Course Description

ECAV 301 - Anatomy for Echocardiography Technology

Components: Theory,
Credit Hours: 3
Course Schedule: Block system
This course provides a full description and demonstration of the heart as a three dimensional structure. Course starts with the description of the external and internal thoracic anatomy, with special emphasis on the surface anatomical landmarks of the heart and great vessels and the intra-thoracic anatomical relationships. Morphologic anatomical features of the cardiac chambers and heart valves are going to be discussed in details. Other aspects, like histological features of relevant cardiac and vascular structures and the embryologic development of the heart are going to be covered as well. This course consists of theoretical classroom-based lectures and laboratory practical sessions and is run in parallel with the cardiovascular physiology course, so that anatomical structures are link to their respective physiologic functions.

ECAV 302 - Physiology for Echocardiography Technology

Components: Theory,
Credit Hours: 3
Course Schedule: Block system
This course covers the basic function of the heart as a pump. Cellular and functional myocardial properties are going to be described in details. Interaction of the electrical impulse with the myocardium in producing sequential cardiac events are going to be covered as well. Intra-cardiac pressure changes and blood flow dynamics in relation to the cardiac cycle are going to be described in details. Additional aspects will include myocardial metabolism, physiologic response to exercise, systemic vascular control and cardiopulmonary relationship. The course will relate physiologic cardiac events to their respective anatomic structures.

ECAV 311 - Basic Cardiac Electrophysiology

Components: Theory, Practical
Credit Hours: 2
Course Schedule: Block system
This course covers the basic principles of electrical cardiac activity and ECG recording. Students will be introduced to the basic concepts of ECG recording and rhythm analysis. Practical sessions of performing ECG and interpreting normal and abnormal ECG findings are going to be provided. Systematic analysis and interpretation of a wide range of rhythm abnormalities and conduction disturbances is going to be demonstrated in practical sessions.

ECAV 304 - Principles of Cardiac Pathology

Components: Theory
Credit Hours: 3
Course Schedule: Block system
Students are going to be introduced to cardiovascular diseases and their pathophysiological mechanisms and complications. It will cover almost every pathological condition that might affect heart structure or function. Common cardiovascular disease, like cardiomyopathies, valvular heart disease, and coronary artery disease are going to be discussed in details. In addition, diseases of pericardium and great vessels as well as diseases of pulmonary and systemic circulations are also going to be covered in this course.

ECAV 305 - Pharmacology for Echocardiography Technology

Components: Theory
Credit Hours: 3
Course Schedule: Block system
This course provides the essential knowledge of cardiovascular medications to the ECVT students who are mostly going to deal with patients on some sort of cardiovascular medications. Contents of this course include basics of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, medication side effects and clinical applications of common cardiovascular medications. Major classes of pharmacological agents that are commonly used for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes are going to be discussed.

ECAV 306 – Principles of Echocardiography

Components: Theory,Practical
CreditHours:3
CourseSchedule: Blocksystem
In this course, students learn the general principles of technical aspects and clinical applications of echocardiogram. Technical aspects include manual skills of patient preparation, handling of the echo machine and transducer and mastering the standard echo views on a normal subject. Clinical applications cover the indications, advantages, limitations and putting the echo study within its clinical context. The course prepares students to the next level of advanced theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the field of echocardiography technology.

ECAV 312 – Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentation

Components: Theory, Practical
Credit Hours: 4
Course Schedule: Block system
This course provides detailed knowledge on the theoretical principles of ultrasound physics and their practical implementations in the medical field with special reference to cardiac applications. Sound and ultrasound waves production, propagation, characteristics and interaction with matter are going to be covered in details. Students are also going to be introduced to the ultrasound instrumentation that includes transducer construction and function, echo machine operations, display systems, information processing and storage. Safety and quality issues of ultrasound technology are also going to be addressed by reviewing pertinent quality assurance standards in relation to ultrasound bio effects and image artifacts.

ECAV 313 – Basic Adult Echocardiography

Components: Theory, Practical
Credit Hours: 4
Course Schedule: Block system
This course covers the function of water in the body and the variation in the fluid content in healthy individuals depending on age, sex and amount of body fat. Fluid balance of solvents and solutes will be highlighted. Common electrolytes and lactic acid and their function will be discussed. Osmosis, diffusion, active transport filtration, source of fluids for the body, fluid imbalance, fluid volume excess and electrolyte imbalance and risk factors for imbalance will be covered. The role of kidneys, cardiovascular system, lungs, adrenal glands, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, gastrointestinal tract and nervous system in maintaining a stable state under variable conditions (Homeostatic) will be explained.

ECAV 307 – Non-Invasive Testing

Components: Theory, Practical
Credit Hours: 2
Course Schedule: Block system
This course introduces students to different forms of non-invasive cardiovascular investigations that are commonly used as complementary to echocardiogram. The imaging part of this course will cover the theoretical principles and technical applications of cardiac computed tomography (cardiac CT), cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and nuclear myocardial perfusion. Other topics of the course will include the clinical aspects and technical skills of different forms of stress testing as well as advanced electrophysiological skills of ischemia recognition and rhythm analysis in 12-lead ECG and ambulatory ”Holter” monitor

ECAV 308 – Patient Care Skills

Components: Theory, Practical
Credit Hours: 2
Course Schedule: Block system
This course is designed to provide students with the adequate skills that ensure appropriate delivery of care to patients undergoing echocardiographic examination. The course covers the most important skills that are required during patient contact. Communication skills, documentation notes, professional attitude, physical care and patient safety are the main themes of the course. This course gives students the opportunity to learn and practice direct patient care skills through a classroom lecture format and during their practical field experience sessions.

ECAV 303 – Clinical Observation

Components: Theory
Credit Hours: 3
Course Schedule: semester system
This course represents the initial clinical exposure of students in the echocardiography (echo) laboratory (lab). During this course, students are going to experience the real echo lab environment and work flow. Students will be able to apply their prior knowledge of communication skills, professional responsibilities, echo lab protocols and applications of cardiac instrumentations into real practice. They will be able also to link the basic sciences of anatomy, physiology, pathology and ECG to the real life echo studies. This course will also prepare students for the subsequent level of clinical courses that include; patient care skills, ultrasound instrumentation and advanced clinical practicum. Students will be under close supervision and guidance of the echo lab instructors and technologists. Students will initially participate in providing simple patient care, patient preparation and data entry and as the course progresses, students will be gradually allowed to perform limited scanning of one window at a time, after the completion of study by the sonographer

ECAV 401 – Doppler Physics and Cardiac Hemodynamics

Components: Theory
Credit Hours: 3
Course Schedule: Block system
This course provides detailed knowledge on the physical principles of Doppler phenomenon and its related medical applications, particularly in echocardiography practice. Doppler instrumentation and its practical implementation in cardiac hemodynamic assessment are going to be studies in details. Cardiac blood flow, valvular stenosis, valvular regurgitation and intracardiac shunt assessment represent the main topics of this course.

ECAV 402 – Advanced Adult Echocardiography

Components: Theory, Practical
Credit Hours: 4
Course Schedule: Block system
On top of their prior basic 2D and M-mode knowledge and skills which have been previously provided to them, students are going to learn during this course cardiac Doppler applications and hemodynamic assessment, particularly for valvular heart disease and congenital heart defects. Color Doppler and spectral Doppler modalities and applications, in relation to a wide spectrum of cardiovascular diseases, are going to be covered in theoretical and practical sessions. Quantitative and qualitative Doppler assessment of valvular heart disease, cardiac shunts, diastolic cardiac impairment and pericardial disorders are going to be demonstrated.

ECAV 412 – Congenital Heart Disease

Components: Theory
Credit Hours: 2
Course Schedule: Block system
This course covers the clinical, anatomical and pathophysiologic aspects of congenital heart diseases. Students are going to be introduced to new scientific terminologies and pathological conditions that are commonly seen at pediatric age group. Almost all cardiac defects or congenital anomalies that are commonly seen in clinical practice are going to be covered in theoretical sessions. The practical applications of this course are going to be covered in “Pediatric Echocardiography” course that is run in parallel with this course

ECAV 413 – Pediatric Echocardiography

Components: Theory, Practical
Credit Hours: 3
Course Schedule: Block system
During this course technical aspects and practical applications of echocardiogram in the pediatric population are going to be covered. This course consists of theoretical classroom lectures and practical laboratory sessions. Course will explore the current practices of echocardiogram in assessing a wide range of acquired and congenital childhood cardiac diseases.

ECAV 411 – Clinical Practicum I

Components: Practical
Credit Hours: 4
Course Schedule: Semester system
This course takes students to a higher level of echocardiography practice in a clinical context. During this course, students are going to have longer exposure to real cardiac patients and more chance of practicing hands-on skills of transthoracic echocardiogram. Students are expected to apply their prior knowledge of basic sciences, patients care skills and technical skills into real practice. In addition, this course is going to build in students the professional responsibility and accountability that prepare them for the internship phase and subsequently for the real life work field. Students are going to be under direct supervision and guidance of the echo lab instructors and technologists. Students are expected to participate in all steps of conducting transthoracic echocardiogram, including acquiring images and performing measurements.

ECAV 414 – Transesophageal Echocardiography

Components: Theory
Credit Hours: 4
Course Schedule: Block system
This course will take the students to a new dimension of echocardiography, the Trans-Esophageal Echocardiogram (TEE), where they have not been exposed in their prior studies. Students will learn the clinical applications, the technical aspects and the role of echo technologists in TEE. They will be oriented to the TEE transducer planes and the standard TEE views and their corresponding anatomical structures. Pre-procedural check list, patient preparation and post procedural requirements are going to be covered during this course

ECAV 404 – Principles of Cardiovascular Disease Management

Components: Theory
Credit Hours: 2
Course Schedule: Block system
After having adequate diagnostic skills and being able to identify most of the CV disease entities, it would be very reasonable to close the loop in the mind of students and proactively answer their question, “What should we do for these patients”? It is important for the students “as a future echo technologists “to know their active role in the management plan of patients. This is part of their role as health advocates and a self-motivation method. During this course, students are going to review the concepts and practices of CVD management for common CV diseases. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapeutic options are going to be discussed and property related to their clinical indications. Special emphasis is going to be paid to the catheter-based and surgical interventions particularly in relation to structural heart diseases for their type, timing and expected outcome of the procedure and the long-term benefits and plan of follow up.

ECAV 416 – Special Echocardiography Procedures

Components: Theory, Practical
Credit Hours: 4
Course Schedule: Block system
This course will focus on the echocardiography procedures that are performed in special situations and for specific reasons. These procedures would frequently require special patient preparation and machine settings. Higher level of cognitive and technical skills as well as high degree of safety precautions are commonly required for performing these procedures. Examples of these procedures include; physical and pharmacological stress echocardiography, myocardial strain imaging, speckle tracking, 3-dimentional echocardiography and intracardiac echocardiography

ECAV 403 – Quality and Professional Development

Components: Theory
Credit Hours: 2
Course Schedule: Block system
During this course, students are going to study the concept of quality in its broad meaning with special attention to quality in health care systems. Institutional and specialty quality aspects are going to be covered in depth, focusing with more details on the quality of echocardiography services. Quality standards and process are going to be discussed in details. Quality dimensions in relation to echo lab services are going to be explored and emphasized n addition, during this course, students are going to be oriented to the post graduate professional development in all potential specialty-related careers.

ECAV 415 – Clinical Practicum II

Components: Practical
Credit Hours: 5
Course Schedule: Semester system
After having adequate diagnostic skills and being able to identify most of the CV disease entities, it would be very reasonable to close the loop in the mind of students and proactively answer their question, “What should we do for these patients”? It is important for the students “as a future echo technologists “to know their active role in the management plan of patients. This is part of their role as health advocates and a self-motivation method. During this course, students are going to review the concepts and practices of CVD management for common CV diseases. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapeutic options are going to be discussed and property related to their clinical indications. Special emphasis is going to be paid to the catheter-based and surgical interventions particularly in relation to structural heart diseases for their type, timing and expected outcome of the procedure and the long-term benefits and plan of follow up.

CAMS 411 – Research Methodology I

Components: Theory
Credit Hours: 2
Course Schedule: Semester System
The nature of scientific methods design and basic techniques in Research are discussed as applied to developing statement of research question, developing of statement of research hypothesis, defining the instrument, gathering and analyzing data, interpreting the result and drawing conclusion regarding the hypothesis. Student in each program will be assigned to one teaching staff member to guide them about how to critically review scientific published papers. With the guidance of staff member/Principal Investigator the students have to write a research proposal which should be submitted to Research Centre for Institutional Review Board (IRB) in approval

CAMS 412 – Research Methodology II

Components: Theory
Credit Hours: 2
Course Schedule: Semester System
The CAMS 411 course will continue as CAMS 412 Research Methodology II which involves the conduct of IRB approved research proposal and research reporting and publication.