This page contains links to articles based on their points on the curriculum. The list is broken down into pages as in the PDF document on the RCOA website.

2010 FRCA curriculum; Physics and measurement.

Page 1

PC_BK_01 Mathematical concepts: relationships and graphs
PC_BK_02 Exponential functions including wash-in, wash-out, tear-away
PC_BK_03 Logarithms
PC_BK_04 Area under the curve [integration] and rate of change [differentiation]
PC_BK_05 Basic measurement concepts relevant to understanding of monitoring in anaesthesia: linearity, drift, hysteresis, signal to noise ratio, static and dynamic response
PC_BK_06 Electrolyte solutions [also drug doses]: conversion between units e.g. molar, mg/ml
PC_BK_07 SI Units: fundamental units and derived units
PC_BK_08 Other non SI units relevant to anaesthesia: including mmHg, bar, atmospheres, cm H2O, psi
PC_BK_09 Simple mechanics: mass, force, work, energy, power
PC_BK_10 Heat: including temperature, absolute zero
PC_BK_11 Heat transfer and loss: conduction, convection, radiation, evaporation
PC_BK_12 Temperature measurement: including Hg, alcohol, infrared, thermistor, thermocouple, Bourdon gauge, liquid crystal. Anatomical sites used for measurement
PC_BK_13 Latent heats, triple point of water
PC_BK_14 Patient warming systems: principles
PC_BK_15 Warming equipment for intravenous fluids: principles
PC_BK_16 Laws of thermodynamics; mechanical equivalent of heat
PC_BK_17 Humidity, absolute and relative; including measurement
PC_BK_18 Colligative properties: osmolarity, osmolality, osmometry, diffusion
PC_BK_19 Physics of gases. Gas Laws: kinetic theory of gases, Boyles, Henry’s, Dalton, Charles, Gay-Lussac
PC_BK_20 Critical temperature, critical pressure
PC_BK_21 Physics of vapours

Page 2

PC_BK_22 Pressure: absolute and relative pressure; gauge pressure
PC_BK_23 Manufacture and storage of gases and vapours, safety
PC_BK_24 Cylinders and pipelines, Bourdon gauge
PC_BK_25 Suction devices
PC_BK_26 Scavenging devices
PC_BK_27 Measurement of lung volumes and diffusion
PC_BK_28 Density and viscosity of gases
PC_BK_29 Laminar and turbulent flow: Hagen-Poiseuille equation, Reynold’s number, examples including helium
PC_BK_30 Measurement of volume and flow in gases and liquids, including pneumotachograph and other respirometers
PC_BK_31 Bernoulli principle
PC_BK_32 Venturi effect and entrainment devices
PC_BK_33 Vapour pressure: saturated vapour pressure
PC_BK_34 Vaporisation: process of vaporisation
PC_BK_35 Vaporisers: principles, including plenum and draw-over, temperature compensation, concentration
PC_BK_36 Principles of surface tension
PC_BK_37 Basic concepts of electricity and magnetism
PC_BK_38 Electrical voltage, AC and DC current, resistance, impedance
PC_BK_39 Electrical circuits: series and parallel
PC_BK_40 Symbols of basic components of electrical circuits
PC_BK_41 Capacitance, inductance
PC_BK_42 Wheatstone bridge: principles, uses
PC_BK_43 Electrical hazards: causes and prevention
PC_BK_44 Electrocution: including microshock, earth faults, leakage
PC_BK_45 Electrical equipment safety: domestic and medical, classification/types of equipment, symbols

Page 3

PC_BK_46 Circuit breakers, fuses
PC_BK_47 Transformers, inductance
PC_BK_48 Transistors, diodes
PC_BK_49 Amplifiers: band width, low pass, high pass, band pass filters
PC_BK_50 ECG: principles including electrodes and electrode placement
PC_BK_51 Fourier analysis
PC_BK_52 Amplification of biological signals: including ECG, EMG, EEG, BIS, CFM, CFAM
PC_BK_53 Piezo-electric devices
PC_BK_54 Electrical interference: sources, methods of reduction
PC_BK_55 Processing, storage, display of physiological measurements
PC_BK_56 Transducers and strain gauges
PC_BK_57 Lasers: basic principles and safety
PC_BK_58 Ultrasound: basic principles of ultrasound
PC_BK_59 Demonstrates knowledge of the physics relevant to optical fibres
PC_BK_60 Doppler effect, principle and clinical application
PC_BK_61 Cardiac pacemakers: principles and classification
PC_BK_62 Defibrillators and defibrillation: principles, including thoracic impedance, monophasic, multiphasic, implantable devices
PC_BK_63 Diathermy: monopolar, bipolar; safety and uses
PC_BK_64 Pressure transducers (2)
PC_BK_65 Resonance, damping, frequency response
PC_BK_66 Plenum systems: warming blankets, theatre and anaesthetic room ventilation
PC_BK_67 Breathing systems: Maplesons’ classification, coaxial systems, circle systems, T-piece; resuscitation breathing devices
PC_BK_68 Ventilators: principles, including pressure and flow generators, cycling, minute volume dividers, jet and oscillator ventilators
PC_BK_69 Disconnection: monitoring of patient ventilatory disconnection

Page 4

PC_BK_70 CO2 absorption: chemistry, complications
PC_BK_71 Capnography
PC_BK_72 Pulse oximetry
PC_BK_73 Fires and explosions: risks and prevention
PC_BK_74 Measurement of gas pressures
PC_BK_75 Blood pressure: direct and indirect measurement
PC_BK_76 Pulmonary artery pressure measurement
PC_BK_77 Cardiac output: principles of measurement
PC_BK_78 Measurement of gas and vapour concentrations: e.g. infra-red, paramagnetic, fuel cell, oxygen electrode, mass spectrometry
PC_BK_79 Measurement of pH, PCO2, PO2, electrolytes
PC_BK_80 Derived blood gas variables, e.g. HCO3a, HCO3s, BE. Siggaard-Andersen nomogram
PC_BK_81 Measurement of CO2 production, oxygen consumption, respiratory quotient
PC_BK_82 Simple tests of pulmonary function: peak flow rate, spirometry
PC_BK_83 Measurement of perfusion: coronary, cerebral, splanchnic, renal
PC_BK_84 Assessment of neuromuscular blockade
PC_BK_85 Infusion pumps and syringe drivers; including PCA drivers and epidural infusion devices: principles, use, safety, and relevant drug infusion calculations
PC_BK_86 Environmental monitoring: contamination by anaesthetic gases and vapours
PC_BK_87 Minimum monitoring standards
PC_BK_88 Understanding the limits of monitoring equipment
PC_BK_89 Principles of calibration of monitoring equipment
PC_BK_90 Principles of hygiene, including cleaning and sterilisation of equipment

© Sam Beckett and Physics4FRCA, 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.