the option of printing out a certificate of completion.
Physiological effects of transfer for critically ill patients
Critically ill patients can be exposed to significant physiological changes during transfer that can lead to significant instability with hypoxia, hypotension, arrhythmias and changes in intracranial pressure (ICP). This tutorial will explore the physiological effects that land and air transfer have on critically ill patients and describe how these adverse physiological sequelae can be avoided or reduced.
Length of Study: 75 min
Difficulty: Medium
Vapourisers & Inhalational anaesthetics
Vapourisers are specially designed devices that deliver a very accurate concentration of anaesthetics. This module discusses them and how the process of vapourisation works.
Length of Study: 60 min
Difficulty: Medium
Understanding local anaesthetics
This article discusses the pharmacology of local anaesthetic agents and then briefly describes the various additives that can be used with these agents.
Length of Study: 75 min
Difficulty: Medium
Burn patients: the anaesthetic considerations of
This group of patients can be challenging with profound hypermetabolism, pain management issues, potential airway problems, etc. These are all covered in this module.
Length of Study: 75 min
Difficulty: Medium
Understanding your ECG: a review
Health professionals use the electrocardiograph (ECG) rhythm strip to systematically analyse the cardiac rhythm. Before the systematic process of ECG analysis is described it is important to understand the individual waveforms, segments and intervals of the ECG. This module reviews all these steps.
Length of Study: 90 min
Difficulty: Medium
Paediatric Anaesthetic Emergencies: Pt 2
Paediatric anaesthetic emergencies can happen faster and leave less time to react the in adults. They present complex, potentially life-threatening situations that everyone engaged in giving paediatric anaesthetic should be aware of and be able to treat.This second article covers malignant hyperthermia and anaphylaxis.
Length of Study 50min
Difficulty: Medium
Parkinson’s Disease & Anaesthesia
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system the causes of which are poorly inderstood. This article covers its management under anaesthetic, discusses which drugs are safe for use in this patient group and whether regional or GA anaesthetic are more appropriate.
Length of Study: 60 min
Difficulty: Medium
Paediatric Pain
Good quality, effective management of pain in paediatric patients is an essential component of paediatric anaesthesia. However, achieving this can be difficult for a variety of reasons not least of which is the enormous variations that occur physiologically and psychologically throughout the range of ages encountered in the paediatric population.
Length of Study: 80 min
Difficulty: Medium
Diabetes & Anaesthetic Management
This module covers the affect of diabetes on the surgical patient and why intraoperative blood glucose control and frequent measurement of blood glucose and serum potassium are key to safe practice.
Length of Study: 75 min
Difficulty: Medium
Spinal Anaesthesia
This module covers the relevant anatomy, physiology and pharmacology of safe and satisfactory spinal anaesthesia.
Length of Study: 90 min
Difficulty: Medium
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Blood Issues
Jehovah’s Witnesses are well known for their refusal of blood transfusions. But how much do you really know? What can or can’t they have, are epidural blood patches acceptable and what rights do parents have to refuse their children blood transfusions? This article discusses these issues as well as giving background on who are Jehovah’s Witnesses and what they believe in. It also covers the area of consent in both children and adults according to New Zealand law.
Length of Study: 60 min
Difficulty: Medium
COPD and Anaesthesia
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a commonly encountered respiratory disorder. Patients with COPD pose a challenge to the anaesthetist because intraoperative and postoperative complications occur more commonly than in those without the disease, and can lead to prolonged hospital stay and increased mortality. This module provides an overview of COPD and discusses implications for the anaesthetic management of patients with the disease.
Length of Study: 75 min
Difficulty Medium
Muscle Relaxants: the fundamentals
The introduction of neuromuscular blocking drugs revolutionised the practice of anaesthesia. Before the advent of muscle relaxants, anaesthesia was induced and maintained by intravenous or inhalation agents.
This comprehensive module covers all aspects of neuromuscular muscle relaxants.
Length of Study: 90 min
Difficulty: Medium
Paediatric Anaesthetic Emergencies: Pt I
Paediatric anaesthetic emergencies can happen faster and leave less time to react then in adults. They present complex, potentially life-threatening situations that everyone engaged in giving paediatric anaesthetic should be aware of and be able to treat.This first article covers laryngospasm and suxamethonium apnoea.
Length of Study: 50 min
Difficulty: Medium
Perioperative anaphylaxis
Perioperative anaphylaxis is not uncommon and several commonly used anaesthetic drugs can cause anaphylaxis. This modules covers latest guidelines to identifying and treating anaphylaxis in theatre as well as the post theatre care required.
Length of Study: 75 min
Difficulty: Medium
Peri-operative Management of Patients on Strong Opioids
It is very common to encounter patients on strong opioid medication. These patients present particularly challenging pain management difficulties in the peri-operative period due to behavioural, psychological and pharmacological consequences of opioid treatment. This module discusses the key concepts in the anaesthetic management of patients taking strong opioids and steps that can be taken to ensure optimum peri-operative care.
Length of Study: 80 min
Difficulty: Medium
The effects of anaesthesia on respiratory function.
This tutorial will explain how anaesthesia affects the respiratory system and how these effects can be managed.
Length of Study: 60 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Residual Neuromuscular Blockade
This module covers all aspects of residual neuromuscular blockade, its causes, effects, how to determine its presence and its reversal. It also gives tips of effective nerve stimulator use.
Length of Study: 75 min
Difficulty: Medium
Changes in Pregnancy Relevant to Anaesthesia
Pregnancy causes major physiological changes to the mother’s body. An understanding of these changes is the key to safe obstetric anaesthesia. The causes of these changes are initially hormonal; metabolic and mechanical factors also contribute as the fetus develops.
Length of Study: 60 min
Difficulty: Medium
Arterial Blood Pressure Measurement – The physics and principles.
Intra-arterial blood pressure measurement is often considered to be the gold standard of blood pressure measurement. This accuracy however, depends on a number of physical principles of the systems used, which are explored in this advanced module.
The is also a separate easier module available covering setting up and using arterial lines.
Length of Study: 75 min
Difficulty: Medium
