Cardiology Flashcards
What is paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea?
Suddenly waking up at night with a severe attack of shortness of breath and cough
What is the first line medical treatment for heart failure (ABAL)?
ACE inhibitor (up to 10mg OD)
Beta blocker (up to 10mg OD)
Aldosterone antagonist when symptoms not controlled with A and B (spironolactone or eplerenone)
Loop diuretics improves symptoms (e.g. furosemide 40mg OD)
What is the monitoring requirement for diuretics, ACE inhibitors and aldosterone antagonists?
U&Es
What drug should be avoided in patients with valvular heart disease until indicated by a specialist?
ACE inhibitors
What is the difference between systolic and diastolic heart failure?
Systolic = impaired left ventricular contraction
Diastolic = impaired left ventricular relaxation
What BNP requires an urgent specialist referral?
A BNP over 2000
What is cor pulmonale?
Right sided heart failure caused by respiratory disease
What is the pathophysiology of cor pulmonale?
Increased pressure and resistance in the pulmonary arteries (pulmonary hypertension) results in the right ventricle being unable to effectively pump blood out of the ventricle and into the pulmonary arteries.
Back pressure of blood in the right atrium, the vena cava and the systemic venous system
What are the causes of cor pulmonale?
COPD
PE
Interstitial lung disease
CF
Primary pulmonary hypertension
What are the main symptoms of cor pulmonale?
Often asymptomatic
SOB
Peripheral oedema
Increased breathlessness on exertion
Syncope
Chest pain
What are some signs of cor pulmonale?
Hypoxia
Cyanosis
Raised JVP
Peripheral oedema
Third heart sound
Murmurs (e.g. pan-systolic in tricuspid regurgitation)
Hepatomegaly
What is the management of cor pulmonale?
Treat symptoms and underlying cause
What causes a third heart sound?
Rapid ventricular filling
Cause chord tendineae to twang
Either because they are young and healthy or because the ventricles are stiff and weak and so reach their limit much faster than normal
What causes a fourth heart sound?
S4 is heard directly before S1.
Always abnormal, rare
Stiff or hypertrophic ventricle
Caused by turbulent flow from an atria contracting against a non-compliant ventricle
What are the locations for auscultation of the different heart valves?
Pulmonary: 2nd ICS left sternal border
Aortic: 2nd ICS right sternal border
Tricuspid: 5th ICS left sternal border
Mitral: 5th ICS mid clavicular line
How do you grade a murmur?
- Difficult to hear
- Quiet
- Easy to hear
- Easy to hear with a palpable thrill
- Can hear with stethoscope barely touching chest
- Can hear with stethoscope off the chest
What valvular disease causes hypertrophy?
Stenosis:
Mitral stenosis causes left atrial hypertrophy
Aortic stenosis causes left ventricular hypertrophy
What valvular disease causes dilatation?
Regurgitation
Mitral: left atrial dilatation
Aortic: left ventricular dilatation
What can cause mitral stenosis?
Rheumatic heart disease
Infective endocarditis
What does a mitral stenosis murmur sound like?
Mid-diastolic, low pitched rumbling (low velocity of blood)
What is mitral stenosis associated with?
Malar flush (due to rise in CO2 and vasodilation)
AF
What does a mitral regurgitation murmur sound like?
pan-systolic, high pitched whistling (high velocity of blood)
Radiates to left axilla
May heart a third heart sound
What is mitral regurgitation associated with?
Congestive Cardiac failure (reduced ejection fraction and backlog of blood)
What can cause mitral regurgitation?
Idiopathic weakening of the valve with age
Ischaemic heart disease
Infective endocarditis
Rheumatic heart disease
Connective tissue disorders
What does an aortic stenosis murmur sound like?
Ejection systolic, high pitched murmur
Crescendo-decrescendo
What are some other signs of aortic stenosis?
Radiates to carotids
Slow rising pulse and narrow pulse pressure
Exertional syncope
Causes of aortic stenosis?
Idiopathic age related calcificaiton
Rheumatic heart disease