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Cardiology Foundations for Clinical Excellence

Focus on Cardiac Auscultation, Electrocardiology and Thoracic Radiography

Saturday, June 27, 2009

The symposium will focus on three basic skills important in the accurate diagnosis and assessment of a patient with cardiovascular disease, specifically, cardiac auscultation, electrocardiography and thoracic radiography. After a brief introductory lecture, we will break out into three smaller groups and rotate. Each session will last approximately one hour. 

Cardiac Auscultation:  The skill of physical examination in cardiovascular disease is often under-emphasized in today’s world of modern diagnostic tests and imaging modalities. However, the initial physical examination is the first and critically important diagnostic test available to the veterinary practitioner. Various studies of physicians, medical students and one study of veterinarians indicate low levels of proficiency in identifying various cardiac sounds by auscultation. We propose using a wireless infrared auscultation system that allows a large group of participants to listen simultaneously with an instructor who is listening with his or her stethoscope to various live animals with cardiovascular disease. The wireless infrared auscultation system includes an instructor’s stethoscope that has a built-in microphone capable of picking up the animal’s heartbeat and broadcasting the heart sounds via a powering infra red module. Each student or participant has a wireless stethoscope style infrared receiver and can hear the heart sounds simultaneously with the instructor. The infrared technology allows a clear broadcast of very soft and subtle heart and breathing sounds. We have approximately 75 wireless “stethophones”. We use this wireless infra red system to teach cardiac auscultation to the students and they LOVE it. (Instructor- Terri DeFrancesco)

Electrocardiography (ECG): The rapid and accurate assessment of an arrhythmia in a suspect heart failure or collapsed patient is especially important in the overall success of that patient’s management. In a case based rounds-like format, the instructor will present several patients and their ECGs. We will discuss the key electrocardiographic features for diagnosis of various arrhythmias including sinus tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia. We will also discuss the goals of therapy for the arrhythmia as well as specific anti-arrhythmic management. (Instructor – Clarke Atkins)

Thoracic Radiography: In an animal that presents for cough and dyspnea, the thoracic radiograph is considered one of the highest yield diagnostic tests. However, thoracic radiographs are notorious for being one of the more difficult tests to interpret for various reasons. In dogs, there is huge variation in chest conformations resulting in both over and under estimation of cardiac size. In cats, the non specific nature of parenchymal changes with pulmonary edema is challenging. In this session, the instructor will briefly review basic thoracic radiographic anatomy. Then, several radiographs from patients who presented with cough or dyspnea will be evaluated. In an interactive manner, the instructor will point out key features on the radiographs that help either support or refute the diagnosis of heart failure in these patients. (Instructor – Andrea Lantis)

Registration

Registration for this course is $59 paid before June 20, 2009, and $79 paid after June 20. Registration includes lectures, lunch, and proceedings on CD-ROM. There will be an extra charge of $20 for printed proceedings. A registration form is available here.

Continuing Education

This course offers three-and-a-half (3.5) hours of CVME for veterinarians and veterinary technicans.

Location & Lodging

This course will be held at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine at 4700 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, NC. For information on area hotels, visit our informative website.

ADA Statement

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in the activity, please contact Samantha Hartford to discuss your needs at least 30 days prior to the event.

Schedule

Speakers

Clarke Atkins, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology & Internal Medicine)