Cardiology Flashcards
Why are shunts in place in fetal circulation?
Blood needs to go via placenta to collect oxygen and nutrients, dispose of carbon dioxide and lactate via the mother.
Blood does not pass through the pulmonary circulation.
What are the 3 fetal shunts present?
Ductus venosus - umbilical vein to inferior vena cava, bypassing the liver
Foramen ovale - right atrium to left atrium, bypassing the right ventricle and pulmonary circulation
Ductus arteriosus - pulmonary artery with aortia, bypass pulmonary circulation
What happens to fetal circulation at birth?
The first breath expands the alveoli, decreasing pulmonary vascular resistance.
Decrease in resistance causes fall in pressure in right atrium.
LA pressure now greater than the right atrium, squashing the atrial septum and closure of foramen ovale.
Then becomes sealed shut and becomes fossa ovalis.
Increased blood oxygenation causes drop in PGs - which are needed to keep ductus arteriosus open so this shuts - becomes ligamentum arteriosum.
Ductus venosus stops functioning because the umbilical cord is clamped and there is no flow in the umbilical veins - becomes ligamentum venosum.
Describe the path of the fetal circulation
Oxygenated blood from the placenta enters umbilical vein, bypasses liver by DV
Then enters vena cava to the heart, bypasses pulmonary circulation via FO into the left atrium, blood that does enter the pulmonary artery passes through DA to re-enter systemic circulation
Deoxygenated blood returns to placenta via umbilical arteries that branch off from internal iliac.
What are the acyanotic heart defects?
Left to Right shunts
ASD VSD Coarctation of the Aorta Patent Ductus Arteriosus Pulmonary stenosis
How do acyanotic defects present?
Most are picked up on antenatal screening
Asymptomatic mostly
Possibly
Fail to thrive
Resp infections
Heart failure
Why can you see heart failure with acyanotic heart defects?
Increased pressure in pulmonary circulation
What is Eisenmenger’s syndrome?
L –> R shunt swap to R –> L if pulmonary pressure rise to exceed systemic pressure
How are acyanotic heart defects commonly investigated?
Echo - flow and anatomy
ECG - identity cardiomegaly or pulmonary hypertension
Cardiac catheter - if severe
How would you see cardiomegaly or pulmonary hypertension on ECG?
Commonly Left Ventricular hypertrophy - lead I increase, lead III invert
Right ventricular hypertrophy, right axis deviation, p pulmonale, tall R in V1, right ventricular strain
How are acyanotic heart defects managed in the general term?
Loop diuretics if heart failure
Surgical closure of defect
What are the risk factors for developing an acyanotic heart defect?
Family history
Maternal smoking/toxins/infection/diabetes
Genetic conditions - Down’s
What are innocent murmurs?
Flow murmurs, very common in children
Caused by fast blood flow through various areas of the heart during systole
What are the features of innocent murmurs?
Soft Short Systolic Symptomless Situation dependent - gets quieter with standing, or only appears when unwell
When may a heart murmur in a child need to be investigated?
Murmur louder than 2/6 - soft heard in all positions no thrill
Diastolic murmurs
Louder on standing
Other symptoms such as failure to thrive, feeding difficulty, cyanosis or shortness of breath
What are the key investigations to establish the cause of a murmur?
ECG
CXR
Echo
What are the differentials for a pan-systolic murmur?
Mitral regurgitation
Tricuspid regurgitation
Ventricular septal defect heard at the left lower sternal border
What are the differentials of ejection-systolic murmurs?
Aortic stenosis
Pulmonary stenosis
Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy heard loudest at the fourth intercostal space on the left sternal border
What causes splitting of the second heart sound?
Inspiration - diaphragm pulls lungs and heart open, creating negative intra-thoracic pressure
This causes the right side of heart to fill faster, increased volume in right ventricle means it takes longer to empty - delay in pulmonary valve to close.
Pulmonary valve closes later than aortic valve - split sound.
What murmur is heard in an atrial septal defect?
Mid-systolic crescendo-decrescendo murmur
Loudest at upper left sternal border
Fixed split second heart sound
What murmur is heard in PDA?
May not cause any abnormal heart sounds
More significant - normal first heart sound, and continuous crescendo-decrescendo murmur during second heart sound
What murmur is heard in tetralogy of fallot?
Arises from pulmonary stenosis
Ejection systolic murmur
Loudest at pulmonary area - second intercostal space, left sternal border
Why do patients with transposition of the great arteries always have cyanosis?
Because the right side of the heart pumps blood directly into the aorta and systemic circulation
What is the most common cause of common mixing? (breathless and blue)
Atrioventricular septal defect