Cardiac chest pain Flashcards
Causes and types of stable angina
Atherosclerotic disease (most common)
Rarer types:
Decubitus angina - occurs when lying down
Prinzmental angina - occurs due to coronary vasospasm
Coronary syndrome X - angina sx despite normal exercise tolerance and normal coronary angiograms
Mx of stable angina
Conservative
- stop smoking
- lose wt
- exercise
Medical
- symptomatic: GTN spray
- anti-anginals: BBs, CCBs
- reduce RFs: ACEi, aspirin, statins
Sx of ACS
Acute-onset central, crushing chest pain
Radiates to arms/neck/jaw
Pallor
Sweating
NOTE: silent infarcts in elderly and diabetics
What are the mx steps to determine what type of ACS it is?
Hx
- sudden-onset central crushing pain
ECG
- changes => STEMI
- no changes
Troponin
- +ve => NSTEMI
- -ve => unstable angina
What does an ECG show for
a) STEMI
b) NSTEMI?
a) hyperacute T waves, ST elevation, new onset LBBB
b) ST depression, T wave inversion
What can ECG leads tell us about the site of the infarct?
II, III, aVF => inferior => right coronary artery
V1-V5 => anterior => left anterior descending
I, aVL, V5/6 => lateral => left circumflex
tall R wave + ST depression V1-3 => posterior => posterior descending
Drug mx for ACS
M orphine
O xygen
N itrates
A ntiplatelets (aspirin+clopidogrel)
B eta-blockers
A CEi
S tatins
H eparins
Mx of STEMI
300mg loading dose of aspirin
<12hrs
- PCI
>12hrs
- coronary angiography followed by PCI if indicated
Mx of NSTEMI and UAP
Immediate
- aspirin: 300mg loading dose + other antiplatelet (clopidogrel)
- fondaparinux: if low bleeding unless coronary angiography planned within 24hrs
- UFH: if coronary angiography planned
Risk stratify using GRACE score
- HIGH: coronary angiography within 72hrs and GpIIb/IIIa inhibitor (tirofiban)
- LOW: conservative mx, control RFs
What are potential complications of ACS?
D eath
A rrythmia
R upture
T amponade
H eart failure
V alve disease
A neurysm
D ressler’s syndrome
E mbolism
R einfarction
Compare use of anticoagulants and antiplatelets
Anticoagulants
- inhibit coagulation factors
- prevent venous thrombosis (DVT, PE)
Antiplatelets
- inhibit platelets
- prevent arterial thrombosis (MI, stroke)
Possible causes of pericarditis
Idiopathic
Infective (Cox-Sackie B)
CTD (sarcoidosis)
Dressler syndrome (2-10 weeks post-MI)
Malignancy
What is Beck’s triad?
‘Muffled’ heart sounds, raised JVP, low BP
- cardiac tamponade
Presentation of pericarditis
Sharp, central chest pain
Pleuritic
Relieved by sitting forward
Fever/flu-like sx if viral
Pericardial friction rub
Tamponade (if pericardial effusion)
Ix for pericarditis, incl. what they may show
ECG => widespread saddle-shapped ST elevation
Bloods (FBC, CRP) => raised CRP if infection
CXR => pleural effusion
Pathognomonic for AF
Irregularly irregular pulse
Causes of AF
PE
Pneumonia
Hyperthyroidism
IHD
Alcohol
Pericarditis
Ix for AF
ECG => irregularly irregular tachycardia and absent P waves
Test for underlying causes
- FBC, TFTs, glucose, lipids
Mx for AF
*TREAT CAUSE and
1) Rhythm control
<48hrs: DC cardioversion or chemical cardioversion
>48hrs: anticoagulate for 3-4 weeks before attempting cardioversion
2) Rate control
verapamil, BBs, digoxin
3) Stroke risk stratification
CHA2DS2-Vasc score
- low: nothing
- high: warfarin
Which drugs are used for chemical cardioversion?
Flecainide (contraindicated in IHD) or amiodarone
Break down the CHA2DS2-Vasc score
C ongestive heart failure/LV dysfunction (1)
H TN (1)
A ge>/=75 (2)
D iabetes mellitus (1)
S troke/TIA/TE (2)
V ascular disease, prior (1)
A ge 65-74 (1)
S ex female (1)
What are the two types of supraventricular tachycardias?
AVNRT (atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia)
- local circuit forms around AV node
AVRT (atrioventricular reentry tachycardia)
- reentry circuit forms between atria and ventricles due to presence of accessory pathway (Bundle of Kent)
What might show on an ECG after termination of a SVT?
AVNRT => normal
AVRT => ‘delta’ wave; slurred upstroke on QRS compex, indicative of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
How does WPWS lead to AVRT?
Accessory pathway allows early depolarisation of ventricles
=>
Gives rise to slurred upstroke
=>
Wave of depolarisation travels retrograde back into atria, setting up a reentry circuit between atria and ventricles
=>
AVRT