CPD modules: A&P
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
Understanding & Establishing Intraosseous Access
Intraosseous (IO) access is an alternative method to providing venous administration of drugs and fluids. Commonly used by the military and pre-hospital medics,it is gaining popularity in the hospital setting where intravenous access is challenging or time critical.
Length of Study: 75 min
Difficulty: Easy
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
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
Amniotic Fluid Embolism
Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE) is a rare but potentially fatal syndrome that is unique to pregnancy. AFE has emerged as one of the leading causes of direct maternal death within developed countries such as Australia, the UK and the USA.
This module discusses AFE, its presentation, diagnosis and treatment.
Length of Study: 60 min
Difficulty: Difficult
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
Apnoea & Pre-oxygenation
Pre-oxygenation is used in anaesthesia to prolong the time to desaturation during a period of apnoea, such as frequently happens upon induction. This can also be thought of a denitogenation. This article covers the science behind it and discusses some patient groups that need special attention.
Length of Study: 60 min
Difficulty: Easy
Sickle cell disease
Sickle cell disease is a disorder of the blood caused by an inherited abnormal haemoglobin. The abnormal haemoglobin causes distorted (sickled) red blood cells. When the number of red blood cells decreases from rupture (haemolysis), anaemia is the result. The irregular sickled cells can also block blood vessels causing tissue and organ damage and pain.
Length of Study: 60 min
Difficulty: Easy
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
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
Suxamethonium Apnoea
This module describes the action of suxamethonium, the inheritance of suxamethonium apnoea, and the non-inherited conditions that can also cause it. The presentation and treatment of the condition are discussed.
Length of Study: 45 min
Difficulty: Easy
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
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
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
Spinal Anaesthesia
This module covers the relevant anatomy, physiology and pharmacology of safe and satisfactory spinal anaesthesia.
Length of Study: 90 min
Difficulty: Medium
Rapid Sequence Induction
Rapid sequence induction (RSI) is a method of achieving rapid control of the airway whilst minimising the risk of regurgitation and aspiration of gastric contents. This module covers RSI, its indications and contraindications.
Length of Study: 75 min
Difficulty: Easy
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
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
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
Valvular Heart Disease
This American review focuses on anesthetic management of the classic heart lesions: aortic stenosis (AS), aortic regurgitation (AR), mitral stenosis (MS), and mitral regurgitation (MR).
Length of Study: 90 min
Difficulty: Very Difficult
