DPTE 831 - Cardiopulmonary

(3 hours) Prerequisites: Successful completion of previous Fall term, Year II, CSU PT classes. This course is designed to prepare entry level physical therapists to 1) recognize patients who are at risk for cardiopulmonary disease secondary to the presence of well recognized cardiac disease risk factors and 2) acquire as clear an understanding of the cardiopulmonary involvement in patients who do have recognized cardiopulmonary disease in order to safely and effectively manage this patient population. These goals will be achieved by teaching the students 1) about the recognized comorbidities and risk factors for cardiopulmonary disease, 2) about medical tests including blood tests (serum enzymes and cardiac biomarkers), surgical interventions, imaging studies (echocardiograms, CT scans, positron emission tomography scans (PET) and MRI scans, Holter monitors/ECG and stress testing which provide information about the impact of cardiopulmonary disease on the function of this organ system and 3) “real time” assessments including chart review), physical examination, cardiopulmonary functional assessment (heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, etc.), and activity assessment. Goals 1 & 2 are designed to provide any physical therapist with the ability to define the cardiopulmonary status of any patient using available information and physical assessment of the patient. The combination of goals 1,2 and 3 is designed to maximize the understanding a physical therapist has of the cardiopulmonary status of a patient with known cardiopulmonary disease, thus allowing the crafting of an optimal and focused treatment plan that is both safe and effective. Laboratory sessions will focus on learning specific physical assessment and intervention techniques essential for optimizing the management of patients with cardiopulmonary diseases. Note: This course cannot be challenged.