Cardiology Flashcards
Most common causes of the monomorphic and polymorphic VT?
- Monomorphic VT - MI
- Polymorphic VT - QT prolongation, which could be secondary to:
a. drugs - Amiodarone (class III), sotalol (III & II), class 1a antiarrhythmic (Na blockers)
TCA, SSRI - fluoxetine
chloroquine
terfenadine (anti-histamine)
erythromycin
methadone
haloperidol, ondansetron
b. congenital - Jervell-Lange-Nielsen syndrome (deafness and is due to an abnormal potassium channel);
Romano-Ward syndrome (no deafness)
c. other - electrolyte: HYPO: Ca, K, Mg
(HYPER-k can as well but in those with structural heart disease, rare)
acute MI, myocarditis
hypothermia
SAH
Classes of anti-arrhythmic drugs
- Sodium channel blockers:
Ia: Quinidine, procainamide, disopyramide
Ib: Lidocaine, phenytoin, mexiletine - Beta blockers: atenolol, esmolol, propranolol, metoprolol.
- Potassium channel blockers: Sotalol, Amiodarone (but has I-IV features)
- Calcium channel blockers: Verapamil, Diltiazem, Nifedipine, amlodipine
- Miscellaneous: Adenosine, Mg, Digoxin
Some Block Potassium Channels
Management of VT
- Identify if patient is stable
If unstable: SBP <90, syncope, chest pain, HF -> synchronised DC cardioversion
If stable -> anti-arrhythmics:
Amiodarone (III)
lidocaine (Ib - CAUTION in severe LV impairment)
procainamide (Ia)
If the drug therapy fails -> electrical cardioversion
Consider ICD in those with impaired LV
4 causes of raised JVP?
Raised JVP = raised pressure in RA (use IJV)
- HF
- Fluid overload
- Constrictive pericarditis
- Cardiac tamponade
JVP vs carotid pulse
- no pulsation on palpation
- 2 waves (pulses) per heartbeat
- hepatojugular reflex
List waves of the JVP waveform
A wave - atrial contraction (upward)
X descent (first) - atrial relaxation (downward)
C wave - RV contraction, TV closure and bulging into the RA (upward, not usually seen)
X descent (second) - remaining RV contraction but RA is draining blood from the IJV and is expanding (downward)
V wave - RA fill with blood and in turn the IJV is filling with blood
Y wave - TV opening and emptying of the RA
‘x’ descent = fall in atrial pressure during ventricular systole
‘y’ descent = opening of tricuspid valve
JVP waveform abnormalities
- Absent A waves in AF
- Large A waves in TS, RVH (due to PS, pulmonary hypertension), HOCM
- Cannon A waves - atrial contractions against a closed TV: seen in CHB, VT/ectopics, nodal rhythm, single chamber ventricular pacing
- Large V wave and absent X descent - TR
What imaging should be performed for patients in whom stable angina cannot be excluded by clinical assessment alone
1st line: CT coronary angiography
2nd line: non-invasive functional imaging (looking for reversible myocardial ischaemia)
3rd line: invasive coronary angiography
Examples of non-invasive functional imaging:
- myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with single photon emission computed tomography (MPS with SPECT)
- stress echocardiography
- first-pass contrast-enhanced MR perfusion
- MR imaging for stress-induced wall motion abnormalities
Definition of PAH
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) - resting mean pulmonary artery pressure of >= 25 mmHg.
Risk factors for PAH
- females»_space; males (30-50 years)
- chronic lung diseases
- HIV, cocaine and anorexigens (e.g. fenfluramine)
Around 10% of cases are AD inheritance
Features of PAH
- progressive exertional SOB, exertional chest pain and exertional syncope
- peripheral oedema
- cyanosis
- RV heave, loud P2, raised JVP with prominent ‘a’ waves, tricuspid regurgitation
What test is key to identify an appropriate tx for PAH? What does it aim for and how is performed?
Acute vasodilator testing aims to decide which patients show a significant fall in pulmonary arterial pressure following the administration of vasodilators, such as IV epoprostenol or inh nitric oxide.
How do you tx PAH patients with positive and negative response to acute vasodilator testing?
- Positive response (a minority of patients) - PO Ca channel blockers
- Negative response (the vast majority of patients)
- prostacyclin analogues: treprostinil, iloprost
- endothelin receptor antagonists: bosentan, ambrisentan
- phosphodiesterase inhibitors: sildenafil
Patients with progressive symptoms should be considered for a heart-lung transplant.
What is the advice on anticoagulation & anti-platelets in the following cases:
Stable CVD + VTE/AF
Post ACS/PCI
VTE on Anti-platelet
Stable CVD + VTE/AF - Anticoagulant monotherapy
Post ACS/PCI - up to 6 month triple therapy- 6 month dual therapy
VTE on Antiplatelet - calculate HAS BLED score , if low - dual, if high anticoagulant monotherapy (up to 6 months)
Choice of anticoagulation in the following cases of PE:
- Suspected and subsequently confirmed PE
- PE in a patient with active cancer
- PE in a patient with a renal impairment
- PE in a patient with APS
- PE in a haemodynamically unstable patient
- Recurrent PE
- apixaban or rivaroxaban once PE is suspected, with this continued if the diagnosis is confirmed.
If neither apixaban or rivaroxaban are suitable then either LMWH followed by dabigatran or edoxaban OR LMWH followed by warfarin.
- If the patient has active cancer - use a DOAC, unless this is contraindicated.
- If renal impairment is severe (e.g. < 15/min) then LMWH, unfractionated heparin or LMWH followed by warfarin.
- APS (specifically ‘triple positive’ in the guidance) then LMWH followed by warfarin
- Thrombolysis
- Consider IVC filter
Duration of anticoagulation for treating PE
- Provoked - 3/12, could continue up to 6/12 in total if associated with active cancer
- Unprovoked - 6/12
Consider HASBLED
Features of severe aortic stenosis
narrow pulse pressure slow rising pulse delayed ESM soft/absent S2 S4 thrill duration of murmur LV hypertrophy or failure
Clinical features of symptomatic aortic stenosis
- chest pain
- dyspnoea
- syncope
- ESM classically radiates to the carotids; this is decreased following the Valsalva manoeuvre
Causes of aortic stenosis
- degenerative calcification (most common cause in > 65 years)
- bicuspid aortic valve (most common cause in < 65 years)
- William’s syndrome (supravalvular aortic stenosis)
- post-rheumatic disease
- subvalvular: HOCM
Management of patient with AS (consider symptomatic and asymptomatic)
- if asymptomatic then observe
- if asymptomatic but valvular gradient > 40 mmHg and with features such as LVSD then consider surgery
- if symptomatic then valve replacement
CVD may coexist -> for this reason an angiogram is often done prior to surgery so that the procedures can be combined.
Balloon valvuloplasty is limited to patients with critical AS who are not fit for valve replacement
Which drug should be avoided in irregular broad complex tachycardia and why?
What is this drug used for?
What condition is a CI for it?
Adenosine as it can precipitate VF.
Adenosine is used in narrow and regular broad complex SVT.
To be avoided in asthmatics
Which drug must be avoided in VT and why?
What is this drug usually used for?
Verapamil as it can precipitate cardiac arrest.
It should be avoided if there is any uncertainly whether this is SVT or VT.
Verapamil is an option for termination of SVT.
- What is the strongest risk factor for IE?
- Which is the most commonly affected valve?
- Which is the most typically affected valve in IVDU?
- previous episode of endocarditis.
- mitral valve
- tricuspid lesion
- What is the most common cause (organism) of IE?
- What is the most common cause of IE in DEVELOPING countries? Where can they be found in the body and what procedure can they be linked with?
- What is the most common organism causing IE in those who had undergone a surgery / prosthetic valve, have indwelling lines?
- What condition is the strep Bovis associated with? What is its subtype that is most associated with that condition?
- What are the non-infective causes of endocarditis?
- What are the culture negative causes of IE?
- Staphylococcus aureus
particularly common in acute presentation and IVDUs - Streptococcus viridans: Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus sanguinis - both found in the mouth and are linked with poor dental hygiene or following a dental procedure
- Coagulase-negative Staphylococci: Staphylococcus epidermidis - indwelling lines, prosthetic valve surgery, perioperative contamination. After 2 months the spectrum of organisms which cause endocarditis return to normal (i.e. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause)
- Streptococcus bovis (the subtype Streptococcus gallolyticus): associated with colorectal cancer.
- SLE (Libman-Sacks)
Malignancy: marantic endocarditis
6. Prior antibiotic therapy Coxiella burnetii Bartonella Brucella HACEK: Haemophilus, Actinobacillus, Cardiobacterium, Eikenella, Kingella
What is the target INR for a patient with a:
- Aortic valve replacement
- Mitral valve replacement
- 3.0
2. 3.5
Bioprosthetic valve vs mechanical valve replacement - anticoagulation vs anti-platelet requirements
1. Biological valve: Usually no need for anticoagulation, but warfarin may be needed for the first 3/12 depending on patient's risk factors Long-term anti-platelet is required - indications: > 65 years for aortic valves > 70 years for mitral valves
- Mechanical: life-long anticoagulant, usually with warfarin over DOAC.
Anti-plt depending on patient’s co-morbidities, such as IHD.
ECG STEMI criteria:
- V2-V3 changes depending on age and gender
- in other leads
- other ECG changes
- > 2.5mm STE in men <40yo OR >2.0mm STE in men >40 OR
1.5mm STE in women - > 1.0mm in other leads
- new LBBB
What are the indications for a PCI vs fibrinolysis in STEMI
PCI indications:
- Presentation within 12h and ability to deliver PCI in 2h
- Presentation after 12h but ongoing chest pain / cariogenic shock
- Failed fibrinolysis - if ECG 90min after fibrinolysis doesn’t show >50% resolution of STE
Fibrinolysis indications:
1. Presentation within 12h and inability to deliver PCI within 2h
Drugs used in PCI:
- PRIOR to PCI
- DURING PCI: arterial vs femoral access
- Other management options during PCI
- DUAT: aspirin +
- prasugrel
- ticagrelor if pt is at high risk of bleeding
- clopidogrel if pt is on anticoag - arterial access: unfractionated heparin +/- GPI (In case of worsening / persistent thrombus
- femoral access: Bivalirudin with GPI
3. thrombus aspiration complete revascularisation (for patients with multivessel CAD without cardiogenic shock)
List examples of GPI drugs
ABCIXIMAB tirofiban Aggrastat eptifibatide Integrilin ReoPro
Fibrinolysis in STEMI:
- What are the drugs used in fibrinolysis
- What should be given afterwards
- What should be done after the procedure
- Streptokinase, alteplase, tPA (tissues plasminogen activator), reteplase
Those fibrinolytic drugs are also thrombolytic - Ticagrelor
- clopidogrel if patient is at high risk of bleeding - ECG 60-90min after the procedure
Management of NSTEMI / unstable angina
- What at the indications for PCI
- What are CI to fondaparinux
- What alternative to fondaparinux could be used
- What should be given PRIOR to PCI
- PCI in NSTEMI / unstable angina if
- Pt is unstable
- Patient is intermediate / high GRACE risk (>3.0%):
a. immediately if pt is unstable
b. within 72h if pt is stable
- Recurrent ischaemia during admission - Do NOT give fondaparinux if patient is at high risk of bleeding and / or is undergoing immediate PCI / Also poor renal function
- Unfractionated heparin should be used if patient is undergoing immediate PCI and / or creat is >265
- If PCI is going ahead, then DUAT PRIOR to PCI, as with the STEMI patients undergoing PCI
Management of NSTEMI / unstable angina
- Low risk patient (GRACE =<3.0%)
- intermediate / high risk
- Low risk - conservative Mx:
- DUAT: aspirin +
ticagrelor
if pt is high risk of bleeding / is on anticoagulant -> switch to clopidogrel
- fondaparinux
if not at high risk of bleeding - Intermediate / high risk of bleeding:
- DUAT: aspirin +
prasugrel
consider switching to ticagrelor if high risk of bleeding OR to clopi if on anticoagulant
- unfractionated heparin
- Complications of bicuspid aortic valve
2. Syndrome / conditions associated with it
- Aortic stenosis or regurgitation;
aortic dissection and aneurysm formation of the ascending aorta - Turner’s syndrome
coarctation of the aorta
left dominant coronary circulation (the posterior descending artery arises from the circumflex instead of the right coronary artery)
Which valves are open vs closed during systole and diastole? -> murmurs
Systole: valves open: A, P valves closed: M, T Hence -> aortic and pulmonary stenosis mitral and tricuspid regurgitation
Diastole: valves open: M, T valves closed: A, P Hence: mitral and tricuspid stenosis aortic and pulmonary regurgitation
(Aortic regurgitation - Austin-Flinn murmur
Pulmonary regurgitation - Graham-Steel murmur)
Which murmurs get louder in inspiration vs expiration?
RINspiration: Right sided murmurs get louder during INspiration
LEXpiration: Left sided murmurs get louder during EXpiration