Cardiology Flashcards
What is the pacemaker of the heart?
Sinoatrial Node
What kind of channel is opened to allow the action potential to occur in the SA node?
L-type calcium channels
What is the purpose of the AV nodal delay?
Allows time for atria to empty their blood into the ventricles prior to ventricular contraction
What is the underlying reason for slowed conduction through the AV node?
- Decreased numbers of gap junctions → increased resistance to conduction
What happens in phase 0 of the cardiac action potential?
- Fast Na channels OPEN
2. Depolarize to + 20 mV
What happens in phase 1 of the cardiac action potential?
- Fast Na channels CLOSE
- K ions leave cell through OPEN K channels
- Early repolarization phase
What happens in phase 2 of the cardiac action potential?
PLATEAU
- Ca channels OPEN and fast K channels CLOSE
- Brief initial depolarization occurs then AP plateaus
- Increased Ca permeability
- Decreased K permeability
What happens in phase 3 of the cardiac action potential?
RAPID REPOLARIZATION
- Ca channels CLOSE, Slow K channels OPEN
- K exits cells
What happens in phase 4 of the cardiac action potential?
Back at resting membrane potential
What is the equation for ejection fraction?
- EF = (SV/EDV) X 100
SV = Stroke volume = ~70ml
EDV = End Diastolic Volume = ~50ml
EF is normally >60%
Cardiac output is primarily determined by _____.
Venous return
What are causes of sinus bradycardia?
- Hypothermia
- Hyperkalemia
- High vagal tone
- Drug (Digoxin, opioids, β-blockers, Ca channel antagonists)
What are 3 types of rhythms without p waves?
- Atrial fibrillation
- Atrial standstill
- Sinus arrest
What is the definition of sinus arrest?
- No sinus complex for greater than 2 R-R intervals
What are the criteria for atrial standstill?
- No P waves
- Regular rhythm
- Slow
- Superventricular
If a patient with atrial standstill is given an atropine response test, the HR (will/will not) increase
Will not!
What are some underlying causes for atrial standstill?
- Atrial fibrosis → prevents proper conduction → ventricular escape beats → bradycardia
- Uncommon, English springer spaniels predisposed - Hyperkalemia → alters atrial transmembrane resting potential → atria become inexcusable at very high plasma K levels
- e.g. blocked cats, Addisons disease in dogs, etc - ECG artifact → waves are too small to see
What breed is predisposed to have atrial fibrosis?
- English Springer Spaniel
What are the criteria for atrial fibrillation?
- Tachycardia
- No P waves
- Irregular R-R interval
- Complexes are superventricular
What is the source of atrial depolarization in atrial fibrillation?
- NOT the SA node
- Often due to large atria (DCM, horses)
- AV node randomly selects portions of these multiple impulses and lets them through → why its an irregular rhythm
What are the characteristics for 1st degree AV block?
- P-Q interval too long
What are causes of 1st degree AV block?
- Drugs: β-blockers, Ca-channel blockers, Digoxin
- Increased vagal tone: GI, respiratory, or Neurologic disease
- Primary cardiac
- Normal variation
What treatment is recommended for 1st degree AV block?
- Treatment is not indicated → they are still hemodynamically stable
What are the characteristics of 2nd degree AV block?
- Intermittent failure of AV nodal conduction
Mobitz Type 1: Irregular P-Q Interval
Mobits Type 2: Fixed P-Q interval
What is the underlying cause of mobitz type 1 2nd degree AV block? Type 2?
- Secondary to increased vagal tone
2. Secondary to AV nodal pathology (fibrosis of the AV node)
How is mobitz type 1 2nd degree AV block treated? Type 2?
- Treat underlying cause of increased vagal tone
2. If bradycardic/clinical → pacemaker
What diagnostic test can be done to differentiate type 1 from type 2 2nd degree AV block? What are the results for each type?
- Atropine response test
- Type 1 → AV block disappears
Type 2 → AV block persists
What are the characteristics of 3rd degree AV block?
- No P waves conducted → sinus complexes (p waves not associated with AV node)
- AV node completely fibrosed
- Ventricular escape rhythm present
What are causes of 3rd degree AV block?
AV nodal pathology
- Fibrosis
- Infiltrative disease
- VSD
- Endocarditis
- Masses
- Infectious Diseases
What would be the result of an atropine response test in 3rd degree AV block?
- Increase P wave rate
2. No change in ventricular escape rate
What is the treatment for 3rd degree AV block?
- Pacemaker
What are the characteristics of a wandering pacemaker?
- P waves vary in morphology → normal P-R interval and QRS complexes
- Origin of depolarization moving around right atrium
- Normal in a dog with high vagal tone → often seen in respiratory sinus arrhythma
- No treatment indicated
What is indicated by a narrow QRS complex?
- Supraventricular origin
- Indicate rapid conduction through ventricular myocardium
- When conduction spreads via bundle branches and purkinje system
What is indicated by a wide and bizarre QRS complex?
- Ventricular origin
- Suggest ventricles have taken more time to become polarized
- Spread of conduction has NOT taken place via bundle branche
- Instead by passive cell-to-cell conduction (much slower)
What are differentials for wide, bizarre QRS complexes?
- Ventricular ectopic complexes (premature or escapes)
2. Bundle branch blocks
When should ventricular pre-mature complexes be treated?
- Hemodynamic compromise
- Rapid couplets and triplets
- Ventricular tachycardia
- R-on-T phenomenon
- Multiform VPCs
What are the characteristics of Ventricular Escape Complexes?
- NOT associated with p waves
- LATE - happens because of a pause - compensatory mechanism
- DO NOT TREAT
What are underlying causes for Bundle Branch Blocks?
- Result from damaging bundle branches from stretching
- Hypertrophy
- Infiltrative disease
- Infarction
- Idiopathic degeneration
- Surgical manipulation
- Congenital heart disease, acquired heart disease
What is indicated by a bundle branch block?
- Aberrant conduction system through myocardium → slower depolarization
A left bundle branch block will be (positive/negative) and a right bundle branch block will be (positive/negative)
- Positive
2. Negative
What are the characteristics of ventricular fibrillation?
- Rapid, irregular
- No organization
- No normal wave or complex can be seen
- Often follows ventricular tachycardia
- Fatal rhythm - causes cardiac arrest
How is ventricular fibrillation treated?
- Defibrillation
2. Precordial thump
What can be seen on an ECG with right atrial enlargement? What are some differentials?
- P-pulmonale
- Tall P waves
- ECG is not very sensitive for atrial enlargement → will be fairly advanced disease when you see ECG changes
- DDX: Lab with tricuspid valve dysplasia, chronic pulmonary disease
What can be seen on an ECG with left atrial enlargement?
- P-mitrale
- Wide P waves
- May become notched (“M shaped”)
- ECG is not very sensitive for atrial enlargement
What can be seen on an ECG with right ventricular enlargement?
- Large S waves in leads I, II, III, and aVF
- Right axis shift (complexes will be negative)
- Has to be significant enlargement in order to see
What can be seen on an ECG with left ventricular enlargement?
- Tall or wide QRS complex
- Left ventricular hypertrophy or dilation
- PDA (if very tall QRS)
What is the MOA of pimobendan?
- Positive Inotrope → sensitizes and increases the binding of tropomyosin to calcium (via cAMP)
- Phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitor → vasodilation via increased cAMP levels causes decreased preload and afterload
- Increases IC Ca
- Activates protein kinase A → enhanced diastolic function
- Also phosphorylates troponin I to increase the rate of myosin cross-bridge detachment - Increased cAMP in smooth muscle causes vasodilation
What are the side effects of pimobendan?
- May worsen mitral valve regurgitation or increase risk of chord tendinae rupture in early CVD dogs
What was the EPIC (2016) study?
- Examined the effect of pimobendan in dogs with preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease and cardiomegaly
What was the finding in the EPIC (2016) study? What were the recommendations?
- Prolongation of the preclinical period by ~15 months
2. Pimobendan is recommended in preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease and cardiomegaly cases
What characteristics were used as inclusion criteria for the EPIC (2016) study?
- Left atrial to aortic ratio >= 1.6
- Normalized left ventricular internal diameter in diastole >= 1.7
- Vertebral heart sum > 10.5
What was the PROTECT (2012) study?
- Examined the efficacy of pimobendan in prevention of congestive heart failure or sudden death in Dobermans with preclinical DCM
What were the findings in the PROTECT (2012) study?
- Proportion of dogs reaching the primary endpoint was not different between groups
- The MEDIAN TIME to primary endpoint (CHF or sudden death) was significantly LONGER in the pimobendan group vs placebo (~9 months)
- The MEDIAN SURVIVAL TIME was significantly longer in the pimobendan group vs placebo (~5 months)
What is the MOA of dobutamine?
Synthetic Catecholamine
1. β1 > β2/α1 → Increase heart rate, contraction, and contractility; renin release (β1 effects) and Dilate blood vessels/bronchioles (β2 effects) and constrict arterioles (α1 effects)
What are the side effects of dobutamine?
- Mild vasoconstriction
- High doses: Tachycardia, arrhythmias
- Less tachycardia and vasoconstriction compared to dopamine
What is the MOA of digoxin?
Digitalis glycoside
- Positive inotrope → Blocks Na/K ATPase in cardiomyocyte → increased Na/Ca exchange → increased intracellular Ca
- Antiarrhythmic → lengthens phase 4 and 0 of action potential (in AV node)
What is the only positive inotrope that will slow heart rate?
Digoxin
What are the adverse effects of digoxin?
- Narrow therapeutic window: increased toxicity with hypokalemia
- GI (vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia) → most common
- Arrhythmogenic
What is the MOA of ACE inhibitors?
Enalapril, Benazapril
- Inhibits conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II
- Decreased angiotensin II and aldosterone which would normally:
- Vasoconstriction
- Myocardial fibrosis
- Na and water retention
- Increased SNS tone
- Renal efferent arteriole constriction - Decreased degradation of bradykinin
- Bradykinin → natural vasodilator, stimulates synthesis of PG12/NO
What are the side effects of ACEi?
- Hypotension
- Anorexia
- Decreased GFR/RBF → azotemia, acute kidney injury
- NSAIDs diminish effects; interfere with bradykinin (inhibit formation of Pos)
What is the MOA of nitroprusside/nitroglycerine?
Nitrates
- Prodrug generates NO
- NO 2nd messenger of cGMP → interacts with myosin light chain kinase in vascular smooth muscle → vasodilation
What are the side effects of nitroprusside/nitroglycerine?
- Hypotension
- Nitroprusside → cyanide toxicity
- Nitroglycerine → develop tolerance (runs out of NO precursors in 24 hours)
What is the MOA of amlodipine?
Ca-Channel Blocker (dihydropyridin specific)
- Blocks inward Ca movement in voltage gated channels → vasodilation
- Prolong phase 2
What are the side effects of amlodipine?
- Hypotension
2. Activate RAAS
What is the MOA of sildenafil?
PDE-V inhibitor
- Inhibits breakdown of cGMP
- cGMP → interacts with myosin light chain kinase in vascular smooth muscle → vasodilation
What are the side effects with sildenafil?
- Hypotension (rarely)
- Contraindicated with nitrates
What is the MOA of Aspirin?
Nonselective COX inhibitor
- Decreased thromboxane 2 → irreversible inhibitor of platelet aggregation
- Decreases vasoconstriction
What are side effects of aspirin?
- GI Ulceration
What is the MOA of clopidogrel
Thienophyridine Anti-platelet Agent
- Blocks platelet ADP receptors
- Decreased fibrinogen and vWF binding - Decreased vasoconstriction
What are the side effects of clopidogrel?
- Rare
2. Decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea
What was found in the FAT CAT study (2015)
Clopidogrel administration significantly reduces the likelihood of recurrent ATE compared to aspirin in cats
What is the MOA of heparin?
Naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan
-Binds and catalyzes action of anti-thrombin II → inhibitor of factor Xa
What are side effects of heparin?
- Bleeding (less risk with low molecular weight formulation)
- Monitor aPTT
What is the MOA of rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban?
Factor Xa inhibitors
1. Selectively and reversibly block activity of clotting factor Xa
What is the MOA of class 1A antiarrhythmics?
Procainamide, Quinidine
- Block fast Na channels in myocardium
- Decreases rate of phase 0 depolarization
- Decreases rate of phase 4 repolarization - Increases effective refractory period
- Decreases automaticity/AV conduction
What are the side effects of class 1A antiarrhythmics?
- Hypotension
2. Tachycardia