Acute and Critical care Flashcards
CV: When a pt is in acute cardiac distress, what health history questions will you ask? (3)
- chief complaint
- precipitating events
- current medications
CV: When a pt is not in acute cardiac distress what areas of questions should we ask? (4)
- review presenting illness
- general CV status
- general health status
- pt lifestyle
When doing cardiac assessment what are things that MUST be considered?
- if there is any evidence of CAD or risk seen, assume myocardial ischemic event until ruled out
- PQRST: rule out other types of chest pain
- little correlation between severity of pain and its cause may exist
- not all people use the word “pain”, they may say pressure, heat, discomfort, stabbing
- keep in mind the other symptoms of cardiac events (dyspnea, cough, fatigue, cyanosis)
What are signs of a vascular disease?
- pale, shiny skin
- sparse hair
What are signs of venous disease?
- edema
- discolouration
- frequent ulcerations
When do you see JVD?
when central venous pressure is elevated, important to assess fluid overload
What is the risk when using heparin to flush lines?
heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
- must monitor platelet count
Flush solutions, lines, stopcocks, and transducers must be changed every ___ hrs.
96
To assess JVP, what position must the pt be in?
At a 45°
What is a pulsus paradoxus?
exaggerated decline in BP by greater than 10mmHg, during inspiration due to TAMPONADE
How do you assess for orthostatic hypotension?
3 positions: laying, sitting, standing
there is a positive result if:
- Systolic BP decreases by 20mmHg
- Diastolic BP decreases by 10mmHg
What is the difference between systolic and diastolic? (which is contracted/rest?)
systolic: contracted ventricle
diastolic: ventricle at rest
what is pulse pressure?
the difference between systolic and diastolic:
SBP - DBP = PP
what is mean arterial pressure?
the average BP of the cycle
SBP + 2(DBP) / 3
a narrow pulse pressure means that?
there is vasoconstriction, temporary.. the blood is perfusing quickly
a wide pulse pressure means that?
the blood is perfusing very slowly, poor perfusion, vasodilation
QRS complex will measure less than ___ sec.
0.10
What is the Bazet formula?
QTc = QT / square root of RR interval
- if above 0.5, they are at a higher risk of TORSADES DE POINTES or increase of 0.06 above their baseline
What is fibrinolysis and when would it be indicated? what are contraindications…
- the enzymatic breakdown of a blood clot
- indicated in pt with STEMI, if treatment is likely to take longer than 120min and pt has NO contraindications such as:
- active bleeding,
- past stroke,
- aortic dissection,
- prior hemorrhage
A pt comes in with an emergency STEMI, there is detection of a new murmur. What may that indicate?
- rupture of papillary muscle
- severe damage
- impending heart failure
- pulmonary edema
Name 4 pt outcomes for STEMI.
- pt will be pain free
- cardiac output will be in normal range to maintain tissue perfusion
- pt will have adequate coping skills to deal with situational crisis
- pt will demonstrate adequate knowledge of disease mgmt
What are the 3 types of acute coronary syndrome (ACS)?
- unstable angina
- STEMI
- nonSTEMI
What is the first thing that a pt should do if they are having early ACS symptoms?
sublingual nitro and call 911 if unrelieved or worsens
Pts with ACS symptoms should be driven by their family member or friend to the hospital. T or F
FALSE. they should be driven in ambulance, with the proper equipment and meds
What are the 2 treatments for STEMI?
- PCI
- fibrinolytic