Educational Cardiac Electrophysiology Guidelines: Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals (SICP)

CVT Core Curriculum Topics

1. Cardiac and Vascular Embryology
2. Introduction to the Conduction System of the Heart
3. Fetal Embryology and Circulation
4. Introduction to Sinus Rhythms
5. Introduction to Structural Characteristics of the Vascular System
6. Abdominal and Peripheral Vascular Anatomy
7. Gross Cardiac Anatomy and Adult Circulation
8. Gross Cardiac Anatomy and CV Innervations
9. CVT Seminar — Introduction to Echo, EP, INV, PVT, Endovascular
10. The Cardiac Cycle
11. Normal Hemodynamics
12. Introduction to Basic Hematology and Coagulation
13. Supraventricular Tachycardias
14. Blocks — SA Node, AV Node
15. Medical Math
    • Basics
    • Review of Number Relations and Introduction to Serial Dilution
    • Numerical Manipulation
    • Relating Properties of Fluid Motion to Numerical Values
    • Drawing Conclusions from Numerical Values
    • Doppler Physics
16. Ventricular Rhythms
17. Paced Rhythms
18. 12-Lead Interpretation — Putting It All Together
19. Normal and Abnormal Lab Values Associated with Various Disease States
20. Introduction to Atherogenesis
21. Vascular Disease States and Hemodynamic Findings
22. Peripheral Arterial Disease
23. Thrombogenesis and Introduction to DVT
24. Correlations of Ischemic Heart Disease — Non-Invasive Testing
25. Introduction to Myocardial Diseases
26. The Acute MI
    • Correlate Clinical Presentation and Findings
27. Introduction to CHF and Cardiogenic Shock
    • Hemodynamic Findings
28. Introduction to Valvular Disease States
29. Introduction to Cardiomyopathies
30. Pericardial Diseases
31. Hypertension and Renovascular Hypertension
32. Congenital Heart Disease

EP Specialty Topics

1. Introduction to EP
   • What is Cardiac Electrophysiology and How Did it Begin?
   • Review H&P
2. Introduction to Sterile Techniques
   • Scrubbing
   • Donning Gowns
   • Donning Gloves — Open and Closed Glove Technique
3. Infection Control
   • Hand Hygiene
   • Nosocomial Infections
4. Non-Invasive Testing
   • Stress Testing
   • Tilt Table Testing
   • Holter Monitoring, Event Recorders, Loop Recorders
   • Pharmacologic Treatments of What? – consider as separate numbered item
5. EP Instrumentation
   • Arterial and Venous Access Techniques and Tools
   • Device Implant Instruments — What’s on the Pacemaker Tray?
6. Introduction to Patient Prep
   • Prepping 101 — Back to the Basics
7. Cardiac A&P for the RCES
   • RA Structures/LA Structures
   • RV/LV Structures
8. Introduction to Patient Care
   • Patient Safety
   • Moderate Sedation
   • Patient Assessment
9. Review Patient Pathway (Symptoms to Discharge)
10. EP Lab Observation — Roles and Responsibilities
11. Introduction to Action Potentials
    • Identify Phases 0-4
    • Identify Ion Channels
12. Action Potentials and Pharmacology
    • Vaughan-Williams Classification System
13. Basic Introduction to Device E-grams
    • Near-field/Far-field
    • Identifying Nomenclature
14. Radiation Production and Safety
    • X-ray Tube Anatomy
    • Principles of ALARA
    • Inverse Square Law
15. Recognizing Anatomy Under Fluoroscopy
    • RAO/LAO Views
16. Introduction to IV Therapy
17. Introduction to Vascular Access and Management
18. Introduction to Foley Catheters
19. Principals of Electricity — Modules
20. Equipment in the EP Lab
    • Recording System
    • EMR
    • Stimulation Box
    • Mapping System
    • RF Equipment
21. Introduction to Intracardiac Echocardiography 
    • Images
    • Equipment
22. Rhythm Disorders
    • Mechanism of Bradycardia
    • Mechanism of Tachycardia
23. Fundamentals of Devices
    • Pacemaker Technology
    • Pacing Codes and Nomenclature
    • Implant Guidelines
    • Implant Techniques
    • Flow of Instrumentation
    • Lead Technology
24. Bradycardia 
    • Single Chamber Concepts
      • Capture/Sense
    • Single Chamber ECG Analysis
    • Dual Chamber Concepts
      • Atrial Alert Period
      • AV Delay
      • PVARP
      • Ventricular Refractory Period
      • Ventricular Blanking Period/Crosstalk Detection Window
      • Ventricular Alert Period
      • Atrial Escape Interval
      • Rate-Responsive AV Delay
      • Four States of DDD Pacing
      • Upper Rate Behavior
    • Dual Chamber ECG Analysis
    • Special Features
      • ATP
      • AMS
      • Hysteresis
      • MTR/MSR
      • PMT
      • Rest-Rate
      • Rate-Responsive
25. Introduction to Device Programmers
    • Vendor-Led Workshops
26. Review Action Potential/Mechanism of Arrhythmia
27. ICD/CRT Trials
28. Venography
    • Equipment
    • Techniques
29. CRT Programming — Vendor-Led Workshops
30. Lead Extraction
    • Equipment
    • Techniques
31. Pericardiocentesis
    • Equipment
    • Techniques
32. Transseptal Approach
    • Equipment
    • Techniques
33. Tilt-Table Testing
    • Patient Monitoring
    • Equipment
34. Introduction to Basic EP Study
    • Protocols
    • Measurements
    • Channel Markers
    • Near-field/Far-field
35. Introduction to Tachyarrhythmias
36. EPS — Atrial Flutter/Atrial Fibrillation
    • Typical/Atypical
    • 3 P’s 
    • Eccentric/Concentric 
    • Orthodromic/Antidromic 
    • LA Anatomy (specific to Pulmonary Veins)
    • E-gram Indicators
    • Stim Protocols
37. EPS — AVNRT
    • Dual Nodal Pathway
    • Eccentric/Concentric
    • Orthodromic/Antidromic
    • E-gram Indicators
    • Stim Protocols
38. EPS — AVRT
    • Eccentric/Concentric
    • Orthodromic/Antidromic 
    • E-gram Indicators
    • Stim Protocols
39. EPS — AT (MAT/FAT)
    • Eccentric/Concentric
    • Orthodromic/Antidromic 
    • E-gram Indicators
    • Stim Protocols
40. EPS — VT (BBR-VT, OT-VT, Scar-VT) also Fascicular, VF, Consider Focal VT (can be inflow, pap muscle, etc.)
    • Eccentric/Concentric
    • Orthodromic/Antidromic 
    • E-gram Indicators
    • Stim Protocols
41. Introduction to the OR/Hybrid Room
42. Ablation Physics
43. Introduction to 3D Mapping
    • Carto
    • EnSite
44. CT/MRI Differential Imaging — Geometry of AFib
45. Mapping Atrial Arrhythmias
    • AFib
    • Aflutter
    • AT
    • AVNRT
    • AVRT
46. Mapping Ventricular Arrhythmias
    • BBR-VT and fascicular VT
    • OT-VT (focal)
    • Scar-VT
47. Introduction to Array
48. Registry Prep
49. Mock Registry
50. Certification Exam