The course will go through the following topics
• Symptoms and signs of respiratory disease:
To address symptoms and signs of respiratory disease: clinical history, physical examination.
To understand the most common pulmonary function tests (spirometry, lung volume measurement, bronchodilator test, Lung CO diffusing capacity, methacholine test and blood gas analysis)
To address the principles of thoracic imaging
To address the principles of bronchial endoscopy
• Bronchial asthma
To review the current definition of asthma
To understand the epidemiology, the pathology and physiopathology of asthma, different diagnosis with other obstructive diseases such as COPD
To learn the clinical presentation and to address the diagnosis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD):
To review the current definition of COPD
To understand the epidemiology, the pathology and pathophysiology of COPD
To learn the clinical presentation and to address the diagnosis (differential diagnosis between asthma and COPD)
• Pneumonia:
To review the epidemiology, the clinical features and the diagnostic methods of community-acquired pneumonia and nosocomial pneumonia
• Interstitial lung diseases:
To review the current definition, classification and aetiology of interstitial lung diseases
To understand the epidemiologic, clinical, physiologic, and radiologic features of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis
• Respiratory failure:
To review the definition and to understand the pathophysiologic classification (alveolar-capillary diffusion, shunt, ventilator/perfusion mishmash, hypoventilation)
To describe the clinical presentation and the therapeutic approach
• Sleep apnoea syndrome:
To understand the definition, the epidemiology, the pathophysiology the clinical presentation and the therapeutical approach, with special reference to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.