Inpatient Specialty Terms Flashcards
Cardiology
An Internist who specializes in diseases of the heart and blood vessels and manages complex
cardiac conditions, such as heart attacks and life-threatening, abnormal heartbeat rhythms.
Three main areas: Non-invasive, Invasive and Interventional.
Subspecialties: Electrophysiology, Nuclear Cardiology, Echocardiography.
Non-invasive Cardiology
Non-invasive cardiologists provide expertise in the detection and treatment of heart disease.
Non-invasive cardiology involves tests to evaluate and diagnose disorders of the heart. A person with a history of heart disease, chest pain with unknown cause or valvular heart disease may be referred
for non-invasive evaluation, including:
Electrocardiogram
Transthoracic echocardiogram
Transesophageal echocardiogram
Exercise stress testing – including routine exercise, nuclear or stress echocardiography
Cardiac CT
Invasive Cardiology
Common Procedures: Right heart catheterization Left heart catheterization and angiography Electrophysiological studies (EPS) Angioplasty (PTCA) Laser angioplasty Perfusion angioplasty Permanent Pacemaker
Interventional Cardiology
An area of medicine within the subspecialty of Cardiology, which uses specialized imaging and other
diagnostic techniques to evaluate blood flow and pressure in the coronary arteries and chambers of the heart,
and uses technical procedures and medications to treat abnormalities that impair the function of the
cardiovascular system.
Interventional Cardiology refers to various non-surgical procedures for treating cardiovascular disease.
Interventional cardiologists use catheters – thin, flexible tubes – to get inside blood vessels for diagnostic
tests or to repair damaged vessels or other heart structures, often avoiding the need for surgery.
Interventional Cardiologists treat narrowed arteries and weakened heart valves – often caused by coronary
artery disease, heart valve disease, or peripheral vascular disease.
Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
A field of special interest within the subspecialty of Cardiovascular Disease, which involves intricate
technical procedures to evaluate heart rhythms and determine appropriate treatment.
There is a board certification for this specialty under the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Nuclear Cardiology
Many physicians receive training in these procedures during their 3 years of specialty training. Some
elect to receive additional training to gain expertise in this field. They are conducted to assess the
pumping function of the heart, the presence of blockages in coronary arteries, and the degree of
damage to the heart.
The board for this specialty is called American Board of Nuclear Medicine. (It is NOT a
subspecialty board of Internal Medicine like all the above Cardiology specialties.)
Pediatric Cardiology
A Pediatric Cardiologist provides comprehensive care to patients with cardiovascular problems.
This specialist is skilled in selecting, performing and evaluating the structural and functional assessment
of the heart and blood vessels, and the clinical evaluation of cardiovascular disease. The board for
this specialty is the American Board of Pediatrics. (It is NOT a subspecialty board of Internal
Medicine like all the above Cardiology specialties.)
Critical Care
An Internist trained in Critical Care Medicine has expertise in the diagnosis, treatment and support of
critically ill and injured patients, particularly trauma victims and patients with multiple organ dysfunction.
This physician also coordinates patient care among the primary physician, critical care staff and other specialists.
Critical-care medicine is a relatively new but increasingly important medical specialty. Physicians with
training in critical-care medicine are referred to as intensivists.
Critical Care - Pediatric
A Pediatrician who specializes in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine is expert in advanced life support
for children from the term or near-term neonate to the adolescent. This competence extends to the critical
care management of life-threatening organ system failure from any cause in both medical and surgical
patients, and to the support of vital physiological functions. This specialist may have administrative
responsibilities for intensive care units and also facilitates patient care among other specialists.
Critical-care medicine is a relatively new but increasingly important medical specialty. Physicians with
Pediatric training in critical-care medicine are referred to as Pediatric Intensivists.
Hospitalist
Hospital medicine in the United States is the discipline concerned with the medical care of acutely ill hospitalized patients. Physicians whose primary professional focus is hospital medicine are called
hospitalists. The practical effect of the hospitalist is to act as transition coordinator and case manager,
due to the tremendous growth in medical knowledge and resultant number of medical specialists.
While it was commonly believed that any residency program with a heavy inpatient component provided
good hospitalist training, studies have found that general residency training is inadequate because
common hospitalist problems like neurology, hospice and palliative care, consultative medicine, and
quality improvement tend to be glossed over. To address this, residency programs are starting to develop hospitalist tracks with more tailored education. Several universities have also started fellowship programs
specifically geared toward hospitalist medicine.
Hospitalist cont.
Where do hospitalists work in the hospital:
Telemetry/Cardiology Units for patients with cardiac conditions, including advanced
heart failure and heart transplant patients.
General Practice Units (GPUs) for patients with a variety of acute medical conditions.
Critical Care Step-down Unit for patients requiring closer monitoring and care for critical medical
issues who are too sick for the general practice units.
Observation Unit for patients requiring a short period of care for diagnosis and treatment of
certain medical conditions.
Orthopedic Surgery Unit where hospitalists manage medical issues in patients who are primarily
admitted for surgery.
Inpatient Consultation for the diagnosis and treatment of medical concerns in surgical patients
including potential medical complications of surgical procedures.
Infectious Disease
An Internist who deals with infectious diseases of all types and in all organ systems.
Conditions requiring selective use of antibiotics call for this special skill.
This physician often diagnoses and treats AIDS patients and patients with fevers which have not been explained. Infectious disease specialists may also have expertise in preventive medicine and travel medicine.
Nephrology
An Internist (Nephrologist) who treats disorders of the kidney, high blood pressure, fluid
and mineral balance, and dialysis of body wastes when the kidneys do not function.
This specialist consults with surgeons about kidney transplantation.Nephrology - Pediatric
A Pediatrician with special expertise in Pediatric Nephrology deals with the normal and abnormal
development and maturation of the kidney and urinary tract; the mechanisms by which the kidney can be
damaged; the evaluation and treatment of renal diseases; fluid and electrolyte abnormalities; hypertension;
and renal replacement therapy.
Neonatal Medicine
A Pediatrician specializing in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine acts as the principal care provider for
sick newborn infants. This specialist’s clinical expertise is used for direct patient care and for consulting with obstetrical colleagues to plan for the care of mothers who have high-risk pregnancies.
Rather than focusing on a particular organ system, neonatologists focus on the care of newborns
who require Intensive Care Unit (ICU) hospitalization. They may also act as general pediatricians, providing
well newborn evaluation and care in the hospital where they are based.
