Cardiology Flashcards
Equipment for cardiac ultrasound
Cut out table
Chair/stool
Correct probe for patient
Ultrasound machine
Person to restrain
Environment needed for ultrasound
Quiet
Dark
Air conditioning (ideally)
Padded table
ECG pads
Preparation for cardiac ultrasound
Clipping
Spirit
Gel
Machine frequencies for cardiac ultrasound
Cats/small dogs 7.5MHz
Medium dogs 5MHz
Large dogs 2.5-3.5MHz
What does reducing gain do
Darken image
What are the right side views
Right parasternal long axis
Right parasternal short axis
What is the right parasternal long axis (4 chamber) view used to asses
Ventricle movement
Chamber diment
Valve morphology and motion
Left ventricle wall thickness and diameter/volume
How do you reach right parasternal long axis (5 chamber) view from (4 chamber)
Rotate probe anticlockwise 20° ift wrist to angle cranially
How do you get to right parasternal short axis view from parasternal long axis (4 chamber) view
Turn probe 90° thumb to bum
Tilt probe and slide up chest wall as necessary
What should the La:Ao be
<= 1.5 in dogs
<= 1.4 in cats
What shape is the aortic valve
Mercedes Benz sign
What does the ‘fish mouth’ view show
Left atrioventricular valve
What do you assess on cardiac ultrasound
Subjectively
- ventricular movement
- chamber dimensions
- valve morphology and motion
Quantitative
- left atrium diameter
- aorta diameter
- pulmonary artery diameter
- m-mode - EPSS, LV
What setting is best for measuring chamber size
M mode in dogs
In cats 2DE due to asymmetric hypertrophy
Key points on measuring in M mode
5% of dogs outside normal ranges
Some breeds have normals if not go off size
Ensure cursor between papillary muscles transacting LV in half for measuring
Clinical signs of left CHF pulmonary
oedema
Dyspnoea
Exercise intolerance
Cough
Not lying on chest
Fainting
Clinical signs of right CHF pulmonary
Ascites and pleural effusion
Exercise intolerance
Abdominal distension
Increased RR
Dyspnoea
When should you take a DV radiograph
Before either lateral
Where do you collimate for a cardiac radiograph
Thoracic inlet to caudal edge of scapula
Points for interpretation of radiographs
Assess technical quality
Don’t just look at heart and lungs
Assess respiratory system
Assess cardiac silhouette
What is the difference between deep and shallow chested dogs cardiac silhouettes
Deep chested much more upright and less contact with sternum
Shallow chested much more sternal contact
What is the vertebral heart score
Size of heart width + length compared to number of vertebral bodies
Normal total is between 8.5 and 10.5 vertebral bodies
How does pericardial effusion appear on radiography
Grossly enlarged cardiac silhouette
Distinct outline
Globular appearance
What classes as generalized heart enlargement
Heart takes up more that 2/3rds of the thorax
How does microcardia normally present
Hypovolemia
What are veins compared to arteries
Veins are central
Veins are ventral
How does HCM look of radiography
Heart shaped heart as two large atrial
How big is the normal feline heart
Width of 2 intercostal spaces
Normal DV heart width is 0.66 width of thorax at 5th rib
How does an old cats heart look on radiography
More horizontal
Prominent aortic arch
What is CHD
Congenital heart disease
Malformations of heart/vessels still present at birth
What are the different types of murmurs
Pathological - congenital/acquired
Physiological - anaemia
Innocent
Diagnostics for CHD
History/clinical exam give clues
ECG/radiography give clues
Echocardiography to diagnose
What should you do in practice with juvenile murmurs
Grade 3+ likely congenital abnormality
< Grade 2 reassess at 3/6 months
Atrial septal defect
Quiet to moderate systolic murmur
PMI at base
Right eccentric hypertrophy when severe
Can be incidental
Ventricular septal defect
Variable grade
PMI base of left and apex of right
Systolic murmur
Left ventricular eccentric hypertrophy
Small lesion is loud murmur
Aortic stenosis
Variable intensity, loud if severe
PMI left base to right
Systolic murmur
Left ventricular concentric hypertrophy
If severe poor pulses
Pulmonic stenosis
Variable loud if severe
Base left more than right
Systolic murmur
Right ventricular hypertrophy
Mitral valve dysplasia
Variable systolic murmur
PMI right apex
Right side volume load leading to eccentric hypertrophy
Patent ductus arteriosus
Usually loud continuous murmur
PMI at base and apex
Left side volume load with eccentric hypertrophy
Tetralogy of Fallot
Variable systolic murmur
PMI at base
Right ventricular hypertrophy
Shows cyanosis
What is aortic stenosis
Narrowing of the aorta
Common in boxers, newfoundland and golden retriever
Common type is sub-aortic stenosis
Signs - lethargy, exertional weakness, syncope, sudden death
What is patent ductus arteriosus
Blood shunting from aorta to pulmonary artery causing continuous murmur in axilla
Functional closure should occur in hours and permanent in days-weeks
Hyperkinetic pulses
Left sided congestive heart failure within 12 months
Surgical treatment
What are the 5 types of pulmonic stenosis
Infundibular
Sub-valvular
Valvular
Supra-valvular (rare)
Anomalous coronary artery
Signs of pulmonic stenosis
Many asymptomatic
Right sided heart failure, syncope, exercise intolerance, sudden death
2oclock bulge on x-ray
Prominent right apical beat
Radiation cranially/ventrally
Prominent jugular pulses
High frequency systolic ejection murmur
What is a VSD
Many different locations in dogs normally high in membraneous septum
Leads to volume overload of pulmonary trunk and circulation and LV and LA
CS - exercise intolerance and LCHF
Primary causes of heart disease
Chronic degenerative valve disease (mitral)
Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy)
Valve/endocardial infection
Pericardial disease
Rate/rhythm abnormalities
What equals cardiac output
HR + SV
Pathophysiology of heart failure
Cause leads to cardiac output falling leading to fall in blood pressure
What mechanisms restore BP
Sympathetic NS activation
RAAS
Cardiac enlargement
Chronic degenerative valvular disease
Regurgitation means fall in forward flow and therefore fall in cardiac output
Dilated cardiomyopathy cause of heart failure
Systolic failure leads to fall in stroke volume and therefore reduce cardiac output
What is HCM/RCM
Ventricle cannot fill so cardiac output falls
How does the sympathetic nervous system increase cardiac output
Brain tells heart to pump quicker/constrict vessels to increase pressure
Compensatory mechanisms for heart failure
Increased heart rate
Vasoconstriction
Increased contractility
Retention of salt and water
Cardiac enlargement
Treatment of heart failure
Many animals present with oedema
Manipulate mechanisms with to reduce fluid build up with diuretics, antagonist RAAS and vasodilate with pimobendan
Don’t overdo treatment
Types of left sided heart failure
Mitral valve
DCM
HCM
RCM
Right sided heart failure
Primary - tricuspid valve and pericardial effusion
Typical presentation of heart failure
Cough/dyspnoea
exercise intolerance
Collapse
Heart disease
Non-specific malaise/weight loss
What does digoxin do
Improves contractility
Causes arrythmias, slows heart rate, increases vagal tone, decreases sympathetic tone, alters baroreceptor sensitivity
Narrow therapeutic range not used first line
What does pimobendan do
Increases cardiac contractility, gold standard
Calcium sensitizing positive inotrope
PDEIII inhibitor - vasodilator
Antithrombotic
HCM/RCM treatment
Heart fills poorly so
Treatment - positive lusitropes (help heart relax)
Calcium channel blockers - diltiazem/verapamil
Beta blockers - propranolol, atenolol
Licensed product for HCM
Diltiazem
what is cyanosis
blueish discolouration of the skin and mucous membranes
occurs if 2g/dl or more of deoxyhaemoglobin is present
central vs perhipheral cyanosis
central - desaturation of arterial blood or presence of Hb derivative
peripheral - desaturation of blood due to regional reduction in flow
what is the normal o2 saturation of arterial blood
95-97%
at what o2 saturation does an animal become cyanotic
below 80%
what priority does cyanosis have
emergency as severely hypoxic
overrides all emergencies except arterial bleed
normally present mouth breathing and cyanotic as ‘hungry’ for air
what is the pericardial sac made up of
inner visceral layer and outer parietal layer
function of the pericardium
prevents distension within the chest cavity
reduces friction
equalises gravitational forces
prevents overdilation
regulation between stroke volumes
what ligaments hold the heart in position
to sterum via sterno-pericardial ligament and diaphragm via phrenico-pericardial ligament
what can go wrong with the pericardium
fill with fluid - blood, exudate, transudate
neoplasia
congenital disorders - pericardial peritoneal diaphragmatic hernias, pericardial cysts
constrictive
what does pathology within the pericardial space cause
cardiac tamponade leading to low cardiac output/shock short term and right sided congestive heart failure long term
why is the right side of the heart more effected in pericardial disease
there is a greater area of contact between the pericardium and the right ventricle than the left and the thinner walls put it at higher risk
CS of pericardial disease
acute - sudden onset exercise intolerance, collapse, shock, rapid death possible
chronic - history of ascites, progressive exercise intolerance, lethargy, GI signs, collapse
CS
jugular distension, +hepatojugular reflex, ascites, tachycardia, muffled heart sounds, weak femoral pulses, paleMM, tachypnoea/dyspnoea, GIT signs
diagnosis of pericardial disease
clinical signs
echocardiography - can see effusion, mass, herniation and cysts
ECG - tachycardia with small complexes and electrical alternans (base moves up and down)
radiography - globoid silhouette with sharp outline
treatment for pericardial disease
emergency care
oxygen
iv fluids
pericardiocentesis
pericardial strip
pericardiocentesis procedure
left lateral recumbency - sterile prep with local
ultrasound guided
place catheter between 4th and 6th intercostal space at level of costochondral junction
risk related to level of effusion
what does it mean if your pericardiocentesis sample clots
it is fresh blood and could be related to damage you have caused
if it doesnt clot it has been sat around and clotting factors have been exhausted
complications of pericardiocentesis
cardiac puncture
arrhythmias
dissemination of infection/neoplasia
atrial fibrillation
myocardial stunning
neoplasia will reoccur
acquired disorders causing pericardial disease in dogs
pericardial effusion
cardiac neoplasia - haemangiosarcoma, heart base tumours, mesotheliomas, lymphosarcoma
idiopathic
left atrial rupture
coagulopathies
acquired disorders causing pericardial disease in cats
congestive heart failure
FIP
haemangiosarcoma of the heart
geriatric dogs, often GSD
normally around right atrium/right auricular appendage
metastasis common - CT before surgical resection
tumours of the heart base
chemodectomas/ectopic thyroid carcinomas
common in geriatric/brachycephalic
around aortic arch
rarely metastasise but cant treat
mesotheliomas
from serous membranes into pericardium, pleura, peritoneum and tunica vaginalis
present in rchf
treat with pericardectomy
idiopathic pericardial disease
idiopathic haemorrhage
large breed - st bernards etc
cardiac tamponade and rchf
treated by pericardiocentesis to remove fluid, pericardectomy if reoccuring 3+ times
left atrial rupture
secondary to cvd with jet lesions from severe mitral regurge
acute tamponade/forward failure (not enough blood pumped leading to BP drop and shock
do not pericardiocentese
occasionally able to repair
ckcs common
PPDH
peritoneal pericardial diaphragmatic hernia
congential
weimaraners/persians predisposed, umbilical hernias/abnormal sterum associated
often incidental finding
gi signs and cardiac tamponade can be seen
surgical correction possible
constrictive pericardial disease
complication of long term pericardial effusion
cs - rchf, exercsie intolerance and collapse
diagnosis - diminished ecg complexes in all leads, easier with history
treatment - pericardectomy
treatment aims of congestive heart failure
aims - control salt and water retention, reduce cardiac workload - decrease afterload and physical activity/stress
improve pump function
standard chf therapy
triple/quad therapy
diuretics - control salt and water
pimobendan
ace inhibitors
aldosterone antagonists
+/- anti-dysrhythmic mediation
Stages if heart disease
a - high risk but no disorders
b1 - asymptomatic, no remodelling but structural disease. wieght control and monitoring
b2 - asymptomatic with cardiac remodelling - la enlargement. consider pimobendan. regular checks
c - clinical signs - double/triple/quad therapy
diuretics for heart disease
control oedema formation
loop - furosemide - first line, very potent , 3x daily but individually tailored, vasodilator if given IV. take care in cats as can lead to restrictive/hypertrophic diseases. Torasemide - sid but more expensive.
Potassium sparing - spirolactone - aldosterone antagonist to spare potassium
vasodilators for chf
ace inhibitors
venous dilators - decrease preload, reduce fluid build up (glyceryl trinitrate)
atrial dilators - reduce afterload by increasing output and reducing valve leakage (hyralazinel)
drugs to decrease salt and water retention
imadipril
enalapril
benazepril
ramipril
care for azotaemia and hypotension, monitor renal parameters
what is cardalis
combination of ace inhibitor - benazepril - and aldosterone antagonist - spirolactone
given once a day, small tablet and good for cats
when is pinobendan used
stage b2 and c chf
what is stage d chf
obvious clinical signs
progressively worsening
obvious clinical signs at rest
death
emergency CHF therapy
presentation - coughing, dyspnoeic, cyanotic, coughing up fluid, raised chest
furosemide - 2mg/kg initially then 1mg/kg hourly
oxygen supplementation
pimobendan IV
rest - avoid stress
sedation if necessary
anti-dysrhythmics as necessary
once stable - pimobendan and start spirolactone
extra management for chf
low salt diet
exercise regime - consistency and dont push them
aspirate fluid if enough to cause any dyspnoea
feline thromboembolic disease
treat/prevent
has classic presentation
echocardiography for any without history of heart disease
reoccurrence common 1/3rd will reclot
very painful, often screaming
clopidogrel function
inhibits platelet aggregation
fairly safe - some mild neutropaenia reported
bitter tasting
give in hcm to break down clots before they form