Criteria for participation

University degree in medicine, dentistry, or Master’s degree in other fields and/or postgraduate research fellows (PhD students and research-year medical students).

Requirements for participation

Special interest in hemodynamics and its methodology. Experience in the field is preferred. 

Aim

The overall aim is to improve participants’ understanding of cardiovascular physiology and the different methods of assessment.

Learning outcome

Having completed the course, it is expected that the participants will have the knowledge to choose the optimal methods for their individual research projects based on the methods’ strengths and weaknesses. The students are expected to achieve:

• Enhanced understanding of biophysics and cardiac and vascular function
• Understanding of ultrasound and how it can be used to assess cardiac function and large vessels including volume status
• Knowledge on invasive strategies (including right heart catheterization and pressure-volume loop recordings) for cardiac and hemodynamic evaluation
• Knowledge on imaging techniques (especially MR) for cardiac and hemodynamic evaluation
• Knowledge on hemodynamic changes from mechanical ventilation
• For all methods mentioned, the ability to discuss pros and cons for each method; its potential use in humans and animal models; and interpretation of the data provided by each method
• Possibility to discuss both others’ research projects and participants’ own research projects’ methodology
• Inputs to their own dissertation’s part on hemodynamic methodology

Workload

The full workload of the course is expected to be 16 hours of course activity over two days. The participants will receive mandatory preparation (6-10 papers) to do prior to the course. These preparations will be used in group work.

Content

The course will in include mandatory pre-course preparation, classroom teaching on hemodynamics and methodology, and group work.

The course lectures will cover: 
1) basic biophysics including relevant formulas and physiological laws/principles; 
2) cardiac and vascular function at a cellular level; 
3) pressure-volume loop recordings including acquisition, analysis and interpretation; 
4) echocardiography including its use in humans and animals; 
5) right heart catheterization including mixed venous gasses, cardiac output assessment and interpretation of pressure waveforms and measurements; 
6) cardiac MRI including flow measurements; 
7) use of ultrasound on major vessels including volume status assessment; 
8) cardio-respiratory interaction in spontaneous vs. mechanical ventilation, and; 
9) hemodynamic data processing. 

Strengths and limitations for all methods will be discussed.

Mandatory preparation includes reading of hemodynamic papers chosen by the instructors relevant to each lecture. Furthermore, the students will be instructed to each prepare for presentation/discussion/conceptualization of different important hemodynamic variables.

Group work will be used to discuss key hemodynamic variables, to discuss methods of hemodynamic assessment in different diseases, to design hemodynamic studies, and, importantly, provide the course participants with the opportunity to work on their own projects, including drafting a section for the dissertation about their own methodology.

Note that some of the lectures will be in English.

Instructors

• Mads Dam Lyhne (Anesthesiology, AU/AUH)
• Peter Johansen (Technical Science, AU)
• Stephan Lange (Biomedicine, AU)
• Jacob Gammelgaard Schultz (Cardiology, AUH)
• Peter Juhl-Olsen (Anesthesiology, AU/AUH)
• Mads Jønsson Andersen (Cardiology, AUH)
• Asger Granfeldt (Intensive Care, AU/AUH)
• Steffen Ringgaard (MR, AU/AUH)
• Simon Vistisen (Anesthesiology, AUH/AU)

Venue

Hotel Guest Apart, supported by Danish Cardiovascular Academy. 

Participation in the course is without cost for

• PhD students, Health Research Year students from Aarhus University
• PhD students enrolled at partner universities of the Nordoc collaboration
• PhD students from other institutions in the open market agreement for PhD courses