Acute Coronary Syndromes and Heart Failure Flashcards
What are the differential causes of chest pain?
- respiratory (pneumonia, pulmonary embolism)
- cardiac (ischaemia, pericarditis)
- Musculoskeletal (costrochondiritis or fractures)
- GI conditions (reflux, peptic ulcers)
What is the difference between pain due to pleural or pericardial sac and pain due to lung or heart tissue disorders?
- tissue disorders create a dull, poorly localised pain that is generally worse on exertion (visceral pain)
- pleural/ pericardial disorders cause sharp, well localised pain that is worse on coughing/ movement
Describe the chest pain and secondary symptoms caused by pneumonia
- sharp, well localised pain that is usually off to one side, that is worse on movement and coughing
- comes with cough, fever and breathlessness
Describe the pain caused by a pulmonary embolism
- sharp pain off to one side that is worse on breathing in or coughing
Describe the pain caused by ischaemia of the heart muscle
- dull pain, often described as crushing or burning
- retrosternal (central check behind sternum)
- not well localised
- radiates down neck, jaw, shoulders, left arm
- worse on exertion
Describe the pain caused by pericarditis, how else can it be differentiated from an MI?
- retrosternal
- sharp and localised
- worse on inspiration, coughing and lying flat
- eased by sitting up and leaning forward
- pericardial rub (harsh coarse sound) heard under stethoscope
What is pericarditis and what can cause it?
- inflammation of pericardium
- secondary to viruses (adenovirus, herpres, EBV), TB, autoimmune conditions, radiotherapy, kidney failure, thypothyroidism, cancer, heart attacks ect
describe the pain caused costochondritis or rib fractures
- sharp and well localised
- more painful on palpation
- coughing and inspiration/ movement also make it worse
Describe the pain caused by reflux
- burning pin running up chest or centrally
- worse when lying flat or after meals
- can be similar to MI
List the modifiable and non- modifiable risk factors for acute coronary syndromes
modifiable: smoking, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, sedentiary life
non modifiable: age, familly history, male
What is the difference between stable and unstable angina?
In stable angina, plaque is occluding artery but not ruptured and so the pain is only felt on exertion
What will an ecg of someone with stable angina look like at rest and on exertion?
at rest- normal
exertion- ST depression in effected arreas (ischaemia occuring)
Will a GTN spray releive symptoms of someone with unstable angina?
no- it will only work with stable angina
What investigations are needed for someone with stable angina?
- FBC- check non aneamic, cholesterol, thyroid function and renal function for other causes
- ECG- abnormal Q wave suggest previous MI
- CXR- other causes of pain
- troponin- check no necrosis
- angiogram/ CT to check which coronary artery is occluded
How is stable angina managed?
- low cholesterol diet (no butter, cheese, sausage, more rabbit food)
- statins
- aspririn to lower clot risk
- beta blockers to lower cardiac demand
- ACE inhibitors to lower demand and BP
- oral nitrate (like GTN spray but lasts longer)
- calcium channel blockers if cant take beta blockers
What will be the ECG and troponin results of someone with unstable angina?
- ST depression and/ or T wave flattening or inversion
- troponin normal as myocytes ischaemic but not yet dead
What is the difference between and NSTEMI and a STEMI?
In NSTEMI there is no ST elevation (there will be depression and/ or T wave inversion or flattening) because lumen or coronary artery is severely blocked. Troponin is raised in both