Course Breakdown:  1.5 Hour Self-Paced Course
Credit Awarded:  1.5 Hours
Credit Type: Advanced
Accredited: CAPCE (F3-Distributive), CE Broker (FL, KY, TN), Pennsylvania Bureau of EMS*, and Virginia Office of EMS
Enrollment Period:  One year or until completed, whichever comes first
Topics: Hemodynamics Monitoring

*PA Bureau of EMS reporting is by Regional Endorsement.

This self-paced course provides a comprehensive review of invasive hemodynamic monitoring with emphasis on clinical interpretation, physiologic understanding, and practical application in critical care and transport environments.

  • Explore the principles behind pressure monitoring systems and develop the ability to interpret invasive data in the context of overall patient condition rather than relying on isolated numeric values.
  • Review of non-invasive hemodynamic assessment and its limitations, then progresses into the physics of invasive monitoring, including transducers, damping, leveling, and zeroing.
  • Learn how arterial lines, central venous lines, and pulmonary artery catheters function, how they are set up, and how to troubleshoot common problems that can lead to inaccurate readings.
  • Detailed instruction is provided on arterial waveform interpretation, central venous pressure waveforms, pulmonary artery pressures, and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure.
  • Explains how invasive monitoring helps differentiate shock states, evaluate preload, afterload, and cardiac performance, and guide treatment decisions in critically ill patients.
  • A systems-based “city water” analogy is used to help learners visualize how pressure, flow, and resistance interact throughout the cardiovascular system, making complex hemodynamic concepts easier to understand and apply.
  • Special attention is given to transport and critical care considerations, including maintaining accurate pressure monitoring during movement and altitude changes, recognizing waveform abnormalities, and ensuring safe management of invasive lines.

This course is designed for advanced prehospital providers, critical care transport clinicians, and other healthcare professionals who manage high-acuity patients and need a deeper understanding of invasive hemodynamic monitoring to support accurate assessment and evidence-based treatment decisions.