Cardiology Flashcards
What is Cardiac Tamponade?
A cardiac emergency caused by an accumulation of blood in the pericardial sac, constricting the heart and preventing it from relaxing during diastole.
What happens if Cardiac Tamponade is left untreated?
Patients die from obstructive shock.
What are common causes of Cardiac Tamponade?
Blunt or penetrating trauma to the chest, with penetrating trauma being more common.
What are the clinical features of Cardiac Tamponade?
Beck’s triad: hypotension, distended neck veins, and muffled heart sounds, along with pulsus paradoxus and shock.
What is Beck’s triad?
A clinical feature of Cardiac Tamponade consisting of hypotension, distended neck veins, and muffled heart sounds.
What is the treatment for Cardiac Tamponade?
Immediate pericardiocentesis under ECG monitoring, followed by thoracotomy if the patient does not respond.
What is Cardiogenic Shock?
Reduced CO due to an intrinsic cardiac disorder
also known as CARDIAC SHOCK, happens when your heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to the brain and other vital organs
What are the mechanisms of Cardiogenic Shock?
- Inefficient contractility of the myocardium 2. Abnormal cardiac rhythm 3. Structural disorders of the cardiomyocytes.
What is Dilated Cardiomyopathy?
A primary disease of the heart characterized by ventricular dilation and systolic abnormality.
What are the clinical features of Dilated Cardiomyopathy?
Difficulty breathing, tiredness, and pedal edema.
How is Dilated Cardiomyopathy diagnosed?
Clinically and supported by biochemical tests (Natriuretic Peptides), radiologic investigations like chest X-ray, MRI, and echocardiography.
What is the treatment for Dilated Cardiomyopathy?
Supportive management and definitive treatment for the underlying cause, including heart transplant and cardiac resynchronization therapy.
What is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy?
Afterload of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is
A genetic disorder of the heart that is thickened, dysfunction of diastole. Afterload is NOT INCREASED
A common cause of sudden death in younger athletes.
What are the clinical features of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy?
Difficulty breathing, chest pain, fainting, and sudden death.
What is a typical finding on auscultation for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy?
A systolic murmur that can be more pronounced with the Valsalva maneuver.
What is Restrictive Cardiomyopathy?
A primary cardiac disorder characterized by unyielding, stiff ventricular walls that do not easily expand during diastole.
What are the clinical features of Restrictive Cardiomyopathy?
Tiredness and dyspnea on exertion.
How is Restrictive Cardiomyopathy diagnosed?
Radiologically by cardiac catheterization and echocardiography.
What is Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy? Stress induced cardiomyopathy & Broken Heart syndrome
characterized by transient alteration of wall motion in the left ventricle, mimicking acute coronary syndrome.
Who is most affected by Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy?
Most patients are women, especially postmenopausal.
What are the triggers for Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy?
Psychological triggers (panic, fear, anxiety, etc.) and physical triggers (physical activity, comorbidities, procedures).
What is the mechanism behind Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy?
Unknown, but significant release of catecholamines and the subsequent adrenergic response may play a role (from stressful triggers)
What is the most common form of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy?
The apical type, which accounts for the majority of cases.
What are the characteristics of the apical type of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy?
It is characterized by apical ballooning and mid-ventricular hypokinesis, while the basal segments of the left ventricle show hyperkinesis.
What is the less common form of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy?
The basal or inverse type.
What are the characteristics of the basal or inverse type of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy?
hypokinesis of the basal and mid-ventricular segments with preserved or hypercontractile apical segments.
What conditions can Takotsubo cardiomyopathy be related to?
conditions such as pheochromocytoma and subarachnoid hemorrhage.
How can Takotsubo cardiomyopathy be diagnosed?
Diagnosis can be guided by echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
What biomarker is usually elevated in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy?
Brain natriuretic peptide is usually elevated.
What is the focus of treatment for Takotsubo cardiomyopathy?
The treatment focuses on the management of acute heart failure and the provision of supportive measures.
What are structural heart procedures performed for?
They are performed to manage structural heart diseases, such as septal defects, valvular stenosis, valvular regurgitation, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
What is Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)?
TAVR, also known as TAVI, is a minimally invasive procedure employed to treat aortic valve stenosis.
Most common valvular dysfunction
Aortic stenosis and is often associated with age.
What are the contraindications for TAVR?
Contraindications include difficult access and extreme annulus size.
What is the most common access site for TAVR?
The most common access site is the femoral artery, other (transcarotid, transcaval, transaxillary)
Who is TAVR recommended for?
TAVR is recommended for most symptomatic, medium-risk and high-risk patients with a life expectancy greater than one year.