CSB539 Podiatric Anaesthesiology and Surgery

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit will introduce you to the principles of local anaesthesia, including the selection of relevant agents and their safe use and administration techniques for surgical procedures of the foot and ankle, consistent with National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.  Broad constructs around the principles of podiatric surgery are addressed, including skin and nail surgical techniques and bone and joint procedures in the foot and ankle.  Students will develop competencies in assessing patients for administration of local anaesthetics, obtaining consent, local anaesthetic administration techniques and mitigating and managing associated adverse events and clinical emergencies.  Surgical protocols and medicolegal considerations are considered with a particular emphasis on nail surgery.

This is a designated unit which is essential to your course progression. Designated units include professional experience units, units requiring the development of particular skills, and units requiring demonstration of certain personal qualities. If you fail to achieve a satisfactory level of performance in a designated unit, you may be excluded from enrolment or will be put on academic probation. If you fail a designated unit twice within your course, you may be excluded. Supplementary assessment is not available on designated units.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Evaluate patient suitability for local anaesthetic administration and nail surgery procedures, recognising, mitigating and managing associated adverse events
2. Demonstrate safe and competent administration techniques for local anaesthetic injection for foot and ankle procedures
3. Rationalise and discriminate the broad scope of foot and ankle surgical procedures relative to those patients requiring surgical intervention and/or referral.
4. Demonstrate competency in surgical protocols and procedures relating to the nail and reflect through observation and limited participation.
5. Thoroughly analyse medico-legal requirements for invasive procedures of the foot and ankle and procedures to gain consent.

Content

Learning Approaches

The lecture component is applicable to the safe and effective use of the local anaesthetics available to the podiatrist and will provide teaching regarding history taking and assessment to determine patient suitability for surgery and common podiatric surgical techniques for the management of various lower-limb complaints. The practical component will provide students with clinical exposure to the safe administration of local anaesthetics, aseptic surgical technique and technical skills required to perform nail surgery.. This unit uses simulation models to enable the development of manual dexterity skills required in delivering local anaesthetic injections to the foot and ankle and performing nail surgery

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will be provided continuous feedback on a weekly basis with respect to your practical clinical performance. A range of formative exercises will be used in class including the use of small group discussion, reflective sessions to review issues that have arisen during the course of tutorials

Assessment

Overview

Each assessment item is designed to measure your ability to apply the knowledge and skills stated in the unit learning outcomes.  The learning outcomes in this unit address elements of the Podiatry Board of Australia’s professional capabilities for podiatrists. The Podiatry Board of Australia recognises these as the minimum threshold capabilities for registered podiatrists. As such, this unit contains specified threshold assessment conditions. You must receive a passing grade in each threshold item to receive a passing grade for the unit.

Threshold assessment conditions
If you do not achieve the pass level for each assessment item you are able to make one resubmission of this work for the minimum pass level, only when your achieved mark/grade is within 10% (or 1 grade) of the pass level for the assessment item. You are advised to seek feedback on your submission from the unit coordinator prior to resubmission. Supplementary assessment is not permitted if you fail this unit because of a failure to meet the special conditions of assessment.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Practical Demonstration

You will be assessed on your ability yo safely demonstrate the protocol for the safe administration of a local anaesthetic for a toe block

Threshold Assessment:

You must be able to safely demonstrate that you are capable of following protocols for the safe administration of a local anaesthetic to ensure you will be able to do so in a clinical environment with a patient.

Assessment: Practical Demonstration

You will be assessed on your ability to safely and effectively follow protocols for local anaesthetic injection procedures involving the foot and ankle, identification and management of emergent clinical scenarios and perform procedures associated with nail surgery.

Threshold Assessment:

You must be able to demonstrate that you can safely follow protocols for scenarios around local anaesthetic administration in the foot and ankle, identify and manage emergent clinical scenarios connected to the use of local anaesthetic and have sufficiently developed motor skills to conduct nail surgery to ensure you will be safe in conducting such activities in a clinical environment.  

Assessment: Examination (Theory)

You will be required to complete a written examination, including multiple choice, multiple answer and short answer questions, to demonstrate your knowledge and skills in the application of anaesthesia and surgery.  

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Blue Card

A blue card is required to complete this unit. A blue card confirms that you have passed a screening of your criminal history (the Working with Children Check) and have been approved to work with children and young people. For more information on the blue card and how to apply please visit the QUT website.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

Coughlin, M.J. (2014). Surgery of the foot and ankle. [electronic resource]. (10th Edition). Philadelphia: Mosby.

Levy, L.A., and Hetherington, V.J. (2006). Principles and practice of podiatric medicine. (2nd Edition). Brooklandville, Md: Data Trace Pub Co.

McGlamry, E.D., and Banks, A.S. (2012). McGlamry's comprehensive textbook of foot and ankle surgery. (4th Edition). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Metcalfe, S., and Reilly, I. (2010).  Foot and Ankle Injection Techniques: A Practical Guide.  London, Churchill Livingstone.

Thomson, T., and Freeman, D. (2002). Assisting at podiatric surgery: A guide for podiatric surgical students and podiatric theatre assistants. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingston.

Risk Assessment Statement

This unit will involve clinic-based sessions in on campus clinic facilities. You are required to read the Clinic Policies and Procedures documents, and sign forms indicating that you have read and understood the material contained in these manuals. Please direct any questions regarding safe working procedures to the unit coordinator. Protective clothing outlined in the Policies and Procedures documentation must be worn at all times in the laboratories (eg face mask, goggles/face shield, lab coat) along with closed in footwear and the clinic uniform during all clinic sessions. This unit involves contact with patients, and risks associated with the clinical environment (e.g. scalpel injury and exposure to patients with a blood borne virus) are outlined in the policies and procedures manuals for podiatry students. You are expected to comply with these procedures and guidelines at all times.