OVERVIEW

The discipline of Internal Medicine deals with the main conditions of acute and chronic illness found in the adult population and includes the major causes of non-traumatic and non-neurological or psychiatric emergency. The discussion and understanding of the physiopathological bases and the clinical presentation of the main internal diseases contributes to the more general understanding of the causes of discomfort, especially in the elderly population and any fragile title, as well as the perception of the health emergency

AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Considering the aim of the course and the size of the module, the training objectives are not to give the students the ability to organize diagnostic strategies or to plan therapeutic interventions, but to provide them with a general view of the major clinical syndrome (with special regard to symptoms and signs of disease detectable without the need of maneuvers requiring specific training), as well as of the physiopathological bases necessary for their understanding, referring to knowledge of physiology and general pathology. Clinical frameworks will be used to identify emergencies that require direct or indirect immediate intervention (rescue, hospitalization).
Being impossible thoroughly dealing with all the aspects of internal medicine, the major respiratory, cardiovascular and endocrine-metabolic diseases will be privileged and attention will be focused on the fundamental alterations of vital signs (dyspnoea, circular alterations, alterations in the state of consciousness, alterations in nutrition and hydration conditions, etc.)
 

LEARNIG OUTCOMES

The student will have to
- Know the clinical presentation of major major internal medicine syndromes
- Know and critically evasluate the possible meanings of the main alterations of vital signs and the possible need for immediate intervention (NB the structure and size of the module do not allow to face with practical emergency intervention - BLS, BLSD ... – information  about the importance of such approaches outside the course  is provided to the students)
- Understand the significance of the mainstream diagnostic tools for current use
- Identify the organic illness as cause of discomfort
- Apply the above knowledge to characterize the severity of a clinical situation and the need for intervention (therapy, hospitalization)
- Apply the above knowledge to identify the urgency of immediate intervention
- Integrate the above knowledge with what learned in other course modules

TEACHING METHODS

The module consists of 10 lessons on the topics listed above.
The discussion will be encouraged at best, and practical clinical examples will be included, based not only on the basic knowledge already possessed (which will be referred to and will be tested and where possible reinforced through the discussion ), but also on "daily life experience ".

 Any Student with documented Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or with any special needs, shall reach out to the Lecturer(s) and to the dedicated SLD Representative in the Department before class begins, in order to liase and arrange the specific teaching methods and ensure proper achievement of the learning aims and outcomes.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

1.  Clinical approach to internal medicine patients.
2. Diagnosis from clinical to laboratory exams.
3. Cough.
4. Dyspnoea.
5. Digestive alterations.
6. Jaundice and cyanosis.
7. Atherosclerosis.
8. Acute myocardial infarction.
9. Thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
10. Diabetes and its complications.
11. Atrial fibrillation.
12. Hypertension and its complications.
13. Shock
14. Urgency and Emergency

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Slides of the presentations during courses.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

GABRIELLA PIETRA (President)

DARIO ARNALDI

DANIELE ROBERTO GIACOBBE

FABRIZIO MONTECUCCO

FEDERICA BARBIERI (President and Coordinator of Integrated Course)

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Testing is done through final examination,  aimed at verifying the actual acquisition by the student of expected learning outcomes.
The student must obtain a score of not less than 18/30, to demonstrate at least the minimum achievement of the above mentioned objectives:
The following  concur to the final score:
- ability to deal transversely and critically discuss the arguments required
- correctness, clarity, synthesis and expressive fluency
- mastery of the matter
- Adopting appropriate terminology
The vote of 30/30 (with possible praise) will be given in case of excellence of acquired knowledge / skills

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students are given to the students by phone for appointment by appointment, for any questions / clarifications (also with the possibility of collective meetings)