Specialist Clinical Skills Presentation and Management of CNS Infections

Details

Title

Specialist Clinical Skills Presentation and Management of CNS Infections

Type

Stage Two

Module code

HLS262

Requirement

Compulsory

Module objective

By the end of the training period trainees will, in respect to developing skills and knowledge required for understanding the presentation and management of CNS infection be able to:

• analyse, synthesise, evaluate and apply knowledge
• perform, adapt and master a range of technical and clinical skills and procedures and
• demonstrate the attitudes and behaviours necessary for professional practise as a Consultant Clinical Scientist dealing with the complexities, uncertainties and tensions of professional practise at this level

Knowledge and understanding

By the end of the training period the trainee will be able to demonstrate the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesise relevant knowledge with respect to the predisposing factors, presentation, microbial causes, differential diagnoses and management of CNS infections and its application to their professional practice in relation to:

• Meningitis
• Encephalitis
• Abscesses
• Space-occupying lesions in the brain
• Shunt infections and post-surgical infections
• CNS infections in special risk groups (e.g. HIV patients, returning travellers)

Develop a working knowledge of the bacterial, viral and fungal and parasitic causes of CNS infection and their management.

Technical and clinical skills

By the end of the training period the trainee will be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of current relevant research, theory and knowledge and its application to the performance, adaptation and mastery of the following technical procedures and laboratory skills:

• PCR-based approaches to detection of bacterial, viral and eukaryotic pathogens

By the end of the training period the trainee will be able to apply knowledge of CNS infections to perform, adapt and master the clinical skills necessary to:

• liaise with and advise clinical pathology colleagues and the clinical team, using the available evidence base on the diagnosis and management including antimicrobial treatment of the patient with CNS infection
• understand how to use molecular methods to complement other approaches (e.g. culture, serology) when investigating cases of CNS infection