Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics CEU Courses for Respiratory Therapists

The Pulse of Respiratory Care: Mastering Cardiac Rhythms" is an advanced course designed to provide respiratory care practitioners with a comprehensive understanding of cardiac rhythms and their implications for respiratory care. This course will delve into the intricate mechanisms of cardiac rhythms, including normal sinus rhythm and various dysrhythmias, equipping participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize, interpret, and respond to cardiac rhythm abnormalities effectively.

Arterial Blood Gas Interpretation: A New Look reviews best practices for ABG analysis using extended interpretations and recognizing preanalytical errors. Additionally, the course reviews evidenced based protocols for proper ABG sampling, handling, and storage.

For respiratory therapists, an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) serves as a valuable diagnostic tool to assess the cardiac function of patients. While respiratory therapists primarily focus on the respiratory system, they often encounter patients with cardiopulmonary conditions, where understanding cardiac activity is crucial. The lecture introduces electrocardiogram interpretation and case studies, reviewing ECG interpretation and management strategies.

Using airway pressure measurements to assess potential lung injury is limited because it represents stress applied to both the lung and chest wall. This lecture describes the technique of measuring esophageal pressure to isolate lung stress, and uses a clinical scenario to demonstrate how this helps setting the ventilator in severe ARDS.

The advanced course discusses the sleep disorder, insomnia that can be short-term or chronic due to various underlying conditions. The available evidence-based treatment and management options affecting adolescents and adults are reviewed.

Sleep is vital to our health, and sleep loss and insomnia impact our quality of life, driving many health and socioeconomic consequences. This advanced course reviews the various types of insomnia, identifying the common causes and diagnosing effective collaborative care strategies in persons with sleep disorders.

New treatments for COPD have emerged for patients with emphysema and chronic bronchitis. This course provides an overview of these new therapies and where they may be applied now and in the future.

The purpose of this course is to provide respiratory therapists with a current review on apnea testing for suspected brain death in patients with severe trauma and neurological injury. The course discusses evidence-based guidance for apnea testing and monitoring.