Cardiocirculatory and Cardiovascular Perfusion Techniques (Classe L/SNT3)-Enrolled Since 2011/12 Academic Year

In accordance with European Union standards, graduates in Cardiocirculatory and Cardiovascular Perfusion Techniques are expected to:
- possess the scientific, theoretical and practical knowledge needed to understand biological and hereditary phenomena, as well as the key mechanisms that govern the functioning of organs and apparatuses;
- know the basics and methods of cardiovascular perfusion, and the evolution of the profession over time;
- know the theoretical fundamentals of the profession and how they have evolved over time;
- know the rules and principles that govern the professional functions and responsibilities of cardiovascular perfusionists;
- know the principles of bioethics, deontology and legal medicine, as applicable to the profession;
- have attained a significant degree of professional autonomy, in terms of both decision-making and operational tasks;
- have an adequate theoretical grounding in the basic sciences, with a view to their future application on the job;
- have the knowledge, skills and experience to be able to plan, manage and assess professional interventions;
- have the skills and experience necessary to properly put into practice the theoretical knowledge acquired;
- be able to take ownership of their own professional development;
- have the right methodology and mindset to embark on lifelong learning;
- be able to work along and interact with other professionals within team activities;
- be able to avail themselves of support staff, if necessary, and to contribute to their training;
- be able to tutor students in clinical practice;
- be familiar with the history of medicine and appreciate its ethical implications, with particular regard to mechanical circulatory support;
- be proficient in another language of the European Union, besides Italian.

Additionally, graduates must have acquired the following job-specific knowledge and skills:
- an understanding of biological and physiological phenomena from a quantitative and qualitative perspective;
- an understanding of the structural organisation of the human body, including its most significant anatomical features and clinical aspects (from a macroscopic and microscopic perspective), as well as the mechanisms governing embryonic development and organ differentiation;
- the fundamental morphological characteristics of cardiovascular organs and tissues;
- the fundamental values of medicine and ethics, as well as the essentials of health law and management, and the legal and ethical implications of the profession;
- the professional skills required to work as cardiovascular physiopathology and perfusion technicians;
- the basics of extracorporeal circulation, and, more generally, of mechanical cardiocirculatory, cardiorespiratory and respiratory support;
- the various perfusion systems, and how to use them on patients;
- extracorporeal normothermic and hypothermic perfusion techniques, and how to use them when administering localised antiblastic therapies;
- the core metabolic processes that regulate the functioning of organs and systems, with particular regard to the heart, arterial and venous circulation and the respiratory system;
- the fundamentals of organ and system physiology, with particular regard to blood vessels and the heart;
- the fundamentals of the pharmacological treatment of cardiovascular diseases;
- the biological principles underpinning the techniques for protecting the myocardium, bone marrow and brain during extracorporeal perfusion;
- the biological principles underpinning the techniques for keeping organs alive during prolonged ischaemia;
- the basic principles and theoretical foundations of fluid dynamics;
- knowledge of the electrical activity of the heart, as necessary to carry out checks on pacemakers and automated implantable defibrillators;
- professional autonomy in managing instrumental diagnostic procedures;
- the ability to properly administer prescribed medications and treatment;
- an understanding of the functioning of medical equipment and supplies;
- notions of disease prevention and epidemiology, with particular regard to conditions affecting the cardiovascular system;
- notions of internal medicine, with particular regard to the cardiovascular and thoraco-pulmonary systems;
- the general principles of surgery, with particular regard to thoracic and cardiovascular surgery.