Block 31 Week 3 Flashcards
most common cause of palpitations?
extrasystole
frequent ectopics in > 55 yrs may indicate
clandestine coronary artery disease
very frequent ectopics may cause
(>20% of all heart beats) may cause LV systolic dysfunction
what can palpation during exercise/ immediately after reflect?
during exertion or immediately afterwards need urgent specialist review as they can reflect cardiomyopathy, myocardial ischemia, or a channelopathy
cough/ SOB w palpations?
extrasystoles
persistent breathlessness w palpations?
sign of HF or myocardial ischaemia
chest pain during palpations?
may reflect coronary artery disease or a tachyarrhythmia
sudden termination of palpations?
- sudden termination suggests paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia
what else suggests paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia?
- end attacks by coughing
- straining - Valsava manouvre
- by breath holding especially under water - diving reflex
drugs that may be proarrhythmic?
- B agonists like salbutamol
- antimuscarinics like amitriptyline
- theophylline
- dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (nifedipine),
- class 1 anti-arrhythmics (flecainide, disopyramide
drugs that can prolong QT interval?
- erythromycin, moxifloxacin
- cocaine, amphetamines
what can provoke extra-systoles and AF?
- alcohol excess, caffiene, illicit drugs provoke extrasystoles and AF
other social/ medical factors associated with ventricular extrasystoles and AF?
stress, lack of sleep and fever
Medical conditions that may be associated with atrial fib and flutter?
- HTN
- HF, CAD
- valvular hD
- thyrotoxciosis and diabetes
- alcohol misuse
tachycarrythmias?
- anemia
- thyrotoxicosis
- FHx of sudden cardiac death - which may have caused drowning, epilepsy or road traffic accident under age of 40 is suggestive of an arrhythmia and raises possibility of an inherited cardiac condition
examination for palpations?
- look for signs of HF, thryotoxicosis and anemia
- BCP, FBC, TFT and 12 lead ECG required
palpations with SVT?
- often present with palpitations
- rarely syncope, presyncope or chest pain
WPW syndrome
Medical management of palpitations ?
- beta blockers
- CCBs
- class 1C agents = flecainide propafenone
- class 3 agents - amiodranone
what else can be done for palpations?
catheter ablation
catheter ablation for AF?
- Risk of pacemaker if in persistent flutter
- patient needs to be AC for procedure
- 30% go on to develop AF
Cathether ablation - first line management conditions?
- AV nodal re-entrant arrhythmia
- AV re-entrant arrhythmia
- Atrial flutter
catheter ablation - second line management conditions?
- Atrial fibrillation
- Atrial tachycardia
- Ventricular tachycardia
median age of AF patients?
75
palpitations - malignant arrythmia ?
- VT and VF
- mostly occur in failing hearts
- often presentation is death or aborted death
malignant arrythmias ECG
VF ECG
AF?
- 10% of over 65s will have this
- as multiple foci and chaotic atrial rate, it’s random as to when the signal passes to the ventricles so there’s an irregular ventricular rate
AF ECG?
- no P wave
- irregular rhythm
- narrow QRS complexes (less than 120ms)
- rate (complexes in rhythm strip x6 for irreg rhythm)
complications of AF?
- tachy-induced cardiomyopathy
- perisistent fast AF undiagnosed can lead to reduced cardiac function anf heart failure
AF and filling failure?
- loss of atrial contraction leads to loss of 30% of ejection of blood into left ventricle prior to ventricular systole
- can be v significant in those with already impaired ventricular function or diastolic/ filling failure
stroke risk with AF?
- loss of co-ordinated activity means blood remains static in the atria
- blood clots settle out espec in left atrial appendage
- blood clots from LA can pass into LV and occlude cranial arteries resulting in ischaemic stroke
Classification of AF?
- Paroxysmal
- perisistent
- permanent
Paroxysmal AF?
- intermittent episodes (go back into sinus rhythm in between)
- terminate spont w/o medical intervention
- pAF
Peristent AF?
- ep can be terminated but requires medical intervention
permanent AF?
- medical intervention doesn’t re-establish sinus R or does not hold it in sinus rhythm for long
calculating risk of stroke?
- CHAS2DS2-VASc score
- assesses patient w AF’s risk of stroke
CHADSVASC score?
- Score of 1 (unless if the 1 is due to the patient being female) = consider AC
- 2+ offer oral AC
AC protects against ? stroke but can
cause haemorrhagic stroke
risk of bleeding scoring system
first line for stroke prevention in AF?
DOAC
Warfarin?
- patients already established on warfarin may choose to remain on it
- still used as first line in patients w metal heart valve replacement
LMWH?
- Used as bridging therapy - easy to start and stop e.g. for surgery
- used in patients with severe renal failure who are unable to take DOAC or warfarin
E.g.s of DOACs?
- Edoxaban
- apixaban
- rivaroxiban
- dabigatran
excretion of DOACs?
- all largely excreted renally
- imp to check creatinine clearance - CI if creatinine clearance less than 15
Management of AF - rate control?
- 1st line: BBs e.g. bisporolol, metoporolol (can drop BP though)
- rate limiting CCB: Diltiazem
- Digoxin (check renal function)
1st line for rate control in AF?
beta blockers
Rhythm control in AF?
- consider if symptoms continue despite rate control
- pharmacological cardioversion: amiodrane & flecanide
when should electrical cardioversion be done for rhythm control in AF?
- electrical cardioversion in those w life-threatening haemodynamic instability acutely
- also done electively for those w persistent AF
Procedures that can be done for AF?
- Left atrial ablation
- left atrial appendage occlusion
left atrial ablation?
- if drug tx failed or unsuitable
- pulm veins often the source of abn electrical impulses in AF - these can be isolated where scar tissue is formed near PV to stop abn electrical impulses transferring
- uses catheter
left atrial appendage occlusion?
- either surgically or percutaneously
- useful for those w AF with a high bleeding risk
atrial flutter?
- multiple foci, chaotic contraction
- self perpertuating loop (re-enterant circuit) often around RA
- saw-toothed pattern on ECG
what is the HR usually with atrial flutter?
usually 150bpm every time for flutter w 2:1 block
what to do for AF?
- calc CHADS2VASC score for stroke risk
- and HAS-BLED score for AC
- rhythm, rate control and check LV function - echo
cardiac pacing?
- pacemaker sends electrical impulses to the heart to keep it beating regularly and not too slowly
- used for: tachycardia, bradycardia, heart block, cardiac arrest
Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs)?
- Sends large electrical shock to the heart which reboots it getting it to pump again
- ICDs are often used as a preventative treatment for people thought to be at risk of cardiac arrest at some point in the future.
- If the ICD senses the heart is beating at a potentially dangerous abnormal rate, it’ll deliver an electrical shock to the heart.
what can cause fast AF in young patients?
alcohol and amphetamines
cardiac failure =
failure of the heart to meet the circulatory demands of the body
HF epidemiology?
- 10% of over 75s
- HF can mildly elevate troponin levels
how can HF be classified?
- Systolic: heart failure with reduced EF
- Diastolic: HF with preserved ejection fraction
- Left vs right ventricular failure
- acute vs chronic
causes of HF?
- Cardiomyopathies
- congenital HD
- ischaemic HD
- arrythmuias
- hypertension
- hyperthyroidism
- anemia
- chemotherapy
- alcohol
- drugs
Steps of the cardiac cycle?
- passive filling
- atrial contraction
- start of ventricular contraction
- closure of mitral and triscupid valves
- as pressure increases the aortic and pulmonary valves are forced open
- blood forced into aorta from lV and into pulmonary arteries by RV
- ventricles relax causing bloodflow back down aorta which closes the aortic valve
3 mechanisms of HF?
- Myocardial ischaemia - not enough oxygen and nutrients to do its function
- hypertension - increased peripheral resistance which is too much demand on the heart
- cardiac abnormality - valvular disease, cardiomyopathy
what is the most common cause of HF in the developed world?
ischaemic
ischaemic HF?
- Most common cause of HF in the devloped world
- eventually the heart muscle thins and becomes impaired -> ischaemic cardiomyopaThy
Things that put too much pressure on the heart leading to HF?
- Hypertension
- obesity
- tachycardia
hypertension -> HF?
- longstanding hypertension
- cardiac remodelling (concentric LVH) due to longstanding pressure overload
Obesity -> HF?
- puts the heart under extra strain which can exacerbate or cause HF
tachycardia induced HF?
- Most commonly AF
- atrial flutter
- AVNRT
Muscle disease causing HF?
Cardiomyopathies
types of cardiomyopathy?
- dilated
- hypertrophic
- restrictive
Dilated cardiomyopathy?
- usually massive and global hypokinesis
- usually very dilated on echo
causes of dilated cardiomyopathy?
- cocaine - especially in younger patients
- long standing multi vessel coronary disease - ischaemic HD
- idiopathic
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?
- genetic disorder
- develops obstruction of outflow tract from LV = hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
restrictive cardiomyopathy?
- rigid, stiff thickened myocardium usually as a result of infiltration of material or fibrosis
causes of restrictive cardiomyopathy?
- amyloid
- sarcoid
- scleroderma
- hypereosinophilic syndromes
cardiac output =
- heart rate x stroke volume
- Usually abt 5L
Ejection fraction =
stroke volume/ total volume
normal ejection fraction ?
55-70%
mild LVSD?
45 -54%
severe LVSD?
<35%
diastolic HF?
- problem with the ability of the left ventricle to fill with blood
- preserved ejection fraction
- cardiac output significantly reduced
What can cause diastolic HF?
- processes such as LV hypertrophy can result in less left ventricular cavity space therefore less blood volume in the left ventricle
- less blood volume to be pumped out
Left systolic HF?
- failure to pump as much blood out as is coming in
- blood backs up into heart
- back up of volume into the pulmonary circulation
- capillary hydrostatic pressure increases so fluid moves into surrounding space around alveoli
HF -> pulm oedema?
- increased hydrostatic pressure from LV failure
- fluid between alveoli and capillary meaning gas exchange is impaired due to this barrier - pulmonary oedema
left sided cardiac failure signs and symptoms ?
- SOB
- coughing
- cardiac wheeze
- marked orthopnea
- pink/ white frothy sputum
clinical sign of pulm oedema?
bibasal crepitations
causes of left HF - diastolic?
- inadequate LV filling
- Mitral stenosis: less flow from LA to LV
- LVH: smaller cavity for filling to occur
LHF - pressure overload?
- aortic stenosis - tight aortic valve that the LV has to pump against
- hypertension - pumping against high pressure system
LHF - volume overload?
- aortic regurgitation
- mitral regurgitation