Heart valve disease
Our heart valve disease programme contains ten modules designed to cover all aspects of the condition, from its classification and pathology through to the advances in diagnosis and treatment.
The programme was originally made available with an educational grant from Edwards Lifesciences, and independently written by leading UK experts. The original programme was revised by BJC Learning in 2016. The programme is no longer valid for CPD accreditation. The programme may be updated soon.
Dr Simon Gibbs, Clinical Senior Lecturer in Cardiology, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London
Dr Shareen Jaijee, Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, Imperial College Healthcare Trust, Clinical Research Fellow, Imperial College
Dr Rachel Arthur, British Journal of Cardiology, London
Dr Rachel Davies, Consultant Chest Physician, Hammersmith Hospital, London
Dr Luke Howard, Consultant Chest Physician, Hammersmith Hospital, London
Mr David Jenkins, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Papworth Hospital, Cambridge
Dr Henry Oluwasefunmi Savage, Specialist Registrar in Cardiology, Imperial College Healthcare Trust, Clinical Research Fellow, Imperial College
Heart valve disease module 1: epidemiology
Released 1 March 2016 Programme: Heart valve disease 1 CPD/CME credit
- Understand the temporal and geographical trends in valve disease
- Understand the prevalence and incidence of valve disease
- Understand the causes of valve disease by position
- Be aware of variations in access to care
Heart valve disease module 2: pathophysiology
Released 1 March 2016 Programme: Heart valve disease 1 CPD/CME credit
- Understand the basic structure of cardiac valves
- Understand the pathophysiology underlying the most common heart valve disorders including: - degenerative heart valve disease - myxomatous heart valve degeneration - rheumatic heart disease - functional heart valve disease - endocarditis - systemic inflammatory diseases
- Discuss novel therapeutic strategies and how these might relate to the underlying pathophysiology
Heart valve disease module 3: disease presentation
Released 1 March 2016 Programme: Heart valve disease 1 CPD/CME credit
- Appreciate the variable and unpredictable natural history of valve lesions
- Recognise common symptoms of the individual valve lesions
- Be aware of physical signs commonly associated with valve lesions .
Heart valve disease module 4: diagnosis
Released 1 March 2016 Programme: Heart valve disease 1 CPD/CME credit
- Understand the routine echocardiographic methods of quantifying valve disease
- Appreciate the additional information obtained from advanced echocardiographic techniques including stress and 3D
- Understand the complementary roles of computed tomography and cardiac magnetic imaging
- Recognise the cut-off values for grading valve disease
- Understand how imaging relates to criteria for surgical intervention
Heart valve disease module 5: medical therapies for treatment of valvular heart disease
Released 1 March 2016 Programme: Heart valve disease 1 CPD/CME credit
- Understand the role of disease-modifying pharmacotherapy in valvular heart disease (VHD)
- Understand the role of supportive pharmacotherapy in VHD
- Recognise the indications for anticoagulation in VHD
- Be aware of the patient groups at high risk of developing infective endocarditis
- Realise the reasons for recent changes in international guidelines which restrict antibiotic prophylaxis of endocarditis
- Compare and contrast the differing recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis of the European Society of Cardiology and the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
Heart valve disease module 6: organisation of care for valve disease
Released 1 March 2016 Programme: Heart valve disease 0.5 CPD/CME credits
- Be aware of the limitations of detection
- Recognise the limitations in current surveillance systems
- Understand the limitations in non-specialist surgical centres
- Discuss the advantages of a specialist valve clinic
Heart valve disease module 7: anti-thrombotic therapy for valvular heart disease
Released 1 March 2016 Programme: Heart valve disease 1 CPD/CME credit
- Introduce anticoagulation options in patients with native or prosthetic heart valves
- Review early antithrombotic therapy after valve surgery
- Understand the challenges of interrupting anticoagulation in valve patients
- Review anticoagulation options during pregnancy
Heart valve disease module 8: endocarditis
Released 1 March 2016 Programme: Heart valve disease 1 CPD/CME credit
- Understand when infective endocarditis should be suspected
- Understand the criteria for diagnosis
- Understand the principles of management
- Understand the criteria for surgery.
Heart valve disease module 9: surgery for heart valve disease
Released 1 March 2016 Programme: Heart valve disease 1 CPD/CME credit
- Recognise the indications for surgery with impaired LV function
- Know the indications for surgery in asymptomatic disease
- Understand the indications for surgery at the time of coexistent CABG
Heart valve disease module 10: transcatheter valve treatment and other future developments
Released 1 March 2016 Programme: Heart valve disease 1 CPD/CME credit
- Understand transcatheter approaches to the mitral and aortic valves
- Know patient selection for aortic valve devices
- Understand delivery approaches for replacement valves
- Recognise potential complications in such a procedure
- Understand mitral valve techniques
