Cardiology Flashcards
Malar flush
Pulmonary hypertension with low
cardiac output, typically in mitral stenosis
Slate grey rash in sun-exposed areas
Adverse effect of amiodarone
Uvula bobbing up and down
Muller’s sign in severe AR
Head bobbing up and down
de Musset’s sign in severe AR
Plucked chicken skin
Pseudoxanthoma elasticum = classic cause of coronary artery disease in young
Thrill in apex
Severe MR
Thrill at left sternal edge
VSD
Thrill in aortic area
AS
Loud 2nd heart sound
Pulmonary HTN
3rd heart sound (lub dub dub)
Rapid ventricular filling of dilated LV = Heart failure (MR, post-MI)
4th heart sound (la-lub dub)
Atria contract against stiff ventricles = (e.g. HOCM, HTN)
Quiet 2nd heart sound
Severe AS
Features of aortic stenosis
- Heaving apex beat (LVH)
- Slow rising pulse
- Quiet 2nd heart sound
Features of aortic regurtitation
- Collapsing pulse
- Wide pulse pressure.
- Cardiac dilatation.
- Early diastolic murmur, usually maximal at lower left sternal edge
- Corrigan’s pulse.
- De musset’s: bobbing of head with pulse
- Quincke’s: nail bed pulsations
Features of mitral stenosis
- Old patient as likely rheumatic
- Mid-diastolic murmur (best heart left lateral on expiration using the bell)– sounds like thunder rumbling in distance
- AF
- Tapping apex beat (palpable first heart sound)
- Loud S1 = closing snap (important clue for mixed mitral valve disease when there is also pansystolic murmur)
- Malar flush
Features of mitral regurgitation
- Soft S1 and widely-split S2 (severe MR)
- Pansystolic murmur loudest at apex and radiating to axilla and loudest on expiration
- Displaced apex beat laterally +/- apical systolic thrill
- Marfan’s = arm span to height ratio >1.05
Causes of aortic stenosis
- Calcific degenerative is the most common.
- Congenital, usually associated with a bicuspid valve.
- Rheumatic (now quite rare).
Severity of aortic stenosis based on
- Quiet 2nd heart sound
- Narrow pulse pressure
- Presence of heart failure
- Syncope is poorest prognostic symptom
Differential for aortic stenosis
- Aortic sclerosis: can overlap with AS
- PS: normal pulse character, 2nd heart sound normal, although pulmonary component may be reduced. Murmur louder on inspiration.
- VSD: very loud murmur, heard all over the praecordium. Maximal at sternal edge. More likely to be associated with a thrill (Maladie de Roger).
- HOCM: jerky pulse, murmur gets quieter if crouches down (increased afterload and consequent splinting open of the outflow tract). No ejection click, normal 2nd heart sound. Younger patient.
Investigations for aortic stenosis
- Echo: severe if valve area <1cm2, mean valve gradient >40mmHg (gradient is difference in pressure before and after valve), peak velocity >4m/sec
- Stress echo: to see if heart failure due to the AS or because of issue with myocardium
- Coronary angiography before any valve surgery!
Criteria for surgery in aortic stenosis
Symptomatic severe AS
Asymptomatic severe AS and:
- EF <50% without other cause or
- Symptomatic or 20mmHg fall in BP on exercising or
- Very severe AS (mean gradient >60mmHg) or BNP x3 normal without other explanation
What are the common complications of AS?
- Endocarditis
- Heart failure
- AV block due to invasion of calcium from the valve ring into the His–Purkinje system
- Embolic events.
How would you differentiate sclerosis from stenosis?
Normal pulse character, normal 2nd heart sound, frequently in an elderly person. Note this overlaps with mild AS.
Causes of aortic regurgitation
Split into acute AR and chronic AR!
Acute AR:
* Infective endocarditis
* Aortic dissection
* Prosthetic valve failure
* Acute rheumatic fever (rare in the West, but not elsewhere)
Chronic AR:
* Bicuspid aortic valve
* Marfan’s syndrome
* Rheumatic heart disease
* Endocarditis
* Seronegative arthritides (ank spond!)
Differential for aortic regurgitation
Pulmonary regurgitation = not maximal at the lower left sternal border, and none of the other signs are present.
Criteria for surgery in aortic regurgitation
Symptomatic
Asymptomatic and
- EF <50% or
- LV end-systolic diameter >50mm (>25mm/m2 per BSA if low BSA) or
- Aortic enlargement (>55mm or >45mm if Marfan’s)
Medical for the rest (ACEi, diuretics)
Signs suggesting severe aortic regurgitation
- Clinically dilated heart
- Left-sided heart failure
- Very wide pulse pressure
- Short murmur (more severe flow of blood back into the LV, causing ever more rapid rise in the LV diastolic pressure. This results in the regurgitant flow diminishing much earlier in diastole as the gradient between aorta and LV diminishes.)
Severe mitral stenosis shown by
- AF.
- Pulmonary hypertension.
- A short gap between S2 and the opening snap
- A long mid-diastolic murmur
- Pulmonary congestion and right heart failure
Causes of mitral stenosis
- Rheumatic fever (>90 %).
- Degenerative: severe calcification.
- Endocarditis with large thrombus
- Congenital (carcinoid)
Investigations for mitral stenosis
- 12-lead ECG– p mitrale (broad p wave due to LA enlargement)
- CXR: LA size (splaying of subcarinal angle, loss of pulmonary bay).
- Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) to assess severity – mean gradient and mitral valve area (MVA)
- Transoesophageal echocardiogram (TOE) for detailed assessment of valvular and subvalvular anatomy and to assess LA appendage for thrombus prior to PBMV.
- Right and left heart catheterization to assess coronary anatomy and right heart pressure
Indications for surgery in mitral stenosis (or percutaneous mitral commissurotomy)
Symptomatic
Asymptomatic
- High VTE risk (AF, previous VTE)
- High-risk for haemodynamic decompensation (systolic pulmonary pressure >50mmHg, need for major surgery/pregnancy)
Aortic stenosis symptoms
- Breathless
- Angina
- Syncope = worst prognosis
Aortic regurgitation symptoms
- Breathless
- Heart failure
Mitral stenosis symptoms
- Heart failure
- AF (palpitations, breathless)
- Endocarditis symptoms (unexplained fever)
Mitral regurgitation symptoms
- Heart failure
- AF (palpitations, breathless)
- Endocarditis symptoms (unexplained fever)
Severe mitral regurgitation shown by
- AF (develops as LA enlarges),
- Displaced thrusting apex beat
- Signs of pulmonary hypertension (parasternal heave, palpable P2, evidence of TR)
- Cardiac failure
Causes of mitral regurgitation
- Degenerative
- Functional (secondary to LV dilatation and causes thereof)
- Ischaemic
- MV prolapse (affects 1–2.5 % of population)– includes connective tissue deases
Criteria for surgery in mitral regurgitation
Symptomatic
Asymptomatic and
- LV end-systolic diameter >40mm
- LVEF <60%
- Preserved LV function but AF or pulmonary systolic pressures >50mmHg
Medical management has no effect on MR!
Always do mitral valve repair rather than replacement (replacement can lead to LV function reduction)
Tricuspid regurgitation symptoms
- Usually asymptomatic
- Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension which is main cause of TR (breathless, ankle oedema)
Features of tricuspid regurgitation
- Pansystolic murmur loudest at left sternal edge and on inspiration
- Very high JVP (large CV waves) without other bad heart failure signs
- Parasternal heave (severe TR)
- Pulsatile hepatomegaly
Causes of tricuspid regurgitation
Acute
- Endocarditis always
Chronic
- Pulmonary hypertension = main cause
- Endocarditis
- Carcinoid (flushing, diarrhoea, bronchoconstriction)
- Ebstein’s anomaly (apical displacement of TV)
Management of tricuspid regurgitation
Medical
- Diuretics
- Manage condition causing pulmonary hypertension
Surgical = rarely used
- Early in symptomatic patients
- Consider when doing left-sided cardiac surgery (helps RV remodelling)
Metallic valve click before vs after carotid pulse
- Before carotid pulse (S1): mitral valve
- After carotid pulse: aortic valve
Cause of regurgitation in prosthetic valve
Valvular leak
Cause of systolic murmur in prosthetic valve
- Soft systolic murmur in AV = normal
- Any systolic murmur in MV = abnormal (paravalvular leak)
Mixed mitral valve disease discriminating factors
Apex beat:
- MR: thrusting laterally displaced
- MS: tapping undisplaced
Mixed aortic valve disease discriminating factors
Pulse character:
- AS: slow rising
- AR: collapsing
BP:
- AS: low SBP
- AR: high SBP
Apex beat:
- AS: heaving undisplaced
- AR: thrusting laterally displaced
Biological vs mechanical heart valves
Biological = over 70s (or anyone younger with 10-15yr prognosis)
- ADV: No long-term anticoagulation, less prone to endocarditis
- DISADV: quicker to fail
Mechanical:
- Opposite to above
NYHA Classification for Heart Failure
Class I No effect on normal daily activities
Class II Able to walk ~100m on the flat, breathless with greater levels of exertion
Class III Breathless on walking around the house, comfortable at rest
Class IV Breathless at rest or on minimal exertion.
Heart failure treatment
- ACEi = ramipril 1.25mg (do salcubritil/valsartan if ACEi not tolerated)
- Beta-blocker = bisoprolol 1.25mg
- Aldosterone antagonist = spironolactone 12.5mg (if eGFR >30 as causes high K)
- SGLT2 inhibitors in HFrEF = dapagliflozin 10mg
Add on
- Digoxin 62.5mg if AF
- Diuretics
Indications for CRT-D/P in heart failure
Prognosis >1year AND
- LVEF <30% and NYHA class I/<35% and class II-III
- QRS >130ms
- Despite optimal medical management
(Because heart loses synchronous contraction when it is severe HF)
Indications for ICD in heart failure
Prognosis >1year AND
- LVEF <35%
- QRS 120-150ms (though CRT if LBBB)
- Despite optimal medical management
Signs of constrictive pericarditis
- Cachexia/leuconychia (low albumin)
- Pulsus parodoxus (BP drops 20mmHg during inspiration – because RV fills so bulges into LV as cannot expand due to pericarditis –> reduced LV filling and LV output!)
- Ventricular interdependence (filling of one ventricle reduces the size and filling of the other – see fluctuating LV/RV pressure)
- Very raised JVP
- Auscultation: early loud S3 = “pericardial knock” (RV) and pansystolic murmur due to TR
Management of constrictive pericarditis
- High-dose NSAID reducing regiment (e.g. ibuprofen 600mg TDS for 2 weeks and then reduce)
- Colchicine
- Steroids in TB pericarditis
- Pericardiectomy
How many Duke’s criteria needed for endocarditis?
- 2 major
- 1 major and 3 minor
- 5 minor
Major and Minor Duke’s criteria for endocarditis
Major
- 2 separate +ve blood cultures with typical organism
- Vegetation on echo
Minor
- 1 +ve blood culture
- Fever
- IV drug use/predisposing heart condition
- Embolic phenomena (septic emboli, Janeway lesions = palm, splinter haemorrhages)
- Immune phenomena (Roth spots, Osler nodes = TENDER nodules finger tips)
- Echo finding suggestive but not confirm
Common bugs causing endocarditis
Strep. viridans, Strep. bovis or a HACEK organism
Staph aureus
Enterococcus
Relevance of lengthening PR in endocarditis
Aortic root abscess- would need urgent surgery
Indications for surgery in endocarditis
- Progressive heart block (aortic root abscess)
- Uncontrolled infection
- Haemodynamic failure due to valve insufficiency
Also strongly consider in prosthetic valve endocarditis
Symptoms of VSD
- Most asymptomatic (incidental finding)
- Big VSD = heart failure as infant
- High output cardiac failure in adults
Signs of VSD
- Pansystolic murmur left sternal edge
- Thrill left sternal edge
- RV overload if shunt severe (parasternal heave)
- Right heart failure signs–> Eisenmenger’s (clubbing, cyanosis)
- Small VSD = loud pansystolic murmur without other signs (Maladie de Roger VSD)
Treatment for VSD
- Incidental: no treatment
- Right heart failure/increasing right-sided pressures: surgical or percutaneous catheter-based closure
VSD associated with?
- Tetralogy of Fallot
- Coarctation of aorta
Symptoms of atrial septal defect
- Present in 30s
- Dyspnoea (pulmonary HTN/AF)
- Stroke (paradoxical embolism)
- Pulmonary oedema (right heart failure)
4 features of Tetralogy of Fallot
PROV
- Pulmonary stenosis
- Right ventricular hypertrophy
- Over-riding aorta (lies above VSD = takes deoxy blood from RV)
- VSD
Signs of atrial septal defect
- Soft ESM over pulmonary area (due to increased turbulent flow through the pulmonary valve)
- Widely split S2 (P2 is much after A2 because of increased pulmonary flow)
- Raised JVP if right heart failure
- Signs of Downs’ (low-set ears, flat nasal bridge, prominent epicanthic folds, glossoptosis)
- Signs of Holt-Oram Syndrome (hypolastic thumb, radial hypoplasia, phocomelia, bradycardia)
Signs of Patent Ductus Ateriosus (connection between descending aorta and pulmonary artery)
- Toes cyanotic/clubbed + fingers normal (shunt causes Eisenmenger’s)
- Palpable thrill left infraclavicular area
- Continue “machinery” murmur in S1 and S2- heard over left scapular
- Collapsing pulse and wide pulse pressure (blood goes from aorta to pulmonary artery in diastole)
- Parasternal heave and loud P2 (pulmonary HTN)
Causes of Patent Ductus Ateriosus
- Congenital
- Neonatal Rubella Syndrome
- Birth at high-altitude
Treatment of Patent Ductus Arteriosus
- Percutaneous duct closure device (do for all PDA except if shunt has reversed or irreversible pulmonary HTN)
Symptoms for coarctation of aorta (narrowing of aorta)
- Intermittent claudication of legs
- Uncontrolled HTN (epistaxis, vision changes, headache)
- Heart failure
Associations with Coarctation of Aorta
- Bicuspid aortic valve (85% of coarcation)
- VSD
- Turner Syndrome
- Marfan’s
Signs of Coarctation of Aorta
- Radio-femoral delay (radio-radio delay if coarctation before left subclavian)
- Femoral BP less than brachial BP
- Loud S1 with systolic murmur loudest over thoracic spine
- ESM due to bicuspid aortic valve
- Left lateral thoracotomy = surgical repair
Indications for surgery in Coarctation of Aorta
- Symptomatic and gradient across coarcation >30mmHg
- Asymptomatic with gradient >30mmHg and HTN