NCM Exam Format | NCM Course Contents | NCM Course Outline | NCM Exam Syllabus | NCM Exam Objectives

01. Principles of neurocritical care - Neurological examination in the ICU - Cerebral physiology (including intracranial pressure, cerebral blood flow/autoregulation) - CSF physiology - Principles of neuropharmacology - Osmotic agents - Anti-seizure drugs - Anesthetics - Antihypertensives - Vasopressors - Inotropes - Sedatives - Pain medications (neuropathic pain) - Paralytic drugs - Thrombolytics - Anticoagulants and antiplatelets - Reversal of anticoagulation after acute hemorrhage - Analgesia and sedation - Airway management (including indications and complications of tracheostomy) - Mechanical ventilation - Hemodynamic monitoring - Non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring - Hemodynamic support - Indications for intra-aortic balloon pump - Indications for temporary ventricular support devices - Indications for ECMO (VV and VA) - Neurological complications of the patient with LVAD - Neurological complications of the patient with ECMO - Diagnosis and management of shock - Nutrition - Temperature control - ICU prophylaxis - Prevention of volutrauma - DVT prevention - Prevention of gastroduodenal ulcers - Pressure ulcers - CAUTI, VAP - Early mobility - Delirium - General trauma - Principles in the emergency evaluation of polytrauma - Chest trauma - Abdominal trauma - Long bone fractures and fat embolism - Burns - Electrical injury - Hanging/strangulation - Pulmonary - Pulmonary physiology - Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Acute pulmonary embolism - COPD exacerbation - Asthma exacerbation - Pulmonary arterial hypertension - Pneumonia (VAP, aspiration) - Pulmonary edema (neurogenic, cardiogenic, mixed) - Basics of bronchoscopy - Cardiovascular - Cardiovascular physiology - Stress-induced cardiomyopathy - Ischemic cardiomyopathy and acute coronary syndrome - Valvulopathies - Cardiac arrhythmias - Indications for transient and permanent pacemaker - Acute aortic dissection - Basics of cardiac ultrasound - Renal - Renal physiology - Acute kidney injury - Acid-base disorders - Electrolyte disorders - Renal replacement therapy - Pharmacological implications of altered renal clearance - Infectious diseases - Severe sepsis and septic shock - Infective endocarditis - Principles of antimicrobial use - Treatment of infection in the immunosuppressed - Endocrine - Endocrine physiology - Pituitary apoplexy - Diabetes insipidus - Panhypopituitarism - SIADH - Cerebral salt wasting - Thyrotoxicosis and myxedema - Acute adrenal insufficiency - Acute dysglycemias - Gastrointestinal disorders - Gastrointestinal physiology - Acute abdomen - Acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage (upper and lower) - Ileus (adynamic and obstructive) - Acute GI perforations - Acute mesenteric ischemia - Abdominal compartment syndrome - Fulminant liver failure (including management of brain edema) - Acute decompensation of cirrhosis - Pharmacological implications of altered hepatic clearance - Hematological disorders - Anemia and blood transfusion - Thrombocytopenia and platelet transfusion - Acute coagulopathies - Disseminated intravascular coagulation - Deep venous thrombosis - Neurological complications of chemotherapy/immune therapy for hematological disorders - Neurological complications of stem cell transplantation - Neurological complications of CAR-T therapy - Sickle cell crisis - Thrombotic microangiopathies (TTP, HUS) 02. Diagnostic studies and procedural skills - Principles of neuroimaging (brain and spine) - CT scan - MRI scan - Brain perfusion scans (CT/MR) - Noninvasive angiography - Conventional cerebral angiography - Indications and interpretation of EEG, standard and processed EEG - Indications and interpretation of ICP monitoring - Indications and interpretation of transcranial Doppler - Indications and interpretation of brain tissue oxygen monitoring - Principles of multimodality monitoring - Basic interpretation of EMG - Basic interpretation of CSF analysis - Brain death determination - Vascular access - Thoracic echo - Lung ultrasound 03. Neurocritical care diseases - Coma and other states of altered consciousness - Global anoxia-ischemia - Post-resuscitation encephalopathy - Toxic-metabolic - Acute toxidromes - ICU delirium - Hypertensive encephalopathy - Intracranial hypertension - Acute ischemic stroke - Malignant hemispheric infarction - Basilar artery occlusion - Acute stroke reperfusion therapy - Intraparenchymal hemorrhage - Intracerebral hematoma - Cerebellar hematoma - Intraventricular hemorrhage - Subarachnoid hemorrhage - Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage - Non-aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage - Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis - Spinal cord infarction - Vascular anomalies - Symptomatic unruptured intracranial aneurysm - Cavernous malformation - Arteriovenous malformation - Cranial dural arteriovenous fistula - Spinal dural arteriovenous fistula - Traumatic brain injury - Diffuse axonal injury - Cerebral contusions - Epidural hematoma - Subdural hematoma - Arterial dissection - Carotid-cavernous fistula - Penetrating injuries - Spinal cord injury - Central cord syndrome - Neurogenic shock - Unstable spine fractures - Hydrocephalus - Indications for temporary CSF diversion - Indications for permanent CSF shunting - Acute central nervous system infections - Viral encephalitis - Bacterial meningitis - Intracranial and spinal epidural abscess - Ventriculitis - Other - Status epilepticus/seizures - Acute neuromuscular disorders - Guillain-Barré syndrome - Myasthenic crisis - Motor neuron disease - Acute myopathies - Rhabdomyolysis - Critical illness neuromyopathy - Fulminant demyelinating diseases - Autoimmune encephalitis - Acute autonomic hyperactivity - Neurooncology - Primary brain tumors - Brain metastasis - Spinal cord tumors and metastasis - Carcinomatous meningitis - Paraneoplastic syndromes - Complications of radiation therapy - Complications of chemotherapy - Special populations - Pregnancy and post-partum - Eclampsia, preeclampsia, HELLP, PRES, RCVS - Post-organ transplant - Pediatric patients 04. NEUROSURGICAL AND PERIOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS - Seizures - Pneumocephalus - Hemorrhage - Ischemia - Infections - CSF leak - Complications of EVD and lumbar drain - Hyperperfusion - Other 05. ETHICS, RESEARCH, AND PRACTICE-BASED LEARNING - Communication with families and conflict resolution - Advance directives and DNR orders - Uncertainties of prognostication and the self-fulfilling prophecy - Palliative care and end-of-life care - Withdrawal of invasive care and withholding - Futility - Determining decision makers - Donation after cardiac death - Care of the organ donor