Cardiology Flashcards
What are signs of right-sided heart failure?
Raised JVP
Ankle oedema
Hepatomegaly
Which coronary artery will be affected if there is complete heart block following a MI?
Right coronary artery - it supplies the AV node in 90% of people
In resistant hypertension (stage 4 of NICE guidelines), you give different drugs depending on potassium levels (above or below 4.5mmol/L) - what do you give?
Potassium levels below 4.5mmol/L: add spironolactone (potassium-sparing diuretic)
Potassium levels above 4.5mmol/L: add alpha- or beta-blocker
How should you manage an acute presentation of atrial fibrillation with haemodynamic instability (i.e. heart failure, hypotension)?
Synchronised electrical cardioversion
How do you manage haemodynamically stable atrial fibrillation patients?
< 48 hours: rate or rhythm control
≥ 48 hours or uncertain (e.g. patient not sure when symptoms started): rate control. If considered for long‑term rhythm control, delay cardioversion until they have been maintained on therapeutic anticoagulation for a minimum of 3 weeks
What medications can you use for rate control in AF?
Beta blockers
Rate-limiting CCBs (i.e. verapamil)
Digoxin
What do you do for rhythm control in AF?
If presenting within 48hrs:
* DC cardioversion
* Chemical cardioversion with flecainide or amiodarone
If presenting after 48hrs:
* Anticoagulate for 3-4 weeks before attempting cardioversion
* Also claculate CHADVASC
What are long-term rhythm controlling drugs that can be used?
Beta blockers
Dronedarone
Amiodarone
What cause falsely low BNP levels?
Aldosterone antagonists
ACE inhibitors
Angiotensin-II receptor antagonists
Beta-blockers
Diuretics
Obesity
What murmur are Marfan’s Syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome associated with?
Mitral regurgitation (pansystolic murmur)
What should you do if Well’s score is above 4?
CTPA as pulmonary embolism is likely
If there is a delay in getting the CTPA then interim therapeutic anticoagulation should be given until the scan is performed.
What should you do if Well’s score is below 4?
D-dimer
What causes persistent ST elevation following recent MI, no chest pain?
Left ventricular aneurysm
Patients usually present with tiredness and breathlessness
How does papillary muscle rupture present?
Severe complication of an inferior MI. It causes incompetence of the mitral valve and results in pulmonary oedema. Peak incidence is about 3-5 days following an MI.
What are contraindications to GTN administration?
Hypotensive conditions
Aortic or mitral stenosis
Cardiac tamponade
Constrictive pericarditis
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Raised ICP
State if the following is a shockable or non-shockable rhythm:
* Ventricular fibrillation
* Pulseless ventricular tachycardia
* Asystole
* Pulseless-electrical activity
- Ventricular fibrillation - shockable
- Pulseless ventricular tachycardia - shockable
- Asystole - non-shockable
- Pulseless-electrical activity - non-shockable
When should you administer adrenaline in cardiac arrest?
1mg adrenaline as soon as possible in non-shockable rhythms
1mg adrenaline once chest compressions have restarted after the third shock in VT/VF cardiac arrest
*Repeat adrenaline 1mg every 3-5 minutes whilst ALS continues
When do you administer amiodarone in a cardiac arrest?
Amiodarone 300 mg should be given to patients who are in VF/pulseless VT after 3 shocks have been administered.
A further dose of amiodarone 150 mg should be given to patients who are in VF/pulseless VT after 5 shocks have been administered
What are the reversible causes of cardiac arrest?
4Hs:
* Hypoxia
* Hypovolaemia
* Hyperkalaemia, hypokalaemia, hypoglycaemia, hypocalcaemia, acidaemia and other metabolic disorders
* Hypothermia
4Ts:
* Thrombosis (coronary or pulmonary)
* Tension pneumothorax
* Tamponade – cardiac
* Toxins
What organisms cause infective endocarditis?
- Staphylococcus aureus - acute presentation and IVDU
- Streptococcus viridans - poor dental hygiene, dental procedures
- Staphylococcus epidermidis (coagulase-negative Staphylococci) - prosthetic valves
- Streptococcus bovis - associated with colorectal cancer
What are causes of non-infective endocarditis?
SLE, ALP
Marantic endocarditis (malignancy) - metastatic carcinomas
What is the mechanism of flash pulmonary oedema in myocardial infraction?
Acute mitral valve regurgitation (with new pansystolic murmur)
What investigations should you order in suspected pericarditis?
- ECG: widespread, global changes + saddle-shaped ST elevation + PR depression
- Transthoracic echocardiography
- Bloods: modest rise in troponin
How should you manage a patient on warfarin with a major bleed?
Stop warfarin
Give intravenous vitamin K 5mg
Prothrombin complex concentrate - if not available then FFP (FFP takes time to defrost)
What ECG changes can be considered normal varient in atheletes?
- Sinus bradycardia
- Junctional rhythm
- First degree heart block
- Mobitz type 1 (Wenckebach phenomenon)
What ECG changes are seen in hypokalaemia?
U waves
Small or absent T waves (occasionally inversion)
Prolong PR interval
ST depression
Long QT
What ECG changes are seen in hyperkalaemia?
Peaked or ‘tall-tented’ T waves (occurs first)
Loss of P waves
Broad QRS complexes
Sinusoidal wave pattern
Ventricular fibrillation
When would you perform an immediate coronary angiography in an NSTEMI patient?
If they are clinically unstable
If patients have a GRACE score>3%
What is the management of NSTEMI/unstable angina?
- Aspirin 300mg
- Fondaparinux if no immediate PCI planned or not high risk of bleeding
- Unfractionated heparin if PCI or creatinine level <265
For antiplatelet choice, if patient has high bleeding risk give clopidogrel, otherwise give ticagrelor
When do you consider PCI in a STEMI?
If the presentation is within 12 hours of the onset of symptoms AND PCI can be delivered within 120 minutes (otherwise consider fibrinolysis if there is a significant delay in being able to provide PCI)
If patients present after 12 hours and still have evidence of ongoing ischaemia then PCI should still be considered
*Need to be on dual antiplatelet therapy before PCI: aspirin + prasugrel (if patient not taking oral anticoagulants) or clopidogrel (if patient on oral anticoagulants)
What is the management of angina pectoris?
- All patients should receive aspirin and a statin in the absence of any contraindication
- Sublingual glyceryl trinitrate to abort angina attacks
- 1st step: Beta-blocker or rate-limiting CCB (verapamil or diltiazem).
- 2nd step: Beta-blocker + longer-acting dihydropyridine CCB (amlodipine, modified-release nifedipine). Do not use verapamil with beta-blocker as it can cause heart block
What murmur is atrial fibrillilation associated with?
Mitral stenosis: mid-diastolic murmur best heard on expiration.
This is secondary to ↑ left atrial pressure → left atrial enlargement → AF.
What are causes of LBBB?
- Myocardial infarction
- Hypertension
- Aortic stenosis
- Cardiomyopathy
Name side effects of loop diuretics (i.e. furosemide)
- Electrolyte imbalances - hyponatraemia, hypokalaemia, hypochloraemia, hypomagnesaemia, hypocalcaemia
- Hypotension
- Ototoxicity
- Renal impairment (dehydration + toxic effect)
- Hyperglycaemia
- Gout
What can be used to differentiate constrictive pericarditis and cardiac tamponade?
Kussmaul’s sign (raised JVP that doesn’t fall on inspiration) is seen in constrictive pericarditis
What are absolute contraindication to thrombolysis?
- Active internal bleeding
- Recent haemorrhage, trauma or surgery (including dental extraction)
- Coagulation and bleeding disorders
- Intracranial neoplasm
- Stroke < 3 months
- Aortic dissection
- Recent head injury
- Severe hypertension
If there is ST elevation in leads II, III and aVF, which coronary artery is affected?
Right coronary artery
Which ECG leads are affected in a right coronary artery MI?
II, III and aVF
Which ECG lead changes suggests and MI in the left anterior descending coronary artery territory?
V1 to V4 (anteroseptal)
Which ECG leads do you see changes in an MI in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery territory?
V1-6, I, aVL
Which class of anticoagulants are indicated in AF for reducing stroke risk?
DOACs i.e. rivaroxaban
In AF, what should you do if CHADSVASc score suggests no need for anticoagulation?
Transthoracic echocardiogram has been done to exclude valvular heart disease, which in combination with AF is an absolute indication for anticoagulation.
What CHADSVASc score would suggest need for anticoagulants?
1 if male. If 1 and female, no need. 2 or over
What needs to be monitored when starting on statins?
LFTs at baseline, 3 months and 13 months
*Treatment should be discontinued if serum transaminase concentrations rise to and persist at 3 times the upper limit of the reference range
HbA1c at baseline and 3 months if patient is at risk of diabetes
What skin change can amiodarone cause?
Jaundice + grey skin discolouration
How does NICE define anginal pain?
- Constricting discomfort in the front of the chest, or in the neck, shoulders, jaw or arms
- Precipitated by physical exertion
- Relieved by rest or GTN in about 5 minutes
Patients with all 3 features have typical angina
Patients with 2 of the above features have atypical angina
Patients with 1 or none of the above features have non-anginal chest pain
What are side effects of beta blockers?
- Bronchospasm
- Cold peripheries
- Fatigue
- Sleep disturbances, including nightmares
- Erectile dysfunction
What are the different aortic dissections according to the Stanford classification?
Type A - ascending aorta, 2/3 of cases
Type B - descending aorta, distal to left subclavian origin, 1/3 of cases
What is the management of aortic dissection?
Type A: surgical management, but blood pressure should be controlled to a target systolic of 100-120 mmHg whilst awaiting intervention
Type B: conservative management + bed rest + reduce blood pressure IV labetalol to prevent progression
Which cardiac enzyme is the first to rise after infarction?
Myoglobin (rises at 1-2 hours and peaks at 6-8 hours)