Cardiac Flashcards
What is seen in EKG in ACS?
ST elevations above 1mm in 2 contiguous leads, new LBBB, ST depressions >0.5mm, TWI >1mm, Q waves
What is the timeline to fibrinolytics or PCI in STEMI patients?
Within 12 hrs of symptoms, or 12-24 hrs of clinical/EKG ischemia
30 min to fibrinolytics, 90 min to PCI
What are the guidelines if PCI is unavailable at the institution for STEMI patients?
If DIDO (door in, door out) is <30min and FMC to device is <120min, then transfer for PCI. If there is no lytic contraindication and DIDO >30 min or FMC to device is >120 min, then lytics first then transfer
When are bare metal stents preferred over DES in AMI?
patients with high bleeding risk, unable to comply with DAPT for 1+ years, anticipated surgery within 1 year
What is the danger of receiving streptokinase?
High risk of allergic reactions if you’ve had it before
Which adjuncts are added for fibrinolytic therapy in AMI patients?
Heparin, ASA, and clopidogrel (300mg load then 75mg)
When should beta blockers be used in AMI?
Orally once revascularized, IV only if hemodynamically unstable from AMI
Is there a mortality benefit to revascularizing UA/NSTEMI patients?
Yes, but timeline is 24-48hrs
What is the PCI strategy for patients that receive fibrinolysis for STEMI?
If it works: non-invasive ischemic testing or transfer high risk patients for elective PCI within 24hr
If it doesn’t work (persistent ST elevation, persistent symptoms, develop shock, evidence of artery re-occlusion): PCI
When risk stratifying NSTEMI/UA patients, which patients get a conservative strategy?
No high risk features with plan to get more information (echo, stress test, etc) before proceeding with angio. Otherwise, angio within 24-72hr
What are some EKG changes seen in pericarditis?
Diffuse ST elevation in 8+ leads, PR elevation in aVR with ST depression, PR depression everywhere else
What are some EKG changes seen in cardiac tamponade?
May see RBBB, low voltage
How do you differentiate VT with SVT with aberrancy?
Starts wide then narrows (“warms up” the His bundle)
What are you suspecting when you see a shortened PR interval with slurring of the QRS complex?
An accessory pathway capable of antegrade pre-excitation, such as in WPW. Avoid AV nodal blocking agents
What happens when you give atropine to patients with ischemia to AV node?
Speed up the sinus node but infranodal conduction is worse so becomes more overt heart block
Which meds cause prolonged QT?
SSRI/SNRIs, abx (macrolides, fluoroquinolones, azoles), antiarrhythmics, antipsychotics, triptans, methadone
What are the EKG changes seen in Brugada syndrome?
ST elevations in V1-3 with a RBBB appearance, J point elevation and a gradually sloping or biphasic T wave. Sodium channel blocking antiarrhythmics (ie procainamide) can reveal this in some patients. Tx with amiodarone, AICD and quinidine, potentially ablation.
Which subgroup of afib patients should receive adjunctive digoxin and not CCB therapy?
LV dysfunction/HF. No chronic digoxin monotherapy as it has increased mortality
What EKG changes are seen with digoxin toxicity?
Bidirectional VT, atrial/junctional/ventricular VT, severe sinus bradycardia or heart block
What is a VVI pacemaker vs VOO?
VVI (vent/vent/inhibitor) blocks aberrant beats, while VOO is driving the pacing regardless of what the native heart is doing
What are some differences between sinus node dysfunction vs vagal-mediated bradycardia?
Favors SN dysfunction: meds or prior cardiac Sx, age, not related to position, has a tachy-brady picture
Favors Vagal-mediated: positional, situational (cough//micturition, stretching, etc), sinus brady with AV block
What doses of dopamine have more beta activity versus alpha activity?
Beta- 5-10 mcg/kg/min
Alpha- above 10 mcg/kg/min
Why do 50% of patients with AMI have sinus bradycardia?
Disruption of blood flow to SA node artery and increased vagal tone in the first 6 hrs after an inferior wall MI
How are bradyarrhythmias treated in setting of AMI?
Symptomatic, sinus pauses >3 sec, HR <40 + hypotension
Specifically transvenous pacing if the following:
asystole, alternating right and left bundle branch blocks, 2AVB with new BBB, 2AVB with fascicular block and RBBB, or 3AVB
Recall the pacemaker codes
What does a magnet do for a pacemaker?
Turns off the sensing
ie during surgery inappropriate sensing from Bovie doesn’t trigger or to stop pacemaker mediated tachycardia.
Placing a magnet over ICD inhibits shocks but not pacing
What are causes of appropriate and inappropriate ICD shocks?
Appropriate: arrhythmia not terminated with ICD shocks, terminated but recurs
Inappropriate: lead malfunction resulting in oversensing, EMI resulting in inappropriate shock, T wave oversensing, SVT/sinus tachy falling in VT zone (place magnet over ICD to inhibit shocks)
What can also elevate BNP levels?
Age, female gender, pressure overload, obesity, race (AA), treatment (carvedilol/spiro), anemia, cor pulmonale, critical illness, sepsis
Better for negative predictive value than diagnosis or for trends
How will HF vasodilators affect hemodynamics?
(nitroprusside is arterial vasodilator for better afterload reduction vs nitroglycerin is venous)
Recall the ionotropic drugs
Which patients will have survival benefit with defibrillator +/- cardiac resychronization therapy?
EF <35%, LBBB and wide QRS
How does an IABP work?
Inflates during diastole to augment pulsatile blood flow to increase mean aortic BP to augment coronary perfusion
Deflates during systole to reduce ventricular afterload leading to an increase in mean arterial pressure and augment ventricular stroke volume
What is considered a normal pulse pressure?
40
Low is around 20
What is one clue for cardiac tamponade?
Equalization of pressure (RA/CVP, PA diastolic, wedge, loss of y descent)
Recall the PA catheter findings in the different types of shock
On a waveform, where do you measure wedge pressure?
End-expiration
Also, don’t flush the cath when wedged- can cause vascular injury
Recall the difference in the PA waveforms
How do you differentiate RA waveform from wedge waveform?
Which scenarios can large V waves be seen in PAC waveforms?
TR, MR, can be confused with PA tracing, VSD, volume overload
PAOP/CVO estimation at should be at mean ‘a’ wave
How does mechanical ventilation affect LV/RV preload and afterload?
Increases preload and decreases afterload of LV
Decreases preload and increases afterload of RV
How do you calculate pulse pressure variation?
PPV= 100x (PPmax-PPmin)/PPmean
12-15% strongly associated with fluid responsiveness
**Patient must be passive on vent and in sinus rhythm, arterial catheter in place, 8-10cc/kg
What degree of IVC variation suggests fluid responsiveness?
above 12%
What are the benefits of passive leg raise?
CO increase by 10% predicts fluid responsiveness
Can be vent or non-vented, uses variety of CO assessment methods, not confounded by arrhythmia
Where on the arterial monitoring waveform do you measure the CVP?
Base of the C wave at end-expiration.
Can also take top and bottom of a wave (measured after p wave on ekg) and take the average
What are the arterial waveforms representing regarding chambers filling?