Cardiac history Flashcards
Order of the history
Presenting complaints History of PC Past medical history DH and allergies Family history Social history and smoking SE and risk factors
Main cardiac symptoms
Chest pain Breathlessness Palpitation Syncope or presyncope Fluid retention
How to investigate chest pain
SOCRATES
Types of cardiac chest pain
Ischaemic and non ischaemic
Causes of ischaemic chest pain
Angina pectoris and ACS
Causes of non ischaemic chest pain
Pericarditis, myocarditis, aortic dissection and others
Causes of gastro oesophageal non cardiac chest pain
GORD/Spasm and peptic ulcer
Causes of non gastro oesophageal non cardiac pain
Pulmonary, musculoskeletal and psychosomatic
Factors pointing towards ischaemic cardiac pain
Character of pain Location of pain Provoking factors Relieving factors Associated symptoms Associated risk factors
Cardiac causes of breathlessness
IHD, LVF, valves
Pulmonary causes of breathlessness
Airway disease, PE, Others
Questions for breathlessness
When did it start? How quickly did it come on? Circumstances? Relieving or exacerbating factors? Associated features?
Circumstances of breathlessness
Exertional
Postural, orthopnoea
Nocturnal. paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea
Relieving factors for breathlessness
Position
Rest
Oxygen, nebulisers or other medication
Features associated with breathlessness
Wheeze, cough, fever, pain
Define orthopnoea
Shortness of breath on lying flat that is relieved by sitting upright