84453 - Cardiovascular and Respiratory Pharmacology

Learning outcomes

Describe the classification, mechanism of action, indications, and side effects of drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular and thoracic diseases.

Course contents

Drugs used in cardiovascular diseases:

• Drugs used in angina and other ischemic heart diseases: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects; risk/benefit evaluation and prescription
• Antihypertensive agents: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects; risk/benefit evaluation and prescription
• Drugs used in the management of heart failure: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects; risk/benefit evaluation and prescription
• Drugs used in the management of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects; risk/benefit evaluation and prescription
• Drugs used in the treatment of clotting disorders: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects; risk/benefit evaluation and prescription
• Antiarrhythmics: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects; risk/benefit evaluation and prescription
• Antianemic agents: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects; risk/benefit evaluation and prescription

Drugs used in thoracic diseases:

• Drugs used in the management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects; risk/benefit evaluation and prescription
• Drugs used to treat cough: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects; risk/benefit evaluation and prescription.

Readings/Bibliography

Students can find free and subscription-only teaching material here.

The collection includes some free eLearning sessions for medical students preparing to sit the Prescribing Safety Assessment in the UK.

Suggested texbooks:

1) Hitchings, Lonsdale, Burrage, Baker. The top 100 drugs. Clinical pharmacology and practical prescribing. 2nd Edition, 2019, Elsevier (Paperback ISBN: 9780702074424 eBook ISBN: 9780702074400eBook ISBN: 9780702074417)

2) Waller and Sampson, Medical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 5th Edition, 2018. Elsevier (or previous Editions).

3) Babini & Bansal, Thieme Test Prep for the USMLE®: Learning Pharmacology through Clinical Cases, 2018. Thieme. ISBN: 9781626234239

Teaching methods

Interactive lectures where general rules are derived from practical examples taken from everyday experience. Teaching materials and slides are made available to the students via the moodle platform at least the day before the lesson. During the lessons, it is important for students to have direct access (online or off-line) to the teaching materials in order to be able to concentrate on specific contents rather than on reproducing slides.

Attending lessons plays an important role in the learning process. During lessons, the teacher guides the students in the critical reading of the teaching materials and provides opportunities for online formative assessment.

La final test takes also into account the level of critical thinking achieved by the student while illustrating the extracted topic (see below).

Attendance to learning activities is mandatory.

Assessment methods

Module - Cardiovascular and Respiratory Pharmacology

Because of the practical nature of this module, its final test will consist of an oral, critical discussion by the student of one official summary of the product characteristics (SPC) randomly selected from a pre-defined list. This text will be available to the students during the test.

During the test, the students will be asked to critically analyze the selected SPC to show that they can identify key aspects (especially pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical indications and side effects) and associate these aspects with relevant clinical scenarios, according to the guide provided during the lessons.

***

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the relevant office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments.

The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the teacher, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Students are encouraged to attend the lectures with a printout of the relevant file downloaded from moodle or bringing electronic devices to access the relevant material during the lecture. This will allow easier interaction with the teacher when asked to discuss a problem.

Also e-learning material (including scientific literature and self-assessment tools) will be provided.

Office hours

See the website of Fabrizio De Ponti