Cardiovascular Therapeutics - Evidence and Individualization

Code:

MI041

Acronym:

MI041

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Medicine

Instance: 2014/2015 - SP

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Medicine
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master in Medicine

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIMED	3	Mestrado Integrado em Medicina 2007	6	-	1,5	32	40,5
		Mestrado Integrado em Medicina- Plano oficial 2013 (Reforma Curricular)	6	-	1,5	32	40,5

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

Medicine comprises different areas of knowledge, one of which is Therapeutics – the phase in which a change is attempted in the natural history of the patient’s disease. Cardiovascular disease stand among the most common diseases, and this group of diseases is responsible for high rates of mortality and of morbidity. Medical doctors need to know, not only aspects of patho-physiology and of diagnosis of these diseases, but they are also in need of solid knowledge in the area of Therapeutics, taking in consideration that each patient is an autonomous reality and that general rules should be applied in an individualized way, the same is to say, taking into consideration all the clinical characteristics of each patient.

If it is true that Clinical Medicine is based on empirical evidence, which is used to establish several types of recommendations (including “Guidelines”), evidence itself is in constant shift, the same happening to recommendations. In this light, one of the pillars of this discipline consists in the study of therapeutic recommendations concerning common cardiovascular diseases, including the corresponding sources of knowledge and the way to have access, in an up-to-date form, to new knowledge and to new recommendations.

The second pillar of this discipline concerns the exceptions to the general rules, and aims at the study of circumstances that may lead to the fact that common recommendations cannot be followed. In a word, the basis of therapeutic individualization is studied, through case reports, taking into consideration that the final objective of medical activity is also concerned with results and not only with procedures.

Competences: The identification of the main sources of information regarding evidence on cardiovascular therapeutics; to be able to apply a set of recommendations and of therapeutic norms of particular importance in the treatment of common cardiovascular diseases; the identification of circumstances that may limit the application of frequently used norms, setting the stage for therapeutic individualization.

Learning outcomes and competences

Identifying the main sources of information concerning therapeutic evidence in cardiovascular disease; applying  a set of therapeutic recommendations of interest in the treatment  of common cardiovascular diseases; identifying circumstances that may limit the application of commonly used recommendations, setting the stage for therapeutic  individualization.

Working method

Presencial

Program

Analysis of cardiovascular therapeutics, including the corresponding therapeutic recommendations in the following themes:

- Arterial hypertension

- Dyslipidemia

- Diabetes mellitus (cardiovascular aspects)

- Stroke

- Angina pectoris

- Myocardial infarction

- Unstable angina

- Heart failure

- Atrial fibrillation

- Aortic valvular heart disease

- Bradyarrhyithmias (including cardiac pacemakers)

Analysis of case reports in which the application of therapeutic recommendations is limited by co-morbidities or by other circumstances.

Mandatory literature

Dan Longo, Anthony Fauci, Dennis Kasper, Stephen Hauser, J. Jameson, J. Loscalzo ; - Harrison´s Principles of Internal Medicine, 18th edition, 2011, 2011

Teaching methods and learning activities

27 hours of contact (at least)

-              2-hour seminars, concerning the themes mentioned above.

-              Practical sessions – Cardiology outpatient clinic; Arterial hypertension and risk factor outpatient clinic; Pacemaker laboratory.

-              During the non-contact hours, student are supposed to elaborate a report on patients observed, with a focus on Evaluation aims at assessing if the objectives have been reached and if the competences have been obtained by the student, and comprises two steps:

- Final examination (maximum score of 10): the examination will deal with the theoretical program of the discipline and comprises multiple response questions.

- Discussion of the report (maximum score of 10).

therapeutic aspects.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	50,00
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Total:	100,00

Calculation formula of final grade

- Final examination (maximum score of 10): the examination will deal with the theoretical program of the discipline and comprises multiple response questions.

- Discussion of the report (maximum score of 10).

therapeutic aspects.