The Shock Course
The Shock Course integrates physiology, echocardiography, and pharmacology to manage shock states, with clinical rotations in critical care units.
Summary
What you’ll be able to do
Describe the autonomic nervous system innervation and receptor function (alpha-1, alpha-2, beta-1, beta-2, dopamine (1 and 2). Describe the receptor function for the vasopressin and angiotensin systems.
Describe the pharmacology of available vasoactive drugs and drips including vasoconstrictors, vasodilators and inotropes. Describe the resulting changes in hemodynamics when each drug is given.
Define the term “shock”.
Describe the relevant goal directed, limited physical examination for a patient in “shock”. Describe echo findings for varied shock states.
Describe the invasive and non-invasive monitors we use to evaluate patients with shock. Understand how shock states will change the monitor results (e.g. cardiogenic shock may decrease pulse pressure on an arterial line by decreasing stroke volume; severe acute hemorrhagic shock will yield tachycardia, low stroke volume and low CVP).
Describe which vasoactive to select for a given physical examination, or echocardiographic finding, and be able to describe in words or write the rationale for that medication or combination of medications.
Independently obtain views for a limited point of care transthoracic echocardiogram and for pleural ultrasound
Recognize anatomy on transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).
Recognize basic anatomy for each view for both transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) and TEE.
Recognize shock states including hypovolemic, hyperdynamic, cor pulmonale, cardiogenic shock, obstructive shock (AS, MS, pulmonary embolism).
Describe basic pleural anatomy on sonography.
Identify A-lines, B-lines, and hepatization and describe what each means.
Integrate the cardiac pleural imaging to better describe a shock state and volume status of the patient.
Describe the consequences of shock and how to monitor the patient for those consequences (e.g. acute kidney injury-AKI, neurologic compromise, myocardial ischemia, impaired limb perfusion, mesenteric ischemia, arrhythmia).
Describe the major side effects/ risks of the vasoactive infusions.
Source: UW Guide
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Prerequisites
Course mapMED SC-M 810, 811, 812, and 813
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Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
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Student experience
the class
Early recognition and aggressive management of shock states is one of the most challenging and rewarding patient care experiences. If done well the patient impact is incredible and lives can be saved. Integrate detailed physiologic understanding of shock states and shock evaluation - including echocardiography - with the pharmacology of shock management to develop a practical approach to patient care. Echocardiography training will emphasize obtaining views, recognizing anatomy and appreciating biventricular function as a method to differentiate shock states and select an appropriate treatment plan. The in-depth science of the course will be supplemented by clinical experiences focusing on shock evaluation and management in the cardiothoracic critical care unit, medical intensive care unit and, when possible, with cardiac anesthesiology enabling the student to develop a practical bedside approach to the evaluation and management of shock.
difficulty & workload
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Topics
- Physiologic understanding and evaluation of shock states.
- Echocardiography techniques for differentiating shock states.
- Pharmacology of vasoactive drugs and their hemodynamic effects.
- Clinical application in cardiothoracic and medical intensive care settings.
Skills
- Performing limited point-of-care echocardiography and pleural ultrasound to assess shock states.
- Selecting appropriate vasoactive agents based on clinical and echocardiographic findings.
- Interpreting invasive and non-invasive hemodynamic monitors in shock.
Grades
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Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
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Model & dataset provenance
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