Cardiopulmonary Assessment and Diagnostic: Course Outline

This course provides physiotherapists new and advance approaches in assessment and diagnosis of cardiopulmonary patients. Focus is made on evidence based skills which provides sufficient knowledge for developing clinical reasoning skills. Topics will focus on comparing contemporary and traditional interventions and the impact of evolving technology in this area. . It also describes the important differentiating condition.

Cardiopulmonary Assessment

• Introduction 
• Background information
  • Ward reports and meetings 
  • Medical notes 
  • Patient observation charts
• Subjective assessment 
  • Respiratory symptoms 
  • Other symptoms 
  • Functional limitations 
• Observation 
  • General appearance 
  • Colour 
  • Hands Oedema 
  • Jugular venous pressure 
  • Chest shape 
  • Respiratory rate 
  • Breathing pattern 
  • Sputum 
  • Sputum specimen and sputum induction
• Equipment 
• Palpation
  • Abdomen 
  • Chest expansion 
  • Percussion note 
  • Systemic hydration 
  • Trachea 
  • Capillary refill 
  • Tactile vocal fremitus
• Auscultation
  • Technique 
  • Breath sounds 
  • Added sounds 
  • Voice sounds
• Exercise tolerance 
• Imaging the chest
  • Systematic analysis 
  • Lateral film 
  • Other tests 
• Respiratory function tests
  • Working definitions 
  • Measurement of airflow obstruction 
  • Measurement of lung volumes 
  • Gas transfer 
  • Respiratory muscle function 
  • Other tests 
• Mini case study

Cardiopulmonary Diagnostic

Procedural details and report Interpretation:

• Electrocardiogram (ECG) 
  • Arrhythmias 
  • Disease Related 
• Chest X-Ray (CXR)
  • Cardiac 
  • Pulmonary
• Echocardiography: 
  • Types & Axis 
• Trans-oesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) 
• Treadmill Testing: 
  • Bruce protocol 
  • Angina index 
  • Duke Score 
• Tilt Table Test 
• Thallium Radionucleotide Scanning of the Heart 
• Other New Imaging Techniques 
• Cardiac Catherization, Percutanous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA), Stenting (PTCS), drug eluting stents and Brachytherapy (radiation) 
• Electrophysiological Study of the Heart (EPS) and Radio-frequency Ablation (RF) 
• Other procedure
  • Permanent Pacemaker Implantation (PPM) 
  • Automatic Implantable Cardiovertor-Defibrillator (AICD) 
  • Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) 
  • Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) & MIDCAB 
  • Transmyocardial Revascularization (TMR,DMR,PMR) 
  • Myocardial Reduction Surgery 
  • Bi-Ventricular Pacing for Heart Failure (BiV Pacing) 
  • MD-CT angiogram & MR angiogram

1. The students will have advance knowledge in cardiopulmonary assessment and diagnosis.

2. The students will be able to develop their skills according to new and advance assessment and diagnosis procedures in cardiopulmonary physical therapy

3. The students will be able to explain the appropriate use and benefit of long term oxygen therapy

4. The students will be able to identify strategies for patient education

5.To enhance the knowledge and skills of the students for differential diagnosis and the scope of Physical therapy practice and referral issues.