The course aims to provide knowledge on the management and treatment approach for critically ill patients, including diagnostic pathways and the main organ and metabolic pathologies relevant to intensive care. By the end of the course, students are expected to demonstrate essential knowledge of: indications and advanced techniques for life support; advanced airway management; invasive and non-invasive ventilation support; circulatory support using fluid therapy and vasoactive drugs; advanced hemodynamic monitoring; coagulation monitoring; emergency hyperbaric therapy; extra- and intra-hospital management of patients with severe head trauma, chest trauma, and polytrauma; management of patients with sepsis and septic shock, multiple organ failure, ARDS, and post-resuscitation syndrome; diagnosis of brain death and organ donation.

Passing of the preliminary exams.

The student must acquire concepts of emergency medicine, particularly the approach to the treatment of critically ill patients. The student must be familiar with the diagnostic process (medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests) and acquire knowledge about the main organ and metabolic pathologies.

Teaching material provided during the course.

Module 1 – General Principles and Indications for Advanced Life Support Definition and objectives of advanced life support Criteria for ICU admission Classification of support levels (basic, advanced, ECMO) Clinical priorities in critically ill patients: triage and prognosis Module 2 – Advanced Airway Management Assessment of difficult airway Orotracheal intubation techniques and supraglottic devices Emergency cricothyrotomy and alternative airway strategies Preoxygenation and lung-protective techniques during airway procedures Module 3 – Ventilatory Support: Invasive and Non-Invasive Techniques Non-invasive ventilation (NIV): indications, modes, limitations Invasive mechanical ventilation: settings and advanced strategies Protective ventilation techniques Management of ARDS and acute respiratory failure Weaning and prevention of extubation failure Module 4 – Circulatory Support: Fluid Therapy and Vasoactive Drugs Assessment of volemia and indications for fluid administration Types of fluids (crystalloids, colloids, albumin): benefits and risks Rational use of vasopressors and inotropes Hemodynamic targets and goal-directed therapy Module 5 – Advanced Hemodynamic Monitoring Key parameters and monitoring techniques (PAP, CVP, SvO₂, PiCCO, bedside ultrasound) Interpretation and clinical application of hemodynamic data Evaluation of fluid responsiveness Non-invasive and minimally invasive monitoring strategies Module 6 – Coagulation Monitoring and Management of Coagulopathies Standard parameters (PT, aPTT, INR, fibrinogen, D-dimer) Use of viscoelastic testing (ROTEM, TEG) in critical care Management of coagulopathies in sepsis, trauma, and liver failure Transfusion protocols and use of blood products Module 7 – Emergency Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Physiological principles of hyperbaric oxygen therapy Emergency indications: gas embolism, CO poisoning, gas gangrene Patient management before and after hyperbaric treatment Contraindications and potential adverse effects Module 8 – Management of Major Trauma Systematic approach to severe head trauma: ABCDE, GCS, imaging, neuroprotection Management of thoracic trauma: chest tubes, hemothorax/pneumothorax, contusions Integrated treatment of polytrauma: protocols and clinical guidelines Strategies for damage control resuscitation Module 9 – Sepsis, Septic Shock, and Multiple Organ Failure Definitions (Sepsis-3), early recognition, SOFA/qSOFA criteria Empiric and targeted antibiotic therapy Multiorgan support strategies (renal, respiratory, circulatory) Biomarkers and monitoring of clinical progression Management of refractory septic shock Module 10 – ARDS and Post-Resuscitation Syndrome Pathophysiology and diagnostic criteria of ARDS Protective ventilation, prone positioning, optimal PEEP settings Post-cardiac arrest care: hypoxia management, hemodynamic support, neuroprotection Targeted temperature management (TTM) Module 11 – Brain Death Diagnosis and Organ Donation Clinical and instrumental criteria for brain death determination National regulations and procedural protocols Communication with families and obtaining consent for donation Coordination with transplant centers and donor management

Frontal lectures or traditional lectures.

The course slides will be provided at the end of the lessons.

The assessment of acquired competencies will be carried out through an individual written examination aimed at verifying the achievement of the expected learning outcomes, in accordance with the Dublin Descriptors. The test will consist of multiple-choice questions: each correct answer will be awarded 1 point, while no points will be given for incorrect or unanswered questions. The final grade, expressed out of thirty, will be determined by the total number of points obtained. The exam may be administered via the Moodle platform or in paper format and will take place in one of the University’s computer classrooms or another suitable venue, depending on the modality chosen by the instructor, which will be communicated before the end of the course.

This course explores topics closely related to one or more goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs)