PGY2 Pulmonary and Cardiovascular Radiology

(The Communicator, Collaborator, Manager, Health Advocate, Scholar and Professional CanMEDS Objectives follow the HSC Chest Objectives in PGY5 below)

Co -Supervisors:                 Dr. Rick Bhatia, Health Sciences Centre

Dr. Scott Harris, Health Sciences Centre

Supervisor:                         Dr. Melanie Stenback, St. Clare’s

The following is an outline of the goals and objectives of the Pulmonary and Cardiovascular rotation during PGY2, incorporated into CanMEDS format.

The assessment tools utilized during the rotation include global faculty ratings including the ITER rotation evaluation sheet.  An examination assessing knowledge obtained as per the listed curricula at each stage of training will be given on the last day.  The examination will assess the acquisition of knowledge throughout the rotation.  A pass mark is 70%.  The inability to pass the exam could render the rotation incomplete, and the rotation will be completed at a later date. 

The submission of Daily Encounter Cards (Daily ITERs) are required for this rotation.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Gain knowledge and understanding regarding imaging of the Pulmonary and Cardiovascular system with particular attention to plain film studies.
• Interpret and report plain film examinations of the chest of both in-patients and outpatients including preoperative films and daily ICU/CCU/CVICU patients.
• In conjunction with Body CT/MRI, resident reviews chest CT and MRI examinations including cardiac studies.
• To perform, interpret and report lung biopsy and pleural drainage procedures (resident may share this duty with resident on ultrasound duty).
• To attend Chest Oncology rounds.
• To supervise Chest Radiology rounds when scheduled.

Specific Daily Duties

• Report - Chest CT’s
• Pre-op chest radiographs
• Perform lung biopsies and chest drains (time permitting)
• Observe cardiac CT: MRI on Tuesdays*

* On Tuesdays, the resident is responsible for Cardiac work only. Staff will do ICU and Chest CT’s from HSC. Janeway chest CT’s can be incorporated into Wednesday’s work.

Please note there is a graded responsibility within Pulmonary Radiology implying residents will progress from having all their procedures closely supervised and all examination study reports checked, to being able to perform procedures with little or no supervision and to report independently.

Required Reading List

Please read the corresponding RSNA physics module, as outlined in the physics curriculum.

It is recommended that a junior resident read at least two hours a night whereas a senior resident should plan to read four to six hours per night.

A binder of mandatory reading is provided to each resident, organized with weekly reading assignments. All needed texts and articles are provided and scaled to the resident’s level.

Cardiac Imaging - the requisites

The Royal College also provides the following reading list:

“Diagnosis of Diseases of the Chest” by Fraser, Pare and Genereaux (Reference Text)

“The Lung: Radiological and Pathological Correlation” by Heintzman, 2nd Edition (Must Read)

“Chest Radiology” by Felson (Must Read)

“Imaging of Diseases of the Chest” by Armstrong (Must Read)

“High Resolution CT Scanning” by Muller (Additional Text)

Medical Expert

• Know the anatomy of the chest and the normal variations which can be seen on chest imaging.

• Know the anatomy of the heart and coronary arteries.

• Integrate the physiology of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems with the radiographic image and clinical history.

• Become proficient in the interpretation of critical care chest imaging.

• Be able to perform a lung biopsy and pleural drainage and manage the potential complications.

• Understand the physics of how a chest image is created.

• Know the staging of lung cancer and the factors which determine the operability of a lesion.

• Interpret the post-operative chest and the post traumatic chest.

• Protocol and interpret cardiac CT/MRI studies.

• Know principles and indications for coronary CT angiography.

• Protocol and interpret pulmonary CT/MRI studies including high resolution CT.

• Recognize and give the differential diagnosis of at least the following:

  • Lobar collapse
  • Solitary pulmonary nodule
  • Multiple pulmonary nodules
  • Interstitial lung disease
  • Airspace disease
  • Mediastinal mass
  • Pleural fluid
  • Pleural mass
  • Chest wall mass
  • Pulmonary vascular disease
  • Cardiac disease: valvular, congenital, myocardial, pericardial
  • Anomalies/abnormalities of the aorta
  • Elevation of the diaphragm
  • Thymic mass
• Know the radiology, pathology, and clinical aspects including presentation, manifestations and management of at least the following chest and cardiac conditions: 
  • Pneumonia (including viral, bacterial, mycobacterial and fungal infections)
  • Lymphoma
  • Lung cancer
  • Metastatic disease to the chest including lymphagitic carcinomatosa
  • Carcinoid
  • Extrinsic allergic alveolitis
  • Occupational lung disease (including silicosis and asbestosis)
  • Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, ankylosing spondyloarthritis, lupus
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Alveolar proteinosis
  • Pulmonary hemorrhage syndromes
  • Wegener’s granulomatosis
  • Eosinophillic pneumonia
  • BOOP
  • Pulmonary edema
  • Pulmonary hypertension
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Pneumothorax
  • Mitral stenosis/regurgitation
  • Aortic stenosis/regurgitation
  • Aortic aneurysm
  • Aortic dissection
  • Right-sided aortic arch
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Thymoma
  • Superior vena cava obstruction
  • Pulmonary hematoma
  • Pulmonary sequestration
  • Bronchogenic cyst
  • Pericardial effusion
  • Mesothelioma
  • Benign pleural fibroma
  • Anomalous coronary artery
  • Bicuspid aortic valve
  • Ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm
  • Myocarditis
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
  • ARVD
  • Partial Anomalous pulmonary venous return
  • Atrial septal defect
  • Myocardial Infarction