What are the 5 main cardiovascular symptoms?
- Chest pain
- Breathlessness
- Palpitations
- Lightheadedness
- Swelling
What are the common and serious causes of chest pain?
Common:
- Acid reflux
- Angina
- Infection
- Costochondrosis
Serious:
- Pericarditis
- MI
- PE
- tension pneumothorax
- aortic dissection
Why do palpitations occur in simple terms?
Due to tachycardia and increased myocardial contractility
This is because of increased sympathetic tone to the heart due to a decreased CO or anxiety.
What are the different types of “dizziness”?
Syncope - blackout/lightheadedness
Vertigo - room is spinning
Unsteadiness - cerebellar, imbalance
What kind of chest pain will you get if there is a problem with the heart and why?
DULL because the myocardium is not well innervated so the pain will be hard to localise.
What questions would you ask in a cardiac systems review?
- How many pillows do you sleep on?
- Worse after meals (if pain)?
- Has anyone in your family had a heart attack at a young age?/Has anyone died of any heart problems?
- Do you have… high BP/cholesterol/reflux/diabetes?
Which two heart conditions can cause sudden death?
HOCM - hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy - problems with the myocyte alignment can cause mismatch in conractility and sudden death
ARVD - Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia thin wall of the ventricle also causes alignment problems which leads to sudden death
