cardio Flashcards
atherosclerosis is the principal cause of what?
heart attack
stroke
gangrene of the extremities
what are the major cell types involved in atherogenesis?
endothelium
macrophages
smooth muscle cells
platelets
what is the critical bit of atherosclerotic plaque life?
inflammation
what is the most successful treatment for atherosclerotic plaques?
stents + medical therapies
what kinda consistency do plaques have?
oatmeal like at first - then gets really hard (like drainpipes)
when does atherosclerosis become a problem?
when the plaque ruptures, leading to thrombus formation and ultimately death
list some risk factors for atherosclerosis
FH (v strong predictor) age tobacco smoking high serum cholesterol obesity diabetes hypertension
where are atherosclerotic plaques found?
within peripheral and coronary arteries
distribution of atherosclerotic plaques is governed by what?
haemodynamic factors
what are the haemodynamic factors that govern plaque distribution? (3)
- changes in flow/turbulence (eg at bifurcations) cause artery to alter endothelial cell function
- wall thickness also changes leading to neointima
- altered gene expression in key cell types is vital
changes in flow/turbulence can cause arteries to alter endothelial cell function - possibly leading to plaques. where is this most likely to happen?
at bifurcations
an atherosclerotic plaque is a complex lesion consisting of: (4)
lipid
nectrotic core
connective tissue
fibrous “cap”
define angina
chest pain or pressure, usually due to not enough blood flow to the heart
what are the 2 consequences of plaques?
- occlusion - of vessel lumen resulting in angina
OR - rupture - thrombus formation - death
name some examples of good inflammation
pathogens
parasites
tumours
wound healing
name some examples of bad inflammation
myocardial repercussion injury atherosclerosis ischaemic heart disease rheumatoid arthiritis asthma inflammatory bowel disease shock excessive wound healing
neutrophils have an important role in cleaning up dead/injured cells in wound healing but can also what?
extend area of injury beyond that originally cut off blood supply (this is known as ischaemia-reperfusion injury)
in septic/traumatic shock, large number of _______ are mobilised from bone marrow n recruited to tissues to fight potential infection
neutrophils
what helps ignite inflammation in arterial wall?
modified/oxidated LDL (normal too big to enter)
endothelial dysfunction
what is the stimulant for adhesion of leukocytes?
chemoattractants (chemicals that attract leukocytes)
how do chemoattractants work?
once inflammation is initiated, chemoattractants are released from endothelium and send signals to leukocytes
chemoattractants are released from site of injury and a conc gradient is produced
what is a non-specific indicator of inflammation?
CRP
c reactive protein
list some inflammatory cytokines found in plaques?
IL-1 IL-6 IL-6 IFN-gamma TGF-ß MCP-1 CRP
leukocyte recruitment to vessel walls is mediated by what?
selectins
transmigration in inflammation is controlled by what?
interns n chemoattractants
what are the 5 steps in progression of atherosclerosis
- fatty streaks
- intermediate lesions
- fibrous plaques/advanced lesions
- plaque rupture
- plaque erosion
describe (1) fatty streaks (in the progression of atherosclerosis)
plaque constantly grows and recedes
fibrous cap has to be resorbed and redeposited in order to be maintained
if balance shifts eg in favour of inflammatory conditions, cap becomes weak n plaque ruptures
basement membrane, collagen n nectrotic tissue exposure
- thrombus (clot) formation and vessel occlusion
what is a thrombus aka
clot
how can we detect plaque rupture
by ECG
describe (5) plaque erosion (in the progression of atherosclerosis)
2nd most prevalent cause of coronary thrombosis
lesions tend to be small ‘early lesions’
fibrous cap does not disrupt
luminal surface underneath clot may not have endothelium but is smooth muscle rich
v difficult to detect w imaging
describe (2) intermediate lesions (in the progression of atherosclerosis)
composed of layers of:
- foam cells (lipid laden macrophages)
- vascular smooth muscle cells
- t lymphocytes
- adhesion n aggregation of platelets to vessel wall
describe (3) fibrous plaques/advanced lesions (in the progression of atherosclerosis)
implodes blood flow
prone to rupture
covered by dense fibrous cap made of collagen, elastin etc
may be calcified
contains: smooth muscle cells, macrophages, foam cells, t lymphocytes
describe (4) plaque rupture (in the progression of atherosclerosis)
plaque constantly growing receding
fibrous cap has to resorbed and redeposited in order to be maintained
if balance shifted eg in favour of inflammatory conditions, the cap becomes weak and plaque ruptures
clot formation and vessel occlusion
how do u treat CAD
PCI
what does PCI stand for?
percutaneous coronary intervention aka a stent
5-10y ago, restenosis was a MAJOR limitation but no longer is. why?
drug eluting stents!
how do drug eluting stents work?
by reducing smooth cell proliferation and this in turn reduces regrowth after placement of the stent
what is a major adverse reaction of aspirin/clopidogrel/ticagrelor?
excessive bleeding
what is myocarditis aka
inflammatory cardiomyopathy (inflammation of the heart muscle)
what is inflammatory cardiomyopathy aka
myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle)
what is the normal weight of the heart
230-280g for females
280-340g for males
what is contraction of the heart initiated by?
depolarisation
changes to Ca concentration
what is normal systolic EF (ejection fraction)?
60-65%
failure to transport blood out of the heart is WHAT?
cardiac failure
cariogenic shock = what?
severe failure
myocardial hypertrophy can be an adaptive/physiological response when?
athletes
pregnancy
if u exceed stretch capability of sarcomeres, what happens to cardiac contraction force?
it diminishes
hypertrophic response can be triggered by what?
angiotensin 2 ET-1 insulin like growth factor 1 TGF-ß (these activate mitogen-activated protein kinase)
what happens w left sided cardiac failure?
pulmonary congestion
then overload of right side
what happens w right sided cardiac failure?
venous hypertension n congestion
diastolic cardiac failure results in what?
a stiffer heart
the heart comprises a single chamber until which week of gestation?
5th
congenital heart disease results from what?
faulty embryonic development
what are some single genes associated with heart disease?
trisomy 21 (downs)
turners (XO)
di-George syndrome
which drugs can influence heart disease?
thalidomide alcohol phenytoin amphetamines lithium oestrogenic steroids
what is PDA?
patent ductus arteriosus
- persistent opening between the 2 major blood vessels leading from the heart
what is VSD?
ventricular septal defect
- hole in the wall separating the two ventricles of the heart
what is ASD?
atrial septal defect
- hole in the septum of the 2 atria
what is truncus arteriosus?
rare type of heart disease
in which a single blood vessel (truncus arteriosus)
comes out of the R&L ventricles, instead of pulmonary artery & aorta
what is total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR)?
heart disease in which the 4 veins that take blood from the lungs to the heart do not attach normally to the left atrium
what is hypo plastic left heart syndrome (HLHS)?
birth defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart.
as the baby develops during pregnancy, the left side of the heart does not form correctly
what does tetralogy of fallot result in?
low oxygenation of blood
due to the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in the LV via the VSD
and preferential flow of the mixed blood from both ventricles through the aorta
bc of the obstruction to flow through the pulmonary valve
what are the 4 components of tetralogy of fallout?
1) large VSD
2) pulmonary stenosis
3) overriding of the aorta above VSD
4) bc of these, RV becomes hypertrophied (thickened)
what is tricuspid atresia?
when tricuspid valve is missing or abnormally developed.
the defect blocks blood flow from RA to RV
what are some examples of left-right shunts?
VSD ASD PDA truncus arteriosus TAPVR hypoplastic left heart syndrome
what are some examples of right-left shunts?
tetralogy of fallot
tricuspid atresia
which heart conditions result in no shunts?
complete transposition of great vessels coarctation pulmonary stenosis aortic stenosis coronary artery origin from pulmonary artery
what is Eisenmenger’s syndrome?
process in which a long-standing L-R cardiac shunt caused by a congenital heart defect
causes pulmonary hypertension & eventual reversal of the shunt into a cyanotic R-L shunt
how can a PDA be solveD?
can be closed:
- surgically
- by catheters
- or by prostaglandin inhibitors (indomethacin)
what is the characteristic shape of tetralogy of Fallot on radiology?
boot-shape
what is complete transposition of the great arteries?
aorta coming off RV and pulmonary trunk off LV
what are some risk factors of complete transposition of great arteries (when aorta comes off RV and pulmonary trunk off LV)
male bias
associated w diabetes
coarctation of the aorta usually happens where?
just after the arch
with excessive blood flow being diverted through carotid/subclavian vessels into systemic vascular shunts to supply the rest of the body
coarctation of the aorta is particularly associated with which syndrome?
turner’s
also an association w berry aneurysms of the brain
what is endocardial fibroelastosis?
thickening within the muscular lining of the heart chambers
due to an increase in the amount of supporting connective tissue (inelastic collagen) and elastic fibers.
what is a frequent complication of congenital aortic stenosis and coarctation?
secondary endocardial fibroelastosis (thickening within muscular lining of heart)
can lead to stiffening of heart n cardiac failure
primary endocardial fibroelastosis follows what kinda pattern?
familiar
what is dextrocardia?
when ur heart points to right side rather than left
usually associated w CV abnormalities but can be normal
name 4 risk factors for ischaemic heart disease
- systemic hypertension
- cigarettes
- DM
- elevated cholesterol
(also obesity, age, male, FH, sedentary lifestyle habit)
remember: coronary heart disease = ischaemic heart disease
IHD is what it used to be called
list some reasons for imperfect blood supply to heart
atherosclerosis
thrombosis
thromboembolism
artery spasm
healthy individual has coronary reserve ___ of resting blood flow
4-8x
what is an aneurysm
dilation of part of the myocardial wall (usually associated w fibrosis and myocyte atrophy)
what is pericarditis?
a delayed pericarditic reaction following infarction (2-10w)
inflammation of the pericardium
whats the WHO classification for hypertension?
> 140/90 mmHg
what is hypertensive heart disease?
reflects cardiac enlargement due to hypertension and in absence of other cause
compensatory hypertrophy of the heart initially starts with what….
increased myocyte size
squaring of nuclei
slight increase of interstitial fibrous tissue
what is cor pulmonale?
condition that most commonly arises out of complications from pulmonary hypertension
aka right-sided heart failure (RV)
what happens in cor pulmonale?
RV hypertrophy
dilation due to pulmonary hypertension
what is acute rheumatic fever? and why is in the cardio flashcards?
group A ß-haemolytic streptococcus infection
usually upper RI
remains a major factor with regard to heart disease in developing world
what are some clinical features of acute rheumatic fever
carditis (cardiomegaly, murmurs, pericarditis, cardiac failure)
what is cardiomegaly?
abnormal enlargement of the heart
what is infective endocarditis?
an infective process involving cardiac valves. usually caused by bacteria
what are some consequences of (rheumatic) infection?
rapidly increasing cardiac valve distortion and disruption with acute cardiac dysfunction
calcific aortic stenosis may reflect what?
rheumatic aortic valve disease or degenerative processes
calcific aortic stenosis is accelerated where?
in bicuspid aortic valves
calcification of the mitral valve results is usually what?
asymptomatic and of no significance
only of significance following rheumatic valvular disease/previous vulvitis
what is mitral valve prolapse?
when the 2 flaps do not close evenly
degeneration of the mitral valves such that
the inner fibrous layer becomes more loose and fragmentary with accumulation of mucopolysaccharide material
what are the main problems that affect mitral valve?
prolapse
regurgitation
stenosis
what sound do u get on auscultation when the mitral valve prolapses?
S3
what is the most common form of myocarditis?
viral
list some infectious causes of myocarditis
viruses (coxsackie, echo, influenza) rickettsia bacteria (diphtheria, streptococcal) fungi and protozoa parasites metazoa
what are some non-infectious causes of myocarditis?
hypersensitivity/immune related diseases (rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis)
radiation
miscellaneous - sarcoid, uraemia
myocarditis can often have an association with what?
an upper RI preceding
how can drug reactions influence myocarditis?
causes inflammatory infiltrate particularly around blood vessels within the myocardium - predominance of eosinophils
what is DCM?
dilated cardiomyopathy - heart becomes enlarged, can’t pump blood effectively
(poorly generated contractile force leads to dilation of heart)
is DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) genetic?
one third familiar
mostly autosomal dominant
what is secondary dilated cardiomyopathy?
enlargement of the heart caused by a med cond
eg alcohol, catecholamines, cocaine, pregnancy
what is HCM?
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - thickened heart
what is the diff btwn dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?
dilated - swollen, enlarged
hypertrophic - thickened
therefore, harder for the heart to pump blood
mutations associated with troponin T are associated with what?
risk of sudden death
what is an amyloid?
a protein that is deposited in the liver, kidney, spleen or other tissues in certain diseases
what is a cardiac myxoma?
noncancerous tumour in the upper LHS/RHS
mostly grows in the septum
what are blood vessels lined by to maintain vascular integrity?
endothelial cells
blood coagulation occurs when fibrinogen is converted to what?
fibrin
clot lysis involves what?
plasminogen being converted to plasmin which then acts on fibrin to produce fibrin degradation products
what is the racial bias for hypertensive vascular disease?
afro-caribbean
what is the main function of ANP?
to lower BP
balances RAAS system
what is vasculitis?
group of disorders that destroy blood vessels by inflammation (primarily caused by leukocyte damage)
what is abdominal aortic aneurysm?
localised enlargement of the abdominal aorta such that the diameter is greater than 3 cm or more than 50% larger than normal diameter
usually cause no symptoms except when ruptured
what is a berry aneurysm?
small aneurysm that looks like a berry and classically occurs at the point at which a cerebral artery departs from the circular artery (the circle of Willis) at the base of the brain
what is syphilis?
an STI - inflammatory disease affecting vasa vasorum
what’s vasa vasorum?
network of small blood vessels that supply the walls of large blood vessels, such as elastic arteries and large veins
what is a varicose vein?
enlarged and torturous vein, mostly affecting superficial leg veins
what is angiosarcoma?
highly aggressive malignant neoplasm of endothelial cells
what is kaposi’s sarcoma linked to?
HIV and AIDS
cancer that causes patches of cancer to grow under the skin
what are some risk factors for DVT
venous flow stasis from any cause eg cardiac falure injury hypercoagulability advanced age sickle cell disease
what is hypercoagulability?
thrombophilia/prothrombotic stage - abnormality of blood coagulation that increases thrombosis risk
what is type A behaviour pattern characterised by?
competitiveness, impatience and hostility
what are some unmodifiable risk factors for CHD?
age
sex
ethnicity
genetic
what are some lifestyle risk factors for CHD?
smoking
diet
physical inactivity
what are some clinical risk factors for CHD?
hypertension
lipids
diabetes
what are some psychosocial risk factors for CHD?
modifiable: behaviour traits depression/anxiety work social support
what is type A?
coronary prone behaviour pattern
competitive, hostile, impatient
how can u assess behaviour?
questionnaires eg self-report (poor), Minnesota multiphase personality index (MMPI)
structured clinical interview eg speech, answer content
what are the 3 aspects of recurrent coronary prevention?
cognitive - reconstructing thoughts to positive
behavioural - relaxation, walk at a steady pace
emotional - learn to relax in response to early signs of anxiety or anger
discuss psychosocial work characteristics
there are sig associates btwn psychosocial job characteristics and MI
those working 11h+ a day, 67% more likely to have an MI
how is social support linked to CHD?
both quality and quantity of social relationships are related to morbidity/mortality
what are epicardial vessels?
L & R CA’s lie on the surface of the heart - distribute blood to diff regions of the heart
what is angina?
a symptom which occurs as a consequence of restricted coronary blood flow
what is angina always almost exclusively secondary to?
atherosclerosis
why does angina happen?
bc there’s a mismatch btwn oxygen demand and supply
remember: atherosclerosis develops over time….
stable angina tends to be at approx a 4 (on a scale of 1-7 where 1 is a normal blood vessel)
what is SCAD?
spontaneous coronary artery dissection - uncommon emergency condition that occurs when a tear forms in 1 of the BV in the heart
what does myogenic control ensure?
insert graph
that flow (Q) remains constant in a physiological range of BP (P)
so for any given BP, heart is able to maintain blood flow!
when can there be a oxygen supply and demand mismatch? (3)
- impairment of blood flow by proximal arterial stenosis
- increased distal resistance eg LVH
- reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood eg anaemia
remember pouiselle’s law, why?
diameter of ?arteries has to fall below 75% before symptoms occur
in the healthy system, the resistance of the epicardial artery is negligible and so the flow through the system is determined by what?
the resistance (tone) of the microvascular vessels
discuss healthy rest (in the electro-hydraulic analogy)
in the health system, the resistance of the epicardial artery is negligible and so the flow through the system is determined by the resistance (tone) of the microvascular vessels
total flow is 3ML/S
discuss healthy exercise (in the electro-hydraulic analogy)
under exercise conditions, more flow is needed to meet metabolic demand
the microvascular resistance falls so that flow can increase
total flow can increase up to around 5x (15ml/s)
discuss diseased rest (in the electro-hydraulic analogy)
epicardial disease causes the resistance of the epicardial vessel to increase
to compensate, the microvascular resistance falls
so that flow can be maintained at 3ml/s
discuss diseased exercise (in the electro-hydraulic analogy)
epicardial resistance is high due to the stenosis
during exercise, the microvascular resistance falls to try and increase flow
but there comes a point where minimising microvascular resistance is ‘maxed out’ and can fall no more
at this pt, flow cannot meat metabolic demand
myocardium becomes ischaemic and pain is typically experienced
only way to reverse this is to rest, thus reducing demand for flow
name some other anginas
printzmetal's angina (coronary spasm) microvascular angina (syndrome x) crescendo angina and unstable angina... ACS
what are some non-modifiable risk factors for angina?
gender
FH
personal history
age
what are some modifiable risk factors for angina?
smoking
diabetes
hypertension
sedentary lifestyle
what are some signs of ischaemic heart disease?
male middle aged transverse ear cases midline sternotomy tar stained fingers corneal arcus
what is the presentation of angina like? (3)
- heavy, central, tight, radiation to arms, jaw, neck
- precipitated by exertion
3, relieved by rest/SL GTN
what does GTN do?
dilate arteries
what is the presentation of chest pain like?
v subjective
the scale of 3 for NICE diagnostic pathways
3/3 = typical angina 2/3 = atypical pain ≤1/3 = non-anginas pain
what is OPQRRRSTT?
O - onset P - position (site) Q - quality (nature/character) R - relationship (with exertion, posture, meals, breathing and with other symptoms) R - radiation R - relieving or aggravating factors S - severity T - timing T - treatment
what is the presentation of angina like?
differential diagnosis pericarditis pulmonary embolism/pleurisy chest infection dissection of the aorta
what is a differential diagnosis?
the process of differentiating between 2+ conditions which share similar signs or symptoms pericarditis/myocarditis pulmonary embolism/pleurisy dissection of the aorta MSK psychological
what is the presentation of angina on examination?
often normal or near normal
what is Htn short for?
hypertension
does ECG have direct markers of angina?
no, it is often normal
but Q waves, T-wave inversion, BBB are some sign of IHD
why might u do an echo for angina?
to check for LV function
there are no direct markers of angina
but there may be signs of:
previous infarcts (Q waves, T wave inversion, BBB)
list some anatomical investigations for angina
CT angiography (non-invasive) invasive angiography
what are some physiological investigations of angina?
all non-invasive: what is exercise stress treadmill stress echo SPECT (nuclear perfusion) perfusion
what is the treadmill test?
induces ischaemia while walking uphill, incrementally fast
look for ST segment depression
detects a ‘later’ stage of ischaemia so not used that much anymore (also bc so many patients are unsuitable - can’t walk, v unfit, BBB)
whats the diff btwn sensitivity and specificity
sensitivity - if u have it, how likely is the measurement to pick it up
specificity - looking at PPV, so if u have a positive result, how likely is it that u have the disease?
what does the invasive angiogram involve?
its purely anatomical
for a long time was the “gold standard” for CAD patients
u pass wire, n measure the pressure before n after the clot
what is the main primary prevention of CAD?
reducing risk and complications!! eg hypertension - antihypertensives hypercholesterolaemia - statins n lipid modulating therapies T2DM - diabetic therapy smoking - smoking cessation diet - general advice
what are the 3 major arms of therapy?
- lifestyle changes
- pharmacological
- interventional (PCI and sometimes surgery)
what is the are some 1st line antianginals?
beta blockers
nitrates
calcium channel antagonists
what are some ß1 specific beta blockers?
bisoprolol and atenolol
what do beta blockers do?
antagonise sympathetic nervous activation
- reduce HR (negative chronotrope)
- reduce contractility (negative inotrope)
so, reduce work of heart. oxygen demand
why is coronary blood flow unique?
it occurs in diastole. if u lower HR, u naturally spend more time in diastole thus increasing time to fill arteries
do patients tolerate beta blockers well?
a lot don’t
what are some side effects of beta blockers?
tiredness, nightmares
bradycardia
erectile dysfunction
cold hands n feet
what are some contraindications for beta blockers?
severe bronchospasm; asthma
prinzmetal’s angina
what are nitrates?
1st line antagonists
primary VENOdilators
diates systemic veins (reduces venous return to RHS of the heart)
SO reduces preload
therefore (via F-S mechanism) reduces work of heart and oxygen demand
(also dilate coronary arteries - antagonise spasm)
what are calcium channel antagonists?
1st line antagonists primary ARTEROdilators dilate systemic arteries (lower BP) reduce afterload on the heart lower energy required to prod same CO tf reduce work of heart n oxygen demand
what are some 2nd line antianginals?
nicorandil
ivbridine
what does nicorandil do?
2nd line antianginal
mixed veno and artero-dilatory properties
what does ivbridine do?
2nd line abtianginal
only useful in sinus rhythm
what do anti platelets do? and whats an example?
reduce cardiovascular events
decrease prostaglandin synthesis
decrease platelet aggregation
aspirin
what is a caution for anti platelets?
gastric ulceration
what are some alternatives instead of anti platelets?
includes p2y12 inhibitors
eg clopidogrel, prasugrel, ticagrelor
what are statins
hmgcoa reductase inhibitors
what do statins do?
reduce CV events
reduce LDL cholesterol
anti-atherosclerotic
why is a stent inserted?
to restore patent (open/unobstructed) coronary artery and increase flow reserve
when is a stent inserted?
either when med fails (mostly)
when high risk disease identified (fewer)
how is a stent inserted?
PCI - percutaneous coronary intervention - stenting
CABG - coronary artery bypass graft - surgery
what are the pros of PCI
less invasive than CABG
convenient
repeatable
acceptable
what are the pros of CABG
prognosis
deals with complex disease
what are the cons of PCI
risk of stent thrombosis
risk of restenosis
can’t deal w complex disease
dual anti platelet therapy
what are the cons of CABG
invasive stroke risk, bleeding can't do if frail, comorbid 1 time treatment length of stay time for recovery
do we tend to do more or less CABG?
less, more PCI done
*LOOK AT TABLE OF +++++S AND —–S OF PCI/CABG
*WB 7TH JAN
define ACS
acute coronary syndrome - includes unstable angina, NSTEMI, and STEMI
what does unstable angina and NSTEMI constitute?
NSTE-ACS
how is MI generally diagnosed
on the basis of symptoms of myocardial ischaemia associated with characteristic elevation in serum cardiac troponin levels and/or characteristic ECG changes
how can the extent of MI be classified
non-Q-wave
or Q-wave
depending on whether or not there is development of pathological Q waves on ECG, which is associated with transmural infarction
list risk factors for atherosclerosis
smoking high plasma cholesterol level hypertension DM old age renal failure FH
what is diagnosis of ACS based on
firstly, the recognition of symptoms of myocardial ischaemia (inc chest pain)
secondly, on investigations that support diagnosis
what does the likelihood of the diagnosis be determined by
assessment of clinical risk factors for CAD
using a risk score eg GRACE, TIMI risk scores
what does anti platelet therapy usually involve
dual:
aspirin
platelet p2y12 receptor antagonist (ticagrelor,clopidogrel, prasugrel)
list some beta blockers
bisoprolol
metoprolol
atenolol
when are beta blockers used
following STEMI orphan indicated in NSTE-ACS
what is the clinical classification for ppl with unstable angina
cardiac chest pain at rest
cardiac chest pain with crescendo pattern (eg unstable angina)
new onset angina
what is crescendo angina aka
unstable angina
how does troponin change w unstable angina
no significant rise
how is a STEMI diagnosed
on ECG at presentation
how is a NSTEMI diagnosed
retrospectively, after troponin results n sometimes other investigation results are available
what proportion of MI’s happen in bed?
a third
what symptoms is MI associated with?
sweating
breathlessness
nausea
vomiting
what is a higher risk of MI associated with?
higher age
diabetes
renal failure
left ventricular systolic dysfunction
what is the initial management for an MI?
get to hosp ASAP
for paramedics: if ST elevation, contact primary PCI centre for transfer
take 300mg aspirin immediately
pain relief
what is hosp management for MI?
make diagnosis bed rest oxygen therapy if hypoxic pain relief - narcotics/nitrates aspirin +/- P2y12 inhibitor consider beta blockers consider other abtianginal therapy consider urgent coronary angiography
what is the cause of majority of ACS cases?
rupture uf atherosclerotic plaque
and consequent arterial thrombosis
what are some minor causes of ACS?
coronary vasospasm without plaque rupture
drug use eg amphetamines, cocaien
what is troponin?
protein complex that regulates actin:myosin contraction
what is troponin a highly sensitive marker for, and is it specific to ACS?
cardiac muscle injury
no
when is troponin also positive, if not ACS?
gram neg sepsis
pulmonary embolism
heart failure
arrhythmias