CPD modules: PACU
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.
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: 75 min
Difficulty: Medium
Laryngospasm in Anaesthesia
Recognition of at-risk patients will help to prevent laryngospasm and avoid potential significant morbidity. This module discusses laryngospasm, its recognition, prevention and treatment.
Length of Study: 75 min
Difficulty: Easy
Morphine – Still the gold standard
Still popular and widely used. This brief module reviews the basics of morphine, its uses, side effects and doses.
Length of Study: 30 min
Difficulty: Easy
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
Tracheostomy fundamentals
Tracheostomies are becoming more common and the consequences of a misplaced tube can be serious so a good understanding of them is essential.
Length of Study: 90 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
Arterial Blood Gas Analysis
This module explains how to do a simple easy to understand arterial blood gas analysis. How to use the 5-step approach to analyse arterial blood gas results as well as explaining how respiration and metabolism are linked and how this effects the results.
Length of study: 90 min
Difficulty: Difficult
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
Malignant hyperthermia
Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a rare life-threatening condition that is usually triggered by exposure to certain drugs used for general anesthesia. This module reviews malignant hyperthermia, its epidemiology, clinical features and presentations as well as its management during an MH crisis.
Length of Study: 90 min
Difficulty: Difficult
Temperature Management in Children
Maintenance of normothermia in children under going surgery is challenging. There is clear evidence in adults that even mild intra-operative hypothermia is associated with adverse outcome. This short article discusses the problems and what we can do about it.
Length of Study: 40 min
Difficulty: Easy
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
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
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
Urea & Electrolytes: a review
Urea and electrolytes (U&Es) are the most frequently requested biochemistry tests. They provide useful information about several aspects of health, such as the volume of blood and its pH. The most important aspect of U&Es is what they tell us about kidney functioning.
Length of Study: 50 min
Difficulty: Easy
Enhanced Recovery From Surgery (ERAS)
Enhanced recovery is a modern evidence-based approach that helps people recover more quickly after having major surgery. Many hospitals – although not all – have enhanced recovery programmes in place, and it’s becoming standard practice following surgery for many procedures.
Length of Study: 75 min
Difficulty: Medium
Latex Allergies
Latex allergies can be present in both staff and patients. Perioperative workers have to be aware of the causes and consequences of latex products in the operating theatre.
Length of Study: 60 min
Difficulty: Easy
Post dural puncture headache
Post dural puncture headache is unpleasant, it may interfere with a new mother’s
ability to care for her newborn and it may extend the length of hospital stay. This module covers both prevention and treatment options.
Length of Study: 60 min
Difficulty: Easy
Postoperative Nausea & Vomiting
PONV can be common after surgery, although some patient groups are more prone to this than others. This module discusses this and what is the most effective and appropriate treatment for PONV.
Length of Study: 60 min.
Difficulty: Easy
The Difficult Paediatric Airway
There are anatomical and physiological differences between the infant, child and adult that make even the normal paediatric airway difficult for the inexperienced practitioner, particularly in children under one year of age. Good preoperative assessment and preparation is therefore key to success of the management of the difficult airway in children. This article covers this and more.
Length of Study: 75 min
Difficultly: Difficult
Sugammadex: an overview
Sugammadex is an effective and safe agent for reversing neuromuscular blockade, in particular all depths of rocuronium-induced blockade. Sugammadex provides a real alternative to neostigmine and this module covers everything you need to know.
Length of Study: 60 min
Difficulty: Easy
