Pharmacology, Clinical Biochemistry and Diagnostic Imaging

· Clinical Biochemistry: introduction, aims, definitions
o Laboratory intervention levels. Concepts of diagnostic test and its purposes (screening, diagnostic study, disease monitoring)
· The pre-analytical phase and its sources of variability
o Preparation of the subject / patient
o Sampling, treatment, transport, delivery and storage of biological samples: blood, urine, feces, spinal cephalus liquid (liquor), pouring liquids into serous cavities, synovial fluid, amniotic fluid, seminal fluid, gastric juice, sweat.
· Acceptability criteria of a biological sample
o Post-analytical variability and Reporting
· Quality control
o Analytical variability
· Concept of total analytical variability and its components
o Types of errors. Reliability of a dosage method
o Biological variability and factors influencing it
o Analytical goals
· Reference values
o Concept of reference interval
o Concept of decision values
o Concept of critical difference
· Diagnostic logic:
o clinical sensitivity and specificity
o predictive values
· Deepening of some topics chosen by the teacher and with particular reference to the pathologies related to the subject of the Degree Course (for example: monitoring of diabetes, nutritional status, lipoproteins and lipids, cholesterol metabolism and dyslipidemias, liver function, biochemistry of saliva ... etc.)

· General concepts of Pharmacology.
o Definition of drug and origin of drugs. Therapeutic, side and toxic effects. Placebo and Nocebo effect. Drug development and pharmacovigilance. Introduction to drug legislation and pharmacoeconomics.
· Pharmacokinetics
o Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion; concepts of bioavailability, half-life and steady state plasma concentration.
· Pharmacodynamics
o Site of action of drugs; receptors and signal transduction mechanisms; dose-effect relationship; concepts of drug potency and efficacy, agonism and antagonism, desensitization and hypersensitivity, therapeutic index.
o Variability factors in drug response. Drug interactions: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects. Interactions between drugs and foods and between drugs and herbal and non-conventional preparations. Use of the DynaMed Plus® database.
· Clinical Pharmacology:
o Pharmacological therapy of dyslipidaemias: statins and other cholesterol lowering drugs
o Pharmacological therapy of diabetes mellitus: insulins and oral hypoglycemic agents
o Pharmacological therapy of arterial hypertension
o Drugs of the gastrointestinal system
o Antiemetic drugs
o Pharmacological therapy of peptic ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux disease
o Anxiolytic-hypnotic and antidepressant drugs
o Pharmacological approaches to the treatment of eating disorders
o Pharmacological approaches to obesity therapy
o Nutraceutical principles
o Food supplements and their rational therapeutic use

∙ Structure of the atom
∙ Classification of nuclides
∙ Definition of radiation
∙ Electromagnetic radiation
∙ Wave length and frequency
∙ Photons
∙ The electromagnetic spectrum
∙ X and γ rays
∙ Use, production and detection of the electromagnetic spectrum
∙ The corpuscular radiation
∙ Ionizing radiation
∙ Characteristic X-rays
∙ Bremsstrahlung X-rays
∙ X-ray production in diagnostics
.Spectrum of an X-ray tube
∙ X-rays: production in radiotherapy
∙ Nuclear stability and radioactivity
∙ Radioactive decay
∙ The law of radioactive decay
∙ Average life and half-life
∙ Activities
∙ Alpha, beta-, beta +, gamma decay
. Electronic capture decay
∙ The various types of radiation in the interaction with matter
∙ Interaction of alpha and beta charged particles
∙ Collision
∙ Bremsstrahlung
∙ Interaction of alpha particles
∙ Bragg curve
∙ Interaction of beta particles
. Positron-matter interaction: annichilation
∙ Interaction of beta particles
∙ Photoelectric effect, compton, pair creation
∙ Attenuation of a beam of x and gamma radiation
∙ Attenuation law
∙ Detection system
.Dose equivalent to an organ
∙ Effective dose to the whole body
∙ Non-ionizing radiation: application examples
∙ MRI, laser, ultrasound
RADIO PROTECTION IN THE SANITARY ENVIRONMENT
∙ D.lgs.101 / 2020
. Principle ALARA
∙ Principle of justification
∙ Optimization process
∙ Reference diagnostic levels
∙ Equipment acceptability criteria
∙ Protection during pregnancy and lactation
∙ Main exclusive responsibilities of the operator
∙ Responsibility of the RIR
∙ Responsibility of the medical specialist
∙ Expert responsibility in medical physics
∙ Purpose of radiation protection
.Dose limits for members of the public
∙ Classification criteria for workers
∙ Exposed workers in categories A and B
.Dose limits for exposed workers
∙ Physical and medical surveillance
∙ Classification of areas
∙ Internal and external exposure
∙ Sources of risk in radiological activities
∙ Personal protective equipment
∙ Safety in radiological activity
.Traditional radiographic procedures for radiation protection standards
∙ Dental radiology radiation protection standards
∙ Mammography radioprotection standards
.TAC radiation protection standards
∙ Radioscopy and interventional radiology radiation protection standards
∙ Sources of risk in radiotherapy radiation protection standards
∙ Sources of risk in brachytherapy radiation protection standards
∙ Sources of risk with unsealed radioactive substances
∙ In vitro diagnostic procedures
∙ General planning principles
∙ Radioactive waste
RADIOBIOLOGY
∙ Study of the action and effects of ionizing radiation on biological structures
∙ Experimental techniques of radiobiology
∙ Sequences of events of radiobiological interest
∙ Radiation cell damage
IMAGE DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGIOCHE BASES OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE.