Cardiac Arrythmias Flashcards
Who’s consent do you require to do a hospital autopsy?
next of kin or family
What are the circumstances that a procurator fiscal would instruct an autopsy?
sudden and unexplained death suspected suicide or homocide death of a child death at work death due to medical or dental care death in custody death due to an industrial or notifiable disease death due to an accident
What are the two broad catagories of inherited cardiac arrythmias?
cardiomyopaties
channelopathies
What causes channelopathies?
ion imbalance and development of early and late depolarisations
Give some examples of a channelopathy?
long QT syndrome brugada syndrome catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) short QT syndrome familial AF WPW progressive familial conduction disease
What causes cardiomyopathies?
scar or electrical barrier formation causing re entry
What are examples of cardiomyopathies?
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
arrythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
dilated cardiomyopathy
What is an after depolarisation?
abnormal depolarisation of cardiac myocytes that interrups phase 2,3 or 4 of the cardiac AP
What are early after depolarisations?
abnormal depolarisation in phase 2 or 3
caused by increased frequency of abortive action potentials before normal repolarisation is completed
What can early after depolarisations result in?
torsades de pointes
What can make early after depolarisations worse?
hypokalaemia
drugs that prolong the QT interval
What are delayed after depolarisations?
begin during phase 4 - after repolarisation is complete but before another action potential would normally occur
What causes delayed after depolarisations?
elevated Ca
seen in digoxin toxicity
overload of the SR can cause spontaneous Ca release
What is the classical feature of delayed after depolarisations?
bidirectional ventricular tachycardia
In what condition do delayed after depolarisations occur?
CPVT
What is the incidence of congenital long QT syndrome?
1 in 2000 are carriers
What is long QT syndrome?
polymorphic VT (i.e. torsades de pointes) due to adrenergic stimulation
What are the autosomal dominant varieties of long QT?
isolated: Romano Ward Syndrome
extra cardiac features: Anderson-Twail syndrome, Timothy syndrome
What are the autosomal recessive varieties of long QT?
associated with deafness: Jervell + Lange-Nielsen Syndrome
What causes long QT syndrome?
genetic mutations that cause reduced or dysfunctional ionic current - causing prolonged cardiac repolarisation
more depolarising current - Na and Ca
less repolarising current - K