AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, the student must be able to know the first approach to the patient with all the diseases of internal medicine and to define the subsequent diagnostic pathway, both clinical and laboratory, and the prognosis. 

Among the specific skills he/she has to be able to:

- Treat the differential diagnosis of the main features of the diseases of internal medicine, such as pain, fever, central nervous system alterations, circulatory, respiratory and gastrointestinal problems, blood and endocrine problems, immunological and rheumatological manifestations.

- Discuss in an interactive way the differential diagnosis of real or simulated clinical cases

- Evaluate all the laboratory results

- Evaluate the results of radiological, scintigraphic and ultrasound imaging

- Define a short and/or long-term strategy of the main illnesses with an addition of a therapeutic approach

- Discuss in an interactive way the possible diagnostic and therapeutic decisions (decision making) in real or simulated clinical cases

- Prepare a rational request of imaging and laboratory exams, and of a specialist visit

- Prepare a clinical report and a discharge letter

- Discuss with a patient the advantages and risks of a treatment

- Inform the patient and the relatives about diagnosis of serious illnesses and related treatments

- Collect the clinical history and make the clinical exam in outpatients or patients at home in the setting of the general practitioner. Identify the active problems in an outpatient.      

TEACHING METHODS

The learning contents will be provided through:

Lessons in the lecture hall

Seminars about clinical cases

Practices for groups of students

Weekly periods in wards

Presentation of clinical cases by the students

Overall teaching will be organized in 40 hours of lessons, 20 hours of seminars and practices for small groups, 40 hours of attendance in the wards

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

To deal with the differential diagnosis of the main features of diseases in internal medicine:

- Pain

- Fever

- Weight decrease

- Central nervous system manifestations (syncope, confusion, coma)

- Changes in circulatory and respiratory functions (dyspnea, hypoxia, cough, haemoptysis, oedema, arrhythmias, shock)

- Changes in gastrointestinal functions (hyporexia, dysphagia, constipation, dyarrhea, gastrointestinal bleeding, jaundice, ascites) and haemotology (problems at the 3 lines of blood cells, lymphoadenomegaly, splenomegaly)

- Changes in kidney functions and electrolyte levels

- Rheumatological diseases

- Bone diseases, endocrine and metabolic diseases, nutrition problems

- Neoplastic syndromes

- Main infectious diseases

To evaluate the laboratory exams

To evaluate imaging, endoscopic, cardiological and respiratory results

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

AA.VV.-Goldman’s Cecil Medicine. Saunders (24thEdition, 2012)

AA.VV.-Harrison’s. Principi di Medicina Interna. McGraw -Hill (19° Edizione, 2015)

Rugarli C.-Medicina Interna Sistematica. Ed. Masson (5aEdizione, 2005)

Bartoli E.-Medicina Interna: Metodologia, Semeiotica, Fisiopatologia, Clinica,

Terapia medica. RAHP (1aEdizione, 2010)