• Introduction to cardiovascular anatomy.

• Introduction to cardiovascular physiology, nervous, endocrine, paracrine and automaticity.

• Embryological processes leading to congenital abnormalities

• Cardiac cycle: excitation-contraction and control of cardiac output. Haemodynamics, Action potential

• Cardiovascular functions

• Pressure overload vs. Volume overload.

• Clinical signs associated with cardiac disorders

• The cardiac examination; history and patient examination

• Thoracic auscultation

• Chest percussion techniques

• Differentiating cardiac from respiratory disease

• Principles of electrocardiography

• ECG acquisition and analysis

• Common ECG abnormalities

• Anti-arrhythmic and pacemaker therapy

• ECG case examples for interactive solving

• Pathophysiology and clinical management of patent ductus arteriosus, Pulmonic and aortic stenosis, Ventricular and atrial septal defects, Tetralogy of fallot, AV valve dysplasia

• Advanced techniques for diagnosis and treatment of cardiac congenital defects

• Techniques for obtaining diagnostic thoracic radiographs

• Common radiographic abnormalities of the thorax

• Differentiating heart disease and heart failure

• Recognition and assessment of radiographic lung patterns.

• Recognition of important heart abnormalities in the X-ray.

• Radiological case studies.

• Pathophysiology of heart failure.

• Neuro-endocrine cascade of heart failure.

• Classification systems of heart failure in veterinary cardiology

• Principles of cardiovascular therapy: management of the acute CHF (emergency treatment) vs. chronic CHF

• Refractory CHF

Canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARCV).

Endocarditis.

Myxomatous degenerative valve disease (MDVD).

Myocarditis.

Secondary cardiomyopaties in dogs.

• Feline cardiomyopathy (CM) classification

• Pathophysiology of feline CM

• Clinical and echocardiographic diagnosis of feline CM

• Management of feline CM and arterial thromboembolism

• Aetiology and management of myocarditis in cats

Cardiac monitoring techniques

Cardiac support

Anaesthesia plans for the cardiac patient

Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation

Use of defibrillators

• Differenciation of syncope versus epilepsy.

• Processing syncopal patients.

• Clinical investigation techniques (including Holter)

• Possible therapeutic approaches.

• Pulmonary hypertension.

• Heartworm.

• Problem-oriented approach to cardiac patients

• Differential diagnoses lists

• Therapeutic interventions

• Practical limitations

In this concluding module, the diagnostic and therapy are deepened in many interactive case studies.

By clinical examination, ECG and / or X-ray and echocardiography as appropriate, delegates should be able to make a diagnosis and then propose the correct therapy

• Classification and clinical presentation of intracavitary and extracavitary cardiac tumours

• Management of primary cardiac tumours

• Anatomy and physiology of the pericardium

• Aetiology and pathophysiology of pericardial effusion and tamponade

• Clinical cases of pericardial effusion management

Typical ultrasound cutting planes

• Technical basics of echocardiography

• Transducer frequencies, gain, etc

• Differences and application of B-mode and M-mode

• Application of Doppler measurements

• Typical echo changes of important diseases

• Problem-oriented echocardiography - Flowchart

• Case studies

• Practical exercise

By clinical examination, ECG and / or X-ray and echocardiography as appropriate, delegates should be able to make a diagnosis and then propose the correct therapy

Practice: Echocardiography