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Advanced Certificate in Small Animal Ultrasound
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Key information
Overview
General Practitioner Advanced Certificate (GPAdvCert) in Ultrasound
The GPAdvCert in Ultrasound has been developed for veterinary professionals who wish to advance their knowledge and practical skills, progress their academic qualifications and gain recognition in their field.
Introductory paragraph:
The GPAdvCert in Ultrasound is suitable for veterinary surgeons who have already completed their General Practitioner Certificate in Diagnostic Imaging (GPCert), or Postgraduate Certificate (PgC) in Ultrasound. Candidates entering this programme should be comfortable with the use of ultrasonographic equipment and techniques for the basic abdominal ultrasound examination.
This practical and theoretical course consists of 12 modules and equips the clinician with in depth knowledge of advanced ultrasound applications. Clinical decision-making proficiency based on the ultrasound examination findings in specific disease entities, focusing on communication of relevant differential diagnoses and prognostic factors, will be strengthened for the daily practice. The clinician will gain in depth confidence in performing advanced applications of ultrasound in abdominal, musculoskeletal, thoracic and neck examnations as well as ultrasound guided tissue sampling and injection techniques. Elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasound will be introduced for the use in clinical practice.
Case based discussions will be included in every module. The hands-on small-group practical sessions in this course provide robust training for the relevant examination protocols, enabling the participant to readily apply these in practice for common and complicated clinical presentations in dogs and cats.
Description
Module 1
- Be able to demonstrate proficiency in the routine abdominal ultrasound examination - revision of theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and practical scanning
- Be able to identify the challenging parts of the gastrointestinal tract (cardia, pylorus and ileocecal junction), pancreas and adrenal glands using ultrasonography, also in suboptimal scanning conditions (obese patients, gas in gastrointestinal tract) – revision of theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and practical scanning
- Integrate ultrasound findings in complex patient presentations in clinical decision making – taught and demonstrated using still images and videos
- Understand advantages and disadvantages of sonography in gastrointestinal tract, adrenal glands and pancreas in light of internal medicine case management – taught and demonstrated using still images and videos
Module 2
- Be able to show and assess relevant abdominal vessels - revision of theory taught in lectures with still images and videos and practical scanning Demonstrate and optimise an abdominal Doppler ultrasound examination - revision of theory, and practical scanning
- Describe, classify and identify variants of congenital and acquired portosystemic shunts – taught and demonstrated using still images and videos
Module 3
- Be able to perform a routine abdominal ultrasound exam in a feline patient – theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and practical scanning
- Recognize the anatomical differences in the feline patient compared to canine patients and explain how these apply to the ultrasonographic exam and pathophysiology of the feline patient - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos
- Be able to recognise and identify specific feline diseases - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and interactive clinical case discussions
Module 4
- Be able to critically analyse ultrasound findings with regards to their impact on diagnosis and therapeutic decisions - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and interactive case discussion
- Be able to produce a meaningful formal ultrasound report with relevant differential diagnoses in a clear and concise manner - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and report writing practical exercises and interactive case discussion
Module 5
- Be able to explain ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration and biopsy technique for abdominal, thoracic and retrobulbar applications - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and practical exercises
- Differentiate the advantages and limitations of ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration for the specific abdominal, thoracic and retrobulbar applications - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos
- Demonstrate ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration technique for the liver, spleen, prostate, kidney, lymph nodes, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, retrobulbar space and thorax, incorporating safe sampling practice techniques - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and practical exercises
Module 6
- Describe handling of samples yielded by ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration to achieve optimal diagnostic quality - theory taught on lectures with still images and videos, and practical scanning
- List indications for ultrasound guided injection and ablation techniques and explain the technique used - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and practical exercises
Module 7
- Describe the diagnostic benefits and limitations of the ultrasound exam for patients with acute gastrointestinal disease, acute abdomen presentation or polyurea polydipsia - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and interactive case discussions
- Demonstrate ultrasound exam approach tailored to patients presenting with vomiting, diarrhoea, gastrointestinal bleeding, acute abdomen, or polyuria/polydipsia - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and practical exercises
- Explain the advantages of the ultrasound examination in patients presenting with vomiting, diarrhoea, gastrointestinal bleeding, acute abdomen, or polyuria/polydipsia in comparison to other imaging modalities - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and interactive case discussions
Module 8
- List the most frequent differential diagnoses for patients presenting with vomiting, diarrhoea, gastrointestinal bleeding and the relevant ultrasonographic findings - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and interactive case discussions
- Describe appropriate ancillary tests following the ultrasound examination in patients presenting with vomiting, diarrhoea, gastrointestinal bleeding - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and interactive case discussions
Module 9
- List examples of the diagnostic benefits and limitations of the ultrasound exam for patients with abdominal distension, jaundice, urologic emergencies and dyspnoea - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and interactive case discussions
- Be able to conduct an ultrasound exam tailored to protocol oriented to patients with abdominal distension, jaundice, urologic emergencies or dyspnea - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and practical exercises
Module 10
- Distinguish ultrasonographic features of intrathoracic pathologies leading to dyspnoea and be able to categorize ultrasonographic lung patterns - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and interactive case discussions
- Be able to determine appropriate further diagnostics following the ultrasound examination in patients with abdominal distension, jaundice, urological emergencies and dyspnoea - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and interactive case discussions
Module 11 & 12
- Be able to conduct an ultrasound exam of the neck including the larynx/trachea, thyroid glands, regional salivary glands, musculature and lymph nodes - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and interactive case discussions
- Describe relevant differential diagnoses for diseases of the neck according to their ultrasonographic and clinical presentation - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and interactive case discussions
- Summarize the scan protocol and anatomical markers for ultrasonography exams of the shoulder, elbow, coxofemoral joint, stifle and calcanean tendon as well as muscular ultrasound - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and practical exercises
- Be able to interpret musculoskeletal and spinal ultrasonographic findings in relation to the orthopaedical and/or neurological clinical patient presentation - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos, and interactive case discussions
- Demonstrate ultrasound examination of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs, describe ultrasound guided sampling of spinal lesions
- Be able to explain the applications of 3D ultrasonography, contrast enhanced ultrasound and elastography - theory taught in lectures with still images and videos
General Information:
- Registration is from 9:00am for 9:30 start.
- Teaching finishes at 5:00pm
- Comprehensive notes are provided for each module.
- Refreshments and lunch are provided for attended modules.
Entry requirements:
Candidates should have a completed their General Practitioner Certificate in Diagnostic Imaging and be comfortably performing the basic abdominal scanning routine. The candidates should understand the basic functions of the ultrasound unit including Doppler functionality to achieve optimal image quality and recognize common artefacts. Basic pulmonary, ocular, neck and musculoskeletal scanning approaches should have been revised.