Cardiac diseases Flashcards
For hypertension, define
- Systolic pressure
- Diastolic pressure
- Hypertension
- Systolic pressure: occurs when blood is pushed through the arteries by the contraction of the heart
- Diastolic pressure occurs when heart relaxes between beats
- Hypertension: excessive force is exerted against arterial walls as blood flows through
List the primary risk factors for hypertension (8)
- Tobacco use
- Heredity
- Overweight
- Race
- Salt (excess in diet)
- Sex (men more affected before age 45; women slightly more in later years)
- Age (general increase from birth to age 20; slow increase into older age group)
- Environment
State the causes of secondary hypertension (4)
- Oral contraceptives
- Renal disease (renal artery obstruction, pyelonephritis, renal failure)
- Endocrine disorders (hyperthyroidism, diabetes, Cushing’s syndrome)
- Medications (decongestants, steroids)
State the causes for congestive heart failure (5)
- Cardiac issue like valve damage or abnormality of heart muscle
- Precipitating causes (acute hypertensive crisis, massive pulmonary embolism, arrhythmia)
- Drug therapy
- Dietary control (limited salt and fluid intake; weight reduction)
- Limitation of activity (depending on severity of disease)
Define valvular defects and state the three types of valvular defects
• Valvular defects result in the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.
There are three main types of defects:
1. Ventricular defects:
• Defect between the ventricles, the lower chambers of the heart that would normally pump blood to the body
- Atrial defects:
• Defect between the upper chambers of the heart that normally would receive blood from body - Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA):
• Opening between two major blood vessels of the heart
• Usually closes shortly after birth
• If the ductus arteriosus remains open it’s referred to a patent ductus arteriosus (can close with medication but may require surgery)
Explain what a mitral valve prolapse is, its causes and its associated symptoms
- This is when there is imperfect closure of the mitral valve which allows the backflow (regurgitation) of oxygenated blood into the atrium
- Mitral valve is prolapsed upwards into the atrium during systole
- Most common cause of regurgitation
Causes:
• Damaged heart valves
• Family history (unknown reasons)
Symptoms: • Palpitations • Fatigue • Chest pain • Late systolic murmur
Understand that rheumatic fever is a risk factor for rheumatic heart disease by:
- Stating its causes, including the bacteria responsible
- Symptoms
- Prevention
Cause of rheumatic fever:
• Beta- haemolytic group A streptococcal pharyngeal infection
• Persistent and severe pharyngeal infections play large role in whether rheumatic fever follows
Symptoms:
• Arthritis
• Carditis
• Valvular damages, = susceptible to IE (esp. mitral valve)
Prevention:
• Early diagnosis and treatment of streptococcal throat and pharyngeal infections
For IE, list the
- Microorganisms implicated
- Risk factors
Microorganisms implicated:
• Some fungi and viruses
• Mostly streptococci and staphylococci
• Alpha-hemolytic streptococci
Risk factors: • Prosthetic heart valves • History of IE • Pre- existing cardiac abnormalities • IV drug use (as a portal of entry)
Explain how IE affects the heart
- In health, microorganisms are unable to colonise the endocardium
- In disease, microorganisms are able to attach onto the endocardium causing inflammation
- The inflammation, combined with the microorganisms proliferation, leads to the formation of vegetation masses
State signs and symptoms for hypertension
- Headache
- Blurred ordouble vision
- Mental confusion that leads to stupor, coma and convulsion
- Severe dyspnoea
- Chest pain/ angina
State signs and symptoms for valvular heart defects
- Palpitations
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Heart murmur
- Dizziness or fainting (with aortic stenosis).
- Fever (with bacterial endocarditis).
- Rapid weight gain
