Cardio Flashcards
Which statin do you need to use in caution in Asian patients?
Rosuvastatin - higher risk of rhabdomyolysis
5-20mg max!
What are the four electrolyte imbalances with digoxin?
Hypokalaemia
Hypomagnesemia
Hypoxia
Hypercalcaemia
Which beta blocker has a long duration of action?
Nadalol
What is the VTE prophylaxis dose for rivaroxaban following hip replacement surgery?
10 mg once daily for 5 weeks, to be started 6–10 hours after surgery.
How long after opening GTN SL tablets do they need to be discarded?
8 weeks
What electrolyte imbalances are thiazides and related diuetics contraindicated in?
Hypokalaemia
Hyponatraemia
Hypercalcaemia
Addisons disease too
What are the contraindications of loop diuretics?
Hypokalaemia - can cause hepatic encephalopathy (use potassium-sparing diuretic to prevent this)
Hyponatraemia
Renal failure from nephrotoxic drugs
Name two weak potassium-sparing diuretics
Amiloride and triamterene
What drugs increase the risk of hyperkalaemia with potassium-sparing diuretics?
ACE/ ARB
Name two Aldosterone antagonists
Spironolactone
Eplerenone
Can you give potassium supplements with aldosterone antagonists?
No
Which beta blockers have intrinsic activity?
Causes less coldness extremities and bradycardia
Pindalol
Acebutolol
Celiprolol
Oxprenolol
Which beta blockers are more water-soluble?
Less of the drug moves to the brain = less sleep disturbance and nightmares
However, excreted by kidneys: caution in renal impairment
Celiprolol
Atenolol
Nadolol
Sotalol
Which beta blockers are once daily preparations?
Bisoprolol
Atenolol
Celiprolol
Carvedilol
Nadolol
Name a risk of the use of beta blockers in diabetic patients
Can mask the symptoms of hypoglycaemia as affects carbohydrate metabolism
Can beta blockers be suddenly stopped?
No because it can exacerbate angina
Can beta blockers be used with verapamil?
No because it can precipitate a risk of heart failure
What are the common side effects of beta blockers?
Dizziness
Fatigue
Blurred vision
Cold hands and feet
Bradycardia
Bronchospasm
Diarrhoea
Nausea
What are the contraindications for beta blockers?
Asthma
Block (heart block)
Cardiac failure
Diabetes mellitus (hypoglycaemic shock)
Extremities (occlusivearterial disease)
What are the main contraindications with rate-limiting calcium channel blockers?
- Left ventricular dysfunction
- Heart failure - participate HF
- Diabetes - diltiazem may increase blood sugar
- Unstable angina or MI - avoid within 1 month of MI, may increase mortality in patient with left ventricular dysfunction
What are some common calcium channel blocker side effects?
Ankle swelling
Flushing
Palpitations
Bradycardia (rate-limiting)
Hypotension
Dizziness
Gingival hyperplasia
Headache
What is the prescribing pathway for stable angina (myocardial ischaemia)?
1st line: BB
- Bisoprolol, propranolol, metaprolol, atenolol
2nd line: Rate-limiting CCB
- Verapamil or diltazium
3rd line: BB & CCB
4th line: Nitrate with BB/ CCB OR as monotherapy
- Ivabradine, nicroandil, ranolazine
How do you protect against cardiovascular events in patients with stable angina?
Low dose aspirin
Statin
Consider ACEi especially in diabetic patients
What are the common side effects for Ranolzine?
Asthenia
Constipation
Vomiting
Head
Can you use ranolzine in renal impairment?
Avoid if CrCl <30ml/min
Caution in CrCl between 30-80ml/min
What are some important contraindications for Ivabradine?
Do not initiate for angina if HR <70
Do not initiate for heart failure if HR <75
2nd and 3rd degree heart block
Severe hypotension
What are the common side effects of ivrabradine?
Arrthymias
Atrioventricular block
Dizziness
Headache
Hypertension
Vision disorders
What are the common side effects of Nicorandil?
Can cause serious skin, mucosal and eye ulcerations including GI ulcers - discontinue treatment
Asthenia
Dizziness
Haemorrhage
Headache
Nausea
Vasodilation
Vomiting
If max. dose statin fails to control statin, what would be the recommendation?
Max dose statin + ezetimibe
Can a patient be prescribed a statin and a fibrate?
It increases the risk of muscle-related side effects and rhabdomyolysis therefore, it must be done under specialist supervision
Which fibrate must not be used with statins?
Gemfibrozil - increases risk of rhabdomyolysis considerably
What drug management should you consider for patients with primary heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia whose LDL-cholesterol is not controlled on maximum tolerated lipid-lowering therapy?
Alirocumab
Evolocumab
What should you measure if a patient is experiencing muscle side effects with statins?
creatine kinase concentrations
What symptoms should you seek medical attention for if developed with a statin?
dyspnoea
cough
weight loss
All signs of interstitial lung disease (scarring of the lungs)
What is the contraception requirements for statins?
Adequate contraception is required during treatment and for one month after
Must be stopped 3 months before attempting to conceive as teratogenic
Which liver function test may prompt discontinuation of statins?
If serum transaminases are more than 3 times the upper limit of the reference range
What factor increases the risk of rhabdomyolysis with statins?
Hypothyroidism
What are the main symptoms of heart failure
SOB
Persistent cough or wheezing
Ankle swelling
Reduced exercise tolerance
Fatigue
What are the risk factors of heart failure?
Men
Diabetes
Smokers
Increased age
African-Caribbean patients with hypertension
Coronary heart disease
What are the complications of heart failure?
AF
CKD
Depression
Cachexia
Sexual dysfunction
Sudden cardiac death
What is reduced ejection fraction heart failure?
The left ventricle of the heart loses its ability to contract normally and presents with less than 40% ejection fraction
What is preserved ejection fraction heart failure?
The left ventricle uses its ability to relax normally = ejection fraction is normal or mildly reduced
What is the maximum salt intake in heart failure?
6g
Salt substitutes containing potassium should be avoided - risk of hyperkalaemia
What drugs should be avoided in reduced ejection heart failure?
Rate-limiting CCB and short-acting dihydropyridines (nifedipine or nicardipine)
These drugs reduce cardiac contractility
Which kind of diuretic is usually recommended in heart failure?
Loop diuretics
- relief of breathlessness and oedema
When should thiazide diuretics be avoided in renal impairment?
eGFR <30ml/min
Which beta blockers are licensed for heart failure?
Bisoprolol
Carvedilol
Nebivolol
Which ARBs are licensed for heart failure?
Losartan
Candesartan
Valsartan
What is the treatment pathway for heart failure?
Loop diuretic for symptomatic relief
1st: ACEi/ARB or BB
2nd: Spironolactone/ eplerenone (add-on) - unless contraindicated due to hyperkalemia or renal impairment
If ACE/ARB not tolerated: under specialist advice, hydralazine combined with a nitrate can be given considered if pt intolerant of ACEi/ARB
If symptoms persist, specialist should consider: SGLT2 OR replace ACE with sacubitril valsartan OR digoxin in sinus rhythm OR ivabradine
How do you treat a patient in sinus rhythm with worsening or severe HF despite optimal treatment?
Add-on therapy of digoxin
Also, consider an anticoagulant in patients with a history of thromboembolism, left ventricular aneurysm or intracardiac thrombus
Which beta blocker is least likely to cause bronchospams?
Atenolol
Which beta blockers are cardioselective?
B A MAN
Bisoprolol
Atenolol
Metoprolol
Acebutolol (to a lesser extent)
Nebivolol
These have a lesser effect on airway resistance but are not completely free from bronchospasm as a side effect
What is the prescribing pathway for a pregnant woman with HTN?
1st line: Labetalol
2nd line: nifedipine
3rd line: methyldopa
What are the BP targets with patients with diabetes?
T2DM - <140/90
T1DM - <135/85
If T1/2DM with complications- <130/80
What are the risks of digoxin toxicity?
HypOkalaemia
HypOmagnesaemia
HyERrcalcaemia
Hypoxia
Renal impairment
What are the signs of digoxin toxicity?
GI signs: N/V, abdominal pain, diarrhoea
Metabolic signs: hyperkalemia
CVS signs: bradycardia, hypotension
CNS signs: lethargy, confusion
Eyes: blurred, eye vision
Which drugs interact with digoxin?
CRASED
CCBs
Rifampicin
Amiodarone
St Johns Wort
Erythromycin
Diuretics
What antibiotics interact with warfarin?
Co-trimoxazole
Metronidazole
Macrolides
Fluroquinolones
Rifampicin
What are the requirements for ivabradine to be considered for HF?
In sinus rhythm
HR >75bpm
Ejection fraction <35%
What antifungals interact with warfarin?
Miconazole
Fluconazole
What antidepressants interact with warfarin?
SSRIs
What are the side effects of amiodarone?
Corneal deposits
Phototoxicity
Slate-grey skin
Peripheral neuropathy
Pulmonary fibrosis
Hepatoxicity
Thyroid dysfunction
What are the contraindications for aspirin?
Active peptic ulceration
Bleeding disorders
Children under 16 due to risk of Reye’s syndrome - unless Kawasaki disease
Haemophilia
Previous peptic ulceration (analgesic dose)
Severe cardiac failure
What is the adrenaline dose for anyone >12?
500mcg IM (0.5ml)
OR
300mcg (0.3ml) if child is small or prepubertal
What is the adrenaline dose for children between 6-12?
300mcg IM (0.3ml)
What is the adrenaline dose for children <6?
150mcg (0.15ml)
What are the side effects of CCBs?
Dizziness
Flushing
Headache
Hypotension
Palpitations
Ankle swelling
Angioedema
ED
Gingival hyperplasia
Constipation - most likely with verapamil
Bradycardia, AV block and HF - with verapamil
What are the ADR of Ivabradine?
Visual effects (luminous phenomena)
Which heparin poses a higher risk of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and osteoporosis?
Unfractioned heparin
Which heparin is preferred in renal impairment?
Unfractioned heparin
Which heparin is longer acting?
LMWH
Who should you not offer compression stockings to?
A patient admitted to the hospital with acute stroke or those that have:
- peripheral arterial disease
- peripheral neuropathy
- severe leg oedema
- local conditions
How quickly should you start thromboprophylaxis?
Within 14 hours of hospital admission
What type of surgical patients is fondaparinux preferred for?
Patients undergoing abdominal, bariatric, thoracic, and cardiac surgery or patients with lower limb immobilisation or fragility fractures to the pelvis, hip or proximal femur
What is the thromboprophylaxis treatment for a patient undergoing elective hip replacement?
Option 1: LMWH for 10 days followed by low dose aspirin for 28 days
Option 2: LMWH for 28 days with anti-embolism stockings until discharge
Option 3: rivaroxaban
If unsuitable, consider apixaban and dabigatran
What is the thromboprophylaxis treatment for a patient undergoing elective knee replacement?
Option 1: low-dose aspirin for 14 days
Option 2: LMWH for 14 days with anti-embolism stockings until discharge
Option 3: rivaroxaban
If unsuitable, consider apixaban and dabigatran
How do you treat proximal DVT or PE?
Apixaban or rivaroxaban
if unsuitable offer either:
- LMWH for at least 5 days followed by dabigatran or edoxaban
- LMWH with a vitamin K antagonist for at least 5 days or until INR at least 2 for 2 executive readings followed by a vitamin K antagonist on its own (this option is not routinely recommended fot proximal DVT/PE unless patient has renal impairment or at increased risk of bleeding)
What is the renal impairment limit for dabagatran?
Should not be used in eGFR <30ml/min
What do you use to reverse Heparin action?
Protamine sulfate
What is a transient ischaemia stroke (TIA)?
A stroke that only lasts a few minutes
Should receive aspirin immediately
What is the treatment for an acute ischaemia stroke?
- Alteplase if administered within 4.5 hours of symptom onset and intracranial haemorrhage excluded
- Aspirin should be started within 24 hours of symptom onset with a PPI if history of dyspepsia with aspirin
- ONLY if high risk of VTE = parenteral anticoagulant
What drugs should you avoid in ischemic stroke?
Warfarin
Anticoagulants