Approach to the Respiratory Patient
A four week online tutored CPD course with Katie Gray and Elle Haskey
Week 1
Common Respiratory Diseases
- Lower respiratory tract disease
- Pleural disorders
- Pulmonary disease
- POCUS and sampling
- Management
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, delegates should be able to:
- Describe lower respiratory tract physiology and the disease processes seen in practice
- Understand the different causes of pleural disorders
- Understand the different causes of pulmonary disease
- Identify the uses of POCUS and understand which patients may benefit from thoracocentesis
- Describe how to manage the patient with acute respiratory distress
Week 2
Oxygen Therapy
- How to identify a patient in need of oxygen therapy
- Non-invasive methods of oxygen therapy
- Invasive methods of oxygen therapy
- Monitoring a response to therapy
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, delegates should be able to:
- Understand which parameters are used to identify patients who are in need of oxygen therapy
- Describe which methods of non-invasive oxygen therapy are available and which is the most suitable for their patient
- Describe which methods of invasive oxygen therapy are available and which is the most suitable for their patient
- Discuss whether a patient is responding to oxygen therapy and when a decision may be made to discontinue oxygen support
Week 3
Blood Gases
- Why do we use blood gas analysis?
- How to take a sample for a blood gas analysis
- What is acid / base?
- Interpretation of a blood gas report
- Compensation
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, delegates should be able to:
- Understand why blood gas analysis is important for managing the respiratory patient
- Describe how to take a sample for blood gas analysis
- Understand acid / base status and what this means for the patient
- Interpret a blood gas report using a step by step approach so that this can be transferred to your patients in practice
- Understand the physiology behind compensatory mechanisms
Week 4
BOAS – from Admit to Discharge
- Admit considerations
- BOAS plan
- Anaesthesia considerations
- Dealing with the BOAS crisis
- Other nursing considerations
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, delegates should be able to:
- List the considerations which should be discussed with the owner when the patient is admitted to the hospital
- Discuss safe ways of managing these cases whilst they are hospitalised to minimise complications
- Understand how to make BOAS patients anaesthesia plans safer
- Explain the concerns associated with a BOAS crisis and how to manage these
- Describe other nursing considerations associated with these breeds and how we can factor these into our nursing care plans for hospitalised patients