Learning objectives
General aims of the course:
At the end of this integrated Course students should:
- have learnt fundamental notions on different aspects of the medical caring process compared to the nursing activities;
- have acquired basic knowledge on the most frequent diseases in internal medicine, on the laboratory exams and instrumental techniques used for diagnostic purposes, on general principles of therapy, and on the peculiarities of the nursing process in each condition;
- have acquired skills in developing an overall patient clinical overview;
- have acquired tools to communicate appropriately with other professionals about specific diseases.
Course unit content
This integrated Course is designed to provide students with basic knowledge on the most relevant diseases in general internal medicine and in specialized branches of clinical medicine Cardiovascular, respiratory, hematological, oncological, neurological, and psychiatric disease).
Full programme
1) INTERNAL MEDICINE – GENERAL SECTION
Comparing differential aspect of the nursing and medical care processes. Immune system disorders: immunodeficiencies, neoplastic diseases, autoimmune diseases. Systemic Lupus Erithematosus, Rheumatoid Arthritis. Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Respiratory diseases: acute and chronic respiratory failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial diseases, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis. Genitourinary disorders: acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease, glomerulonephritides, obstructive nephropaty. Gastrointestinal diseases: acute and chronic gastritis, peptic gastric and duodenal ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver diseases; basic concepts on chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Oncology: basic concepts on epidemiology, risk factors, inherited neoplastic diseases. Neoplastic diseases of the lung, gastrointestinal system, breast and prostate. Basic concepts on innovative therapies).
2) SPECIAL SECTIONS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
HEMATOLOGY
Overview of hematology, definition of key terms, and introduction to basic concepts. Study of blood physiology, including cell types (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets) and their roles in the human body. Complete blood count evaluation. Study of anemias, including types, causes, symptoms, and treatments. Analysis of red blood cell disorders. In-depth study of thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) and coagulation disorders, including mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatments. Neutropenia overview, epidemiology, etiology, clinical presentation and differential diagnosis, and management approach. Acute leukemias: clinical presentation of acute myeloid and lymphoblastic leukemias, diagnostic and therapeutic management. Lymphadenopathies; Study of lymphomas, including pathogenic mechanisms, clinical presentation, diagnostic tests, and treatment options. Central venous devices: types, management, complications, and treatments. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as a therapy for hematologic diseases, including requirements, procedure, and complications. Exploration of the latest advancements in hematology research, including new treatments, innovative therapies, and promising approaches.
3) CARDIOLOGY
Acute and chronic heart failure, ischemic heart disease, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, arrythmias, structural heart disease.
4) NEUROLOGY
Cerebrovascular diseases, meningitis and encephalitis, dementia, epilepsy, primary and secondary headache, multiple sclerosis, miastenia gravis, Parkinson's disease, motor neuron diseases.
5) PSYCHIATRY
Examination of mental status: delusion, hallucination, mood. Psychotic disorders: schizophrenia and paranoia. Affective disorders: bipolar and unipolar disorders. Anxiety disorders: panic, generalized anxiety, social phobia, post-traumatic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder. Eating disorders: nervosa anorexia and bulimia. Borderline personality disorder. Therapeutic relationship and psychoeducation. Therapeutic settings: hospital ward, rehabilitation clinic, outpatient clinic, home treatment. Clinical psychopharmacology: antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, benzodiazepines.
6) MEDICAL SEMEIOTICS
Approach to the patient with symptoms of respiratory diseases. Approach to the patient with symptoms of cardiovascular diseases .Approach to the patient with symptoms of diseases of the urinary tract. Approach to the patient with acid-base disorders. Approach to the patient with hematological diseases or cancer. Approach to the patient with symptoms of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and associated organs. Approach to the patient with metabolic and endocrine disorders. Approach to the patient with fever and infectious diseases. Approach to the patient with symptoms of osteoarticular diseases. Approach to multimorbid patient. Principles of bioethics and methodological approach the end of life in patients with neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases.
Bibliography
Internal Medicine
(Textbook)
Renato Massini, Donatello Izzi, Patrizia Marchetti, Francesca Passeretti, Umberto Recine
Medicina interna – 6a Edizione, McGraw-Hill Education 2019
Harrison Principi di Medicina Interna, 17a Edizione Italiana a cura di Massimo Vanoli e Piersandro Riboldi, McGraw-Hill 2012
Educational material provided by teachers.
Neurologia
(Textbook)
Iain Wilkinson e Graham Iennox , Minerva Medica.
Educational material provided by teachers
Teaching methods
Lessons with slides and videos and discussion with students.
Assessment methods and criteria
Final exam:
An oral examination, covering topics across all sections in the whole programme of the integrated course in Clinical Medicine, will be performed in one single session to test the knowledge and understanding of the subjects included in the programme, the reasoning skills related to clinical problems of internal medicine patients, and the use of a correct terminology. The final score will result from agreement among members of the academic board, based on the grading obtained in each course section, with a maximun score of 30 (and possibly with summa cum laude).
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
Increasing substantially the number of youths and adults possessing technical and professional competence necessary to full employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurial capacity
