Southwest Campus

Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

IMED 9125

Participating Faculty: Tommy K. Ko, M.D.

Offered: Year around

Objectives of the Elective:

  1. Learn to conduct a comprehensive, respiratory directed, history and physical examination.
  2. Develop familiarity with pathophysiology, evaluation of and current therapy for commonly encountered pulmonary disorders including asthma, COPD, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, sleep disorder respiration, pulmonary thromboembolism, bronchogenic carcinoma, and HIV-related infectious disorders.
  3. Master basic interpretation of pulmonary function test and arterial blood gases.
  4. Learn indications for bronchoscopy (diagnostic and therapeutic).
  5. Learn proper techniques and indications for pleural biopsy and thoracentesis and learn to interpret pleural fluid results.
  6. Learn indications for and how to initiate mechanical ventilation. Develop an understanding of potential complications of mechanical ventilation and how to avoid them.
  7. Acquire knowledge of the advantages-disadvantages and indications for different types of mechanical ventilation.
  8. Learn different methods of weaning from mechanical ventilation.
  9. Learn indication for and techniques of central line and Swan-Ganz catheter placement. Learn to interpret data obtained from hemodynamic monitoring, and how to utilize this data appropriately for therapeutic interventions.
  10. Be able to interpret chest roentgenograms and familiarity with computer tomography of the chest.

Instructional Activities:

  1. Prompt daily attendance. (Notify the attending of any absences).
  2. Obtain laboratory results on ICU and inpatient before formal rounds.
  3. Daily progress notes on patients assigned to you. (Notes and consults must be thorough, concise, and legible).
  4. Read required reading list.
  5. Attend required conferences.
  6. View all pathology specimens obtained from pulmonary procedures at a time arranged by the attending.

Standards of Performance (Outcomes) Indicating Attainment of Objectives:

Be familiar and competent in the above described objectives.

Criteria for Grading:

  1. Demonstration of degree of expertise of the above objectives appropriate for medical students.
  2. Attendance to rounds, conferences, and teaching sessions.