Cardiac Investigations Flashcards
List the cardiac investigations that can be done
CXR ECG Exercise test Blood test: cardiac enzymes, troponins, BNP Echocardiogtam Cardiac catheterisation i.e coronary angiogram Cardiac magnetic resonance Myocardial perfusion scan
What view is the best to view the size of the heart in a cxr
Posterior- anteriror view
What will a anterior posterior view make the heart look like
Magnified
What is the normal size of the heart in a CXR
Borders of the heart should be less than 50% of the chest width i.e the cardiothoracic rato
What are the waves on a ECG
P wave
QRS complex
T wave
What does the p wave represent
Atrial depolarisation
What does the QRS complex represent
Ventricle depolarisation
What does the T wave represent
Ventricular repolarisation
What is the exercise tolerance test
Stickers are attached to the patients chest and the person walks on a treadmill
When is a exercise tolerance test positive
Is angina pain occurs
Bp falls or fails to increase
ST segment shifts of 1+mm
When are cardiac troponins released in the heart
During myocyte damage and necrosis
What condition does troponins help to diagnose
Myocardial infarction
When are BNP produced in the heart
When the ventricles are stretched
What is BNP used to diagnose
Heart failure
What is an echocardiagram
Ultrasound of the heart
What are the forms of echocardiagram
Transthoracic: prove is used to obtain cardiac imaging from the body surface
Trans oesophageal: utilised endoscope like oesophageal probe to obtain a cardiac image very close to the heart
What are coronary angiograms
Inserting catheters into the left and right coronary arteries and use contrast to help visualise
What information does a coronary angiogram provide
Coronary anomalies
Extent of coronary atheroma
Severity of coronary stenosis
Thrombus
During a coronary angiogram how do we go into the coronary artery
By the radial artery- less risk of bleeding and unuder local anaesthetic
What are the benefits of a coronary angiogram
You can combine a treatment and diagnosis
What are the disadvantages of coronary angiogram
Risk of bleeding
Anaphalyaxis
Damaging the coronary arteris
Radiation from imaging due to the use of x-ray
Does a cardiac mri use radiation
No
When is a cardiac mri used
Quantify myocardial perfusion, ischaemia, viability
Detects infiltrative condtion affecting the heart
Diagnose inflammatory conditions
What is a mycocarial perfusion scan
A scan that looks at mycocardial pefusion at rest and under stress e.g walking on a treadmill or by using medication such as adenosine
