Block 1 - Anatomy - The Heart; Intro to EKGs Flashcards
What is indicated by the arrow in this image?
Pericardial effusion
(medium gray fluid surrounding line of heart wall)
What is the purpose of the pericardium?
To prevent friction;
to secure the heart in place
To what is the pericardium susceptible?
Infection, metastases, effusion
What nerves supply the fibrous and parietal pericardia?
The phrenic nerves
What nerves innervate the visceral pericardium?
The sympathetic trunks and vagus nerves
What does this CXR indicate?
What other signs or symptoms might be present?
Pericardial effusion, possible cardiac tamponade;
Beck’s triad (JVD, hypotension, muffled heart sounds)
Describe the location of the IVC, lower esophagus, and descending aorta in relation to the heart.
IVC (on the right);
esophagus (medial);
descending aorta (lateral)
Why is the abdominal aorta predisposed to abdominal aneurysms?
Lack of vasovasorum that is present in the upper aorta
What are the ABCs of the branching aortic arch?
Aorta, Brachiocephalic, Common carotid (left), Subclavian (left)
To what types of vascular issues is the aorta susceptible?
Atherosclerosis, inflammation, shear stress, and aneurysm formation
What are some clinical sequelae of long-term hypertension?
Cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure
What are some of the signs and symptoms of heart failure?
(ignore left-right distinctions)
Shortness of breath and crackles in lung sounds (pulmonary edema);
pitting edema, JVD, hepatosplenomegaly
What are some deadly potential side effects of chronic hypertension?
AMI, stroke, renal failure
For which cardiac sounds is the diaphragm of the stethoscope ideal?
The pulmonic and aortic regions
For which cardiac sounds is the bell of the stethoscope ideal?
The mitral region
For which cardiac region is the bell or diaphragm of the stethoscope acceptable?
The tricuspid region
What is the most commonly replaced heart valve?
What is the second most commonly replaced?
Aortic;
mitral
What do you suspect after reviewing this X-ray?
Possible aortic dissection
(here is the emergency CT confirmation)
How can an aortic dissection or tear be treated?
With a dacron graft
Proximal aortic dissection should be considered in the differential in what scenarios?
Chest pain that moves to the back;
chest pain in the setting of a wide mediastinum on CXR;
or chest pain associated with an elevated BP
Who is most at risk for aortic dissection?
Older, hypertensive patients;
smokers;
or those with an underlying predisposition (e.g. Marfan’s syndrome)
What are the principal coronary arteries?
Right coronary a. –> Acute marginal a. + posterior descending a.
Left main coronary a. –> left anterior descending a. + circumflex a. + left marginal a.
What vein follows along the circumflex artery and then empties into the coronary sinus?
The great cardiac vein
What vein follows along the inferior portion of the circumflex and ends in the coronary sinus?
The posterior vein of the left ventricle
What vein runs along the posterior descending artery before emptying into the coronary sinus?
The middle cardiac vein
When do the coronary arteries fill?
During diastole
What space separates the atria from the ventricles?
What vessel lines this groove?
The coronary sulcus;
the coronary sinus
How long is the period from occlusion of the coronary arteries to cell death?
4 - 6 hours
Define myocardial infarction.
Myocyte death due to loss of perfusion to cardiac tissue. This is due either to loss of flow from vascular occlusion or from increased (but unmet) demand.
What cardiac procedure can restore an occluded coronary artery?
Angioplasty
What structure in what part of the brain controls cardiac innervation?
The cardiovascular center;
the medulla oblongata
What types of nerve fibers does the cardiovascular center (medulla oblongata) emit?
Sympathetic and parasympathetic
What nerve carries parasympathetic activity for the cardiovascular control center (medulla oblongata)?
What is the parasympathetic effect on the heart?
The vagus nerve;
decreases HR and force of contraction
What parts of the heart are innervated by the vagus nerve?
The SA node, AV node, and the atrial myocardium
What parts of the heart are innervated by sympathetic fibers?
What effect do they have?
The SA node, AV node, and the atrial and ventricular myocardium;
increased HR and force of contraction
Where do they autonomic nerves converge before innervating the heart?
The cardiac plexuses around the aorta and trachea
What dermatomal distribution is activated in ‘referred pain’ during acute coronary syndromes?
Which level is just the medial arm?
T1 - T5
(can be as distant as the angle of the jaw all the way to the xiphoid process and everything lateral and to the left of these two points);
T1
Which coronary artery supplies the SA and AV nodes?
The right coronary artery
Which coronary artery supplies the anterior 2/3 of the interventricular septum?
The left anterior descending artery