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Examination Matrix

CONTENT CATEGORY AND APPROX. PERCENTAGE OF EXAM

General Concepts 20% Patient Care 19% General Anatomy & Physiology 6% Cardiovascular Anatomy & Physiology 50% Quality Assurance/Quality Control 5% TOTAL 100%

Detailed Outline

A. General Concepts

I. Math
ccccca. Fractions
cccccb. Percentages
cccccc. Ratios
        d. Exponents and exponential notation
        e. Algebra
II. Units of Measurement
       a. Length(distance)
       b. Mass (weight)
       c. Area and volume
       d. Time
       e. Temperature

B. Patient Care

I.   Medical Terminology
II.  Positioning
III. Documentation
IV. Transportation
V.  Risk Management/Patient Safety
VI. Communication and Instructions
        a. Written
        b. Verbal
VII. History and Physical
VIII. Patient Assessment
IX.  Standards/Regulations/Techniques
       a. JCAHO Standards
       b. Universal precautions/OSHA regulations
       c. Isolation techniques

C. General Anatomy and Physiology

I.  Structural Components
       a. Amino acids and proteins
       b. Carbohydrates
       c. Lipids

        d. Nucleic acids
II.  Cellular Metabolism and Energy Production
         a. Glycolysis
         b. Krebs Cycle
         c. Oxidative phosphorylation
III.  Basic Structural Components
         a. Thoracic cavity
         b. Respiratory System
         c. Urinary System
IV.  General Circulation - Arterial and Venous
         a. Brain
         b. Lungs
         c. Kidney
         d. Liver
         e. Peripheral
         f.  Coronaries
V.    Basic Physiological Mechanisms
         a. Metabolism
         b. Defense Mechanisms
             1. Specific
             2. Non-specific
             3. Assessment through lab values

D. Cardiovascular Anatomy and Physiology

I.   Structural Components
         a. Constituents of Blood
         b. Systemic Circulation
         c. Pulmonary circulation
         d. Lymphatic circulation
II.   Heart
III.  Embryology
         a. Heart formation
         b. Fetal circulation
IV.  Arterial and Venous Anatomy
V.   Coronary Anatomy
VI.  Innervation
VII. Cardiovascular/Cerebrovascular Disease
         a. Processes
         b. Pathophysiology
VIII. Electro-Mechanical Events of the Heart
         a. Electrical Events
             1. Resting membrane potential
             2. Action potential
             3. Conduction pathways
             4. ECG waveform
         b. Cardiac Cycle
             1. Atrial events
             2. Ventricular events
             3. Electrical events
             4. Correlation to ECG
             5. Correlation to intracardiac pressure
             6. Correlation to heart sounds
             7. Correlation to abnormal heart sounds
IX. Transportation and Exchange
       a. Oxygen
       b. Carbon dioxide
       c. Waste removal
X.  Left Ventricle Function
       a. Systolic function
       b. Diastolic function
       c. Indicators
           1. Stroke volume
           2. Cardiac output/cardiac index
           3. Heart rate
           4. Contractility
           5. Preload
           6. Afterload
           7. Venous return
XI.  Hemodynamics
        a. Laws
            1. Poiseuille's
            2. Bernoulli's
            3. Starlings
        b. Hemodynamic Principles
            1. Valve opening and closure
            2. Difference in systemic and pulmonary circuits
                 a. Pressure measurements
                 b. Oxygen content
            3. Types of flow
                 a. Laminar
                 b. Turbulent
        c. Measurements
            1. Flow
            2. Pressure
            3. Resistance
            4. Ohm's law
        d. Pressure Waveforms
            1. Atrial
            2. Arterial
            3. Ventricular
XII. Peripheral Circulation and Control of Blood Flow
        a. Microcirculation
            1. Arterioles
            2. Capillaries
            3. Venules
         b. Filtration and Absorption
         c. Mechanisms
            1. Sympathetic
            2. Parasympathetic
            3. Renin-angiotensin mechanisms
            4. Local factors
            5. Exercise
XIII. Cardiovascular Pharmacology
          a. Action
          b. Effect
          c. Routes of administration

E. Quality Improvement

I. Instrumentation
     a. Actions
     b. Precautions
     c. Preventative maintenance
II. Statistical Analysis
     a. Descriptive statistics
         1. Mean
         2. Median
         3. Range
         4. Mode
         5. P-value
      b. Inferential statistics
          1. Standard error of mean
          2. Standard deviation
          3. Analysis of variance
              a. Sensitivity
              b. Specificity
III. Sterilization
      a. Asepsis
      b. Sterile
          1. Principles
          2. Techniques
IV. Cardiac Procedures/Protocols
      a. Basic Life Support (BCLS)
      b. Defibrillation
      c. Surgical repairs and procedures
      d. Congenital disease and repair
      e. Effects of exercise
      f. Body mechanisms
      g. Medical terminology

Sample Questions
 

1. What is the approximate equivalent of 16 ounces?
    a. 1.5 liter
    b. 1.0 kiloliters
    c. 0.5 microliters
    d. 500 milliliters

 

2. The label on the aspirin bottle reads grain 5. The doctor's prescription reads aspirin grains XV every 4 hours. How many tablets should be taken?
    a. 2
    b. 3
    c. 4
    d. 5

3. According to Ohm's law, resistance is the product of voltage divided by:
    a. Ergs
    b. Watts

    c. Power
    d. Current

4. A measure of the total opposition to current flow in an alternating current circuit, measured in ohms defines:
    a. Voltage
    b. Impedance
    c. Inductance
    d. Capacitance

5. The normal range for white blood cell count in adult males (per cubic millimeter) is approximately:
    a. 500 - 1,000
    b. 5,000 - 10,000
    c. 10,000 - 20,000
    d. 50,000 - 100,000

6. A patient is admitted to the cardiac department with the following ABGs: FiO₂=40%, pH=7.3, PCO₂=50, HCO³=20. According to these blood gases, the patient is in:
    a. Metabolic acidosis
    b. Metabolic alkalosis
    c. Respiratory acidosis
    d. Respiratory alkalosis

7. The major pathway of blood circulation to the brain is through the:
    a. Femoral arteries
    b. Carotid arteries
    c. Coronary arteries
    d. Subclavian arteries

8. Which of the following vessels have the greatest influence on total vascular resistance?
    a. Veins
    b. Venules
    c. Arterioles
    d. Capillaries

9. The pressure gradient through a tube is inversely proportional to which of the following:
    a. Length of the tube
    b. Flow rate of the fluid
    c. Radius of the tube to the fourth power
    d. Radius of the tube to the sixteenth power

10. In statistics, the most commonly used measure of the variability or dispersion of data is the:
      a. Chi square
      b. Student's t-test
      c. Quartile deviation
      d. Standard deviation

Answers
1. d ccc3. d cc5. b cc7. b    9. c
2. b ccc4. b cc6. c cc8. c   10. d

References

1. Structures and Function of the Body, 10^th Edition, Anthony, C. P. and G. A. Thibodeau, CV Mosby, 200.
2. Cardiovascular Physiology, 7^th Edition, Berne, R.M. and M.N. Levy, CV Mosby, 2001.
3.Techniques in Hemodynamic Monitoring, 29^th Edtion, Daily, Elaine, CV Mosby, 2000.
4. Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 28^th Edition, Dorland, W., W.B. Saunders, 1994.
5. Understanding Ultrasound Physics, 2^nd Edition, Edelman, S., Esp Inc.,1994
6. Textbook of Medical Physiology, 10^th Edition, Guyton, A.C., W.B. Saunders, 2000.
7. Cardiovascular Physiology, 5^th Edition, Mohrman, D.E. and L.J. Heller, McGraw-Hill, 2003.
8. The Human Body in Health and Disease, 3^rd Edition, Thibodeau/Patton, CV Mosby, 2001.
9. Human Physiology: The Mechanisms of Body Function, 9^th Edition, Vander, A. et.al., McGraw-Hill, 2003.
10. Commonsense Approach to Coronary Care, 6^th edition, Vinsant, M.G. and M.L. Spence, CV Mosby, 1994.
11. Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentation, 4th Edition, Miele, Frank, 2007 Pegasus Lectures or Essentials of Ultrasound Physics:  The Board Review Book, Miele, Frank, 2008 Pegasus Lectures