Cardio

Question 1

What are the pulmonary DDx for chest pain?

Answer 1

Pneumonia, PE, pneumo-/haemo-/tension pneumothorax, empyema, pulmonary neoplasm, bronchiectasis, TB.

Question 2

What are the cardiac Ddx for chest pain?

Answer 2

MI/angina; myocarditis; pericarditis/Dressler’s syndrome; cardiac tamponade.

Question 3

What are the GI DDx for chest pain?

Answer 3

• Oesophageal: spasm, GORD, oesophagitis, ulceration, achalasia, neoplasm, Mallory-Weiss syndrome.
• PUD
• gastritis
• pancreatitis
• biliary colic

Question 4

What are the mediastinal DDx for chest pain?

Answer 4

Lymphoma, thymoma.

Question 5

What are the vascular DDx for chest pain?

Answer 5

Dissecting aortic aneurysm

Question 6

What are the surface structure DDx for chest pain?

Answer 6

Costochondritis; rib fracture; skin (bruising/herpes zoster); breast.

Question 7

What are the DDx categories for syncope?

Answer 7

Hypovolemia, cardiac, respiratory, neurologic, metabolic, drugs, vasovagal, psychiatric.

Question 8

What are the cardiac DDx for syncope?

Answer 8

i) Structural or obstructive causes: acute coronary syndrome, aortic stenosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, cardiac tamponade/constrictive pericarditis
ii) Arrhythmias

Question 9

What are the respiratory DDx for syncope?

Answer 9

Massive PE, pulmonary HTN, hypoxia, hypercapnia.

Question 10

What are the neurologic DDx for syncope?

Answer 10

Stroke/TIA, migraine, seizure.

Question 11

What are the metabolic DDx for syncope?

Answer 11

Anemia, hypoglycemia

Question 12

What are the Rx DDx for syncope?

Answer 12

Antihypertensives, antiarrhythmics, B-blockers, CCBs.

Question 13

What are the DDx for local oedema?

Answer 13

Inflammation or infection

Venous or lymphatic obstruction (thrombophlebitis/DVT; chronic lymphangitis; venous insufficiency; filariasis).

Question 14

What are the DDx for generalised oedema relating to increase hydrostatic pressure?

Answer 14

i) increased fluid retention:
- cardiac e.g. CHF
- hepatic e.g. cirrhosis
- renal e.g. ARF/CRF
ii) Vasodilators (esp CCBs)
iii) refeeding oedema

Question 15

What are the DDx for generalised oedema?

Answer 15

i) Increased hydrostatic pressure
ii) Decreased oncotic pressure - hypoalbuminemia
iii) Hormonal: hypothyroidism, exogenous steroids, pregnancy, oestrogens.

Question 16

What are the cardiac DDx for palpitations?

Answer 16

Arrhythmias, mitral valve prolapse, valvular heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Question 17

What are the endocrine DDx for palpitations?

Answer 17

Thyrotoxicosis, phaeochromocytoma, hypoglycemia.

Question 18

What are the systemic DDx for palpitations?

Answer 18

Fever, anaemia.

Question 19

What are the drug DDx for palpitations?

Answer 19

Tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, epinephrine, ephedrine, aminophylline, atropine.

Question 20

What are the CV DDx for dyspnoea?

Answer 20

Acute MI; CHF/LV failure; aortic stenosis/mitral stenosis; aortic/mitral regurgitation; cardiac tamponade; constrictive pericarditis; LHS obstructive lesions (e.g. LA myxoma); elevated pulmonary venous pressure.

Question 21

What are the respiratory DDx for dyspnoea?

Answer 21

• Airway disease: asthma, COPD exacerbation, upper airway obstruction (anaphylaxis, foreign body, mucous)
• Parenchymal lung disease (e.g. pneumonia, ARDS)
• Pulmonary vascular disease (e.g. PE, HTN, vasculitis)
• Pleural disease (e.g. pneumothorax).
• Neuromuscular (e.g. C spine injury, mysathenia gravis, kyphoscoliosis)