Education

Post-operative Neck Hematoma and Hypocalcaemia - Training Course - Endocrine Surgery, City Campus, NUH

 

Course aim

Train nurses, junior doctors, surgical trainees, allied health professionals in the early recognition and management of two of the most important complications after thyroidectomy/parathyroidectomy; neck hematoma and hypocalcaemia.

 

General information

The Course is free for all NUH staff and all faculty participating are doing it on a voluntary basis.

 

Structure of the Course

Location: Post Graduation Education Centre at City Campus

 

Timings/Availability

For further information please email ioannis.christakis@nuh.nhs.uk 

 

Duration

90 minutes

 

Format

Lecture presentation, hands-on training, scenario training, MCQ test

 

Certificate of participation

will be sent by email after successful completion of MCQ test and providing feedback form  

 

By attending the course you will obtain the following skills: 

• Things to do to minimise the risk of a neck hematoma occurring

• How to recognise clinically a neck hematoma

• Understand the causes and presentation of a neck hematoma in the postoperative patient

• Understand the different management strategies and when they are employed (conservative vs operative)

• When to call for help and escalate to senior 

• When to open the wound by the bedside

• Understand the impact of thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy on calcium levels

• Understand which thyroidectomy patients need a post-operative blood test to check their calcium and which don’t

• How to interpret post-operative calcium levels

• Understand which patients need to take calcium supplementation

• Recognise the symptoms of hypocalcaemia

• How to treat patients with hypocalcaemia

 

Format of the Course

• Welcome/Introductions

• Lecture presentation on managing postoperative hypocalcaemia and neck wound haematoma

• Questions / 5 min break

• Hands-on training on opening a neck wound haematoma

• Scenario discussion

• MCQ quiz test

• Feedback form 

• End of Course

 

Becoming a trainer/faculty for the Course

Everyone is welcome to become a trainer/faculty for the Course. The only requirement is that you have previously attended the Course as a participant. 

 

After that you will have: 

• An initial training session with one of the Faculty members

• Your first Course participation as a Trainer with supervision/backup from one of the existing Faculty members

• If you are successful, you will then become a full Faculty member 

To express your interest in becoming Faculty for the Course please email ioannis.christakis@nuh.nhs.uk.