Course Breakdown:  2.5 Hour Self-Paced Course
Credit Awarded:  2.5 Hour
Credit Type: Advanced
Accredited: CAPCE (F3-Distributive), CE Broker (FL, KY, TN), Pennsylvania Bureau of EMS*, and Virginia Office of EMS(Pending)
Enrollment Period:  One year or until completed, whichever comes first
Topics: Perfusion Physiology

*PA Bureau of EMS reporting is by Regional Endorsement.

This self-paced course provides critical care transport clinicians with a comprehensive review of perfusion and its role in maintaining cellular function, organ viability, and patient stability during transport.

Perfusion is more than circulation alone. It represents the effective delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and the ability of cells to utilize those resources to produce energy. In the transport environment, where patients often have limited physiologic reserve, early recognition of perfusion abnormalities is essential to preventing shock, organ failure, and clinical deterioration.

  • Review of cellular respiration and metabolism, establishing the foundation for understanding how oxygen is used at the cellular level to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate.
  • Discusses the relationship between ventilation and perfusion is explored, including ventilation-to-perfusion ratios, dead space, shunt physiology, and the factors that influence oxygen delivery in the lungs.
  • Examines the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve and the physiologic conditions that shift hemoglobin affinity for oxygen, affecting how oxygen is loaded in the lungs and released at the tissue level.
  • Reviews acid-base balance, arterial blood gas interpretation, and the metabolic consequences of inadequate oxygen delivery. These concepts are applied to the clinical setting through an in-depth discussion of shock, including the stages of shock, cellular metabolism during hypoperfusion, and the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of hypovolemic and cardiogenic shock. Emphasis is placed on recognizing early signs of perfusion failure and selecting appropriate interventions during critical care transport.

By the end of this course, learners will have a structured framework for evaluating perfusion at the cellular, pulmonary, and systemic levels, allowing them to anticipate deterioration, interpret physiologic changes in real time, and apply targeted treatment strategies to improve patient outcomes during transport.