Course type: Online + Webinars
Duration: Available for 2 months
Modules: 16
Time required: Up to 3 hour per module
Target Audience: Students and Professionals
Specialty: Cardiology
Level: Intermediate
Language: English and Portuguese
Certificate: Yes!
About the Masterclass
Virtual Patients are now a complementary tool in clinical training and support healthcare professionals, to apply their knowledge into practice and to actively learn through this immersive technology experience.
The Online Masterclass in Cardiovascular Emergencies, is designed for pre and post-graduate Students and Medical Professionals, to enhance their clinical reasoning and decision-making skills. This course also trains participants in the correct procedures for patient stabilisation and to manage any underlying disease.
Masterclass overview
- 16 Modules to be completed online
- 3 Webinars with medical experts from Lisbon School of Medicine
- Certified by Lisbon School of Medicine
- 2 ECTS
What you will learn:
Through the 16 clinical scenarios in this guideline-based Masterclass, learners will be able to do the following upon completion:
- Perform the correct procedures for the patient’s stabilization and manage any underlying disease
- Perform Echocardiography to identify tamponade
- Learn how echo helps to exclude mechanical complications (acute MR, ventricle septum or free wall rupture) after acute MI
- Learn how echo reveals systolic and diastolic function of the LV and gives important information on filling pressures
- Learn how echo gives information in the right ventricular function which is particularly important considering assist device implantation
- Learn how echo can exclude pericardial effusion as a cause of cardiogenic shock
- Learn how echo visualizes Thrombi
- Search for indirect signs of constriction in echo
- Call Cath Lab to perform pericardiocentesis
- Identify ventricular tachycardia using electrocardiography
- Correct heart rate to normal by administering IV medications or electrical therapy
- Learn how echocardiography represents a fundamental diagnostic tool for patients presenting to the ICU for dyspnea
- Identify life-threatening conditions, such as complicated infective endocarditis (IE), requiring immediate treatment
- Identify large, mobile vegetations, left ventricular systolic dysfunction and severe aortic regurgitation
- Understand the right heart failure physiology and the optimised way of treatment
- Focus on specific clinical manifestation of pericardial diseases
- Understand the role of early echocardiography in patients admitted to ICU due to decompensated heart failure
- Evaluate diastolic function in patients with pericardial diseases
- Properly treat Gastrointestinal haemorrhage and control the blood loss
- Perform coagulation tests to assess the patient’s coagulation status and discuss anticoagulation reversal.
Meet the Clinical Reviewers
Lisbon School of Medicine and Body Interact have developed this course utilising Body Interact’s advanced medical simulation technology.


Prof. Fausto J. Pinto
Course Coordinator

Ana G. Almeida
Course Coordinator
Catarina Sousa, MD
Daniel Caldeira, MD
Gustavo Silva, MD
João Agostinho, MD
Miguel Menezes, MD
Tatiana Oliveira, MD
Course Outline
Module 1 - A 68 year-old man with dyspnea and fever
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: Wilson was dining with his wife at home. Suddenly he felt breathless and weak and was brought by his wife to the Hospital.
- Conclusion video
Module 2 - A 60 year-old man with recurrent dyspnea and abdominal distension
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: Sally was in her garden, doing some gardening, when suddenly she felt her heart racing as well as chest discomfort. She called the emergency unit as soon as she could and was brought to the Hospital.
- Conclusion video
Module 3 - Beyond cardiac pathology
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: Kenneth had just recently fought a terrible flu and, due to his frail health, stayed mostly at home. Suddenly he woke up during the night feeling terrible and his wife insisted that he needed an ambulance.
- Conclusion video
Module 4 - Sudden feeling of malaise
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: Patient presenting to the emergency department (ED) for worsening dyspnea since 3 weeks ago; dyspnea at rest (NYHA IV) and orthopnea at presentation. Given the evidence of lung congestion at chest X-ray, the patient is admitted to the ICU.
- Conclusion video
Module 5 - Woman wakes up at night with chest pain
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: Patient was referred to hospital due to persistent cardiogenic shock. With positive inotropic treatment, Levosimendan and negative balance, patient was stabilized. HF treatment was started and patient was referred to intermediate care. Despite treatment, patient did not improve and evaluation for VADs implantation and TPL was started. However, patient deteriorated and was referred to the ICU again.
- Conclusion video
Module 6 - Male felt persistent chest discomfort following a family argument
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: Mickey suffered an aortic aneurysm rupture and was transferred immediately to a specialist heart and lung centre, for an emergency surgical repair of his ruptured aneurysm. Although Mickey was hemodynamically stable after surgery, 8 hours post repair his clinical condition severely deteriorated. He has suffered 2 strokes previously; the first was 2 and a half years ago and the second was 6 months ago.
- Conclusion video
Module 7 - Severe calf pain
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: Mr Hayden’s health has deteriorated progressively during the past 5 years, significantly impacting his quality of life. During this period, Mr Hayden has been hospitalized several times, and has ended up hospitalized much more frequently in the past year.
- Conclusion video
Module 8 - Sudden chest pain
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: While going about her daily routine, Catherine felt ill: she vomited and noticed blood in her stool. Catherine then decided to go to the hospital.
- Conclusion video
Module 9 - Chest discomfort and palpitations
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: While he was on a morning walk with his dog, Neal felt that something was wrong. Thankfully, a neighbour saw him and called for assistance.
- Conclusion video
Module 10 -Child with palpitations
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: Stuart was having breakfast with his family. Following a brief argument with his wife, he started to feel persistent chest discomfort. He was immediately brought to the emergency department.
- Conclusion video
Module 11 - Symptoms and signs, never depreciate
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: Adelaide was abruptly awoken during the night with crushing, substernal chest pain, and immediately sought medical care.
- Conclusion video
Module 12 - Acute dyspnea: Don't Just Look, act
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: One month ago, Kelly was hospitalized for chest pain and was diagnosed with acute myocarditis. Today she felt ill again and, once more, sought emergency medical care.
- Conclusion video
Module 13 - Relapsing heart disease
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: Josh has been experiencing fever, and tummy and chest pain. The symptoms started 3 days ago.
- Conclusion video
Module 14 - Febrile syndrome with alarm signs
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: Scenario context: Alexandra suddenly felt unwell when she was getting ready to go to school. Her mother noticed, and rushed her daughter to the Pediatric Emergency Unit.
- Conclusion video
Module 15 - Sudden dyspnea at night
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: The patient has a history of intermittent claudication due to peripheral artery disease (PAD) in addition to multiple cardiovascular risk factors. He has been followed by his primary care provider over the past few months but for the past week the pain has worsened. A duplex scan of his right lower extremity shows stenosis. He is admitted to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
- Conclusion video
Module 16 - Sudden deterioration in a patient with a history of heart disease
- Introduction video
- Clinical Scenario: After having a discussion with his mother, Paul suddenly felt worsening of the chest pain he had been feeling. He immediately called the emergency unit and was brought to the hospital.
- Conclusion video

After submitting your application, you can access the online Masterclass at any time in the Body Interact app:
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