Course description
This course reviews pathological conditions of the cardiovascular and respiratory system and how these conditions affect normal function of the organ systems. Students examine the causes, symptoms, and treatments for various cardiac and respiratory diseases and conditions at the cellular, organ, and organismal level. Cardiovascular topics covered include vascular pathobiology, aneurysm, myocardial ischemia, myocarditis, cardiac arrythmias, cardiomyopathies, valve disorders and replacements, and congenital heart diseases. Respiratory topics include obstructive lung diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); restrictive lung diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis; lung cancer; infectious pulmonary diseases such as COVID-19 and pneumonia; pulmonary vascular diseases; environmental lung diseases; neurorespiratory disorders; and conditions caused by acute trauma such as a pneumothorax. Clinical case studies and primary source literature are used to examine the effectiveness of particular medical procedures and treatments.