Clinical Arrhythmia Service

Catalog description

Medicine-442C. Clinical Arrhythmia Service. (1) Course Goals: Primary - To provide students with an in-depth exposure to the diagnosis and management of cardiac arrhythmias, electrophysiologic studies, ablation of arrhythmias, cardiac pacemakers, and implantable defibrillators; to help students to understand the electrophysiologic events that result in arrhythmias and ECG changes. Special emphasis will be placed on ECG interpretation. Each week, the student will be given a package of illustrative EKGs for interpretation, and these will be reviewed with the course director. This course is not designed to be a substitute for the general cardiology elective (MEDICINE 404C and 445C). Secondary - To familiarize the student with certain basic techniques of arrhythmia diagnosis; (2) How Goals Are Achieved: The student spends four weeks working on the Clinical Arrhythmia Service. The student makes rounds on the inpatient Clinical Electrophysiology Service on patients with arrhythmias. The student is encouraged to attend electrophysiologic studies. The supervising physician may explain the procedures from the 'Control Room'. The student is expected to participate in the work-up of patients admitted to the Arrhythmia Service as well as inpatient consultations and plays an important role in the follow-up of these patients while they are in the hospital. The student may elect to see outpatients during Arrhythmia Clinics that meet in the (Duke Clinic), 2F/2G. The student assists in the evaluation of patients for permanent pacemaker and defibrillator implantation. Students are responsible for reviewing the literature on subjects related to the patients that they have seen on the clinical service. Didactic conferences are given on Monday and Wednesday mornings; (3) Methods of Evaluation: Students are evaluated on their clinical skills in taking histories, performing physical…