Cardiology Flashcards
What is the anticoagulant regime for PE?
Provoked:
- LMWH/fondaparinux for at least 5 days or until INR 2.0 (longer)
- Give Warfarin at the same time, for 3 months
Unprovoked/ those with active cancer:
- As above
- Extend Warfarin to 6 months
What would you suspect if there is ST elevation in AvR?
Either 3 vessel disease (RCA, LAD, Cirfumflex) or left main stem disease
What would a mid-late diastolic murmur suggest?
When would this murmur be heard best?
What is the gold-standard investigation?
Mitral stenosis (may also hear a loud S1 and opening snap) Best heard in expiration
Echo
Give 5 causes of AS?
Which is the most common in >65 and <65s?
> 65: Degenerative calcification < 65: Bicuspid aortic valve - William's syndrome (supravalvular stenosis) - Post-rheumatic disease - Subvalvular: HOCM
What is the Mx of AS?
If asymptomatic then normally observe, unless valvular gradient > 40 mmHg and features such as left ventricular systolic dysfunction, then consider surgery.
If symptomatic then valve replacement
If not fit for valve replacement then balloon valvuloplasty
What are the side effects of warfarin?
- Haemorrhage
- Tetratogenic (although okay if breastfeeding)
- Skin necrosis (rare, due to temporary procoagulant state (reduced protein C synth) when first started, especially common in patients with protein C or S deficiency) = why heparin given at same time)
- Purple toes
What is the Mx of a regular broad-complex tachycardia?
Assume ventricular tachycardia.
Assess if unstable:
- Shock: hypotension, pallor, sweating, confusion
- Syncope
- Myocardial ischaemia
- Heart failure
If stable, give loading dose amiodarone followed by 24 hour infusion.
If not, then synchronised DC shocks should be given.
What is the Mx of irregular broad-complex tachycardias?
Assess if unstable:
- Shock: hypotension, pallor, sweating, confusion
- Syncope
- Myocardial ischaemia
- Heart failure
If unstable, then synchronised DC shocks should be given.
If stable:
1: AF with BBB: vagal manoeuvres followed by IV adenosine. If unsuccessful consider diagnosis of atrial flutter and control rate (e.g. Beta-blockers)
2: Polymorphic VT (Torsades) - IV magnesium
What is the management of regular narrow-complex tachycardias?
Assess if unstable:
- Shock: hypotension, pallor, sweating, confusion
- Syncope
- Myocardial ischaemia
- Heart failure
If unstable, then synchronised DC shocks should be given.
If stable:
Vagal manoeuvres followed by IV adenosine. If unsuccessful consider diagnosis of atrial flutter and control rate (e.g. Beta-blockers)
What is the Mx of irregular narrow-complex tachycardia?
Assess if unstable:
- Shock: hypotension, pallor, sweating, confusion
- Syncope
- Myocardial ischaemia
- Heart failure
If unstable, then synchronised DC shocks should be given.
If stable:
- Probable AF
- If onset <48 hours then consider electrical or chemical cardioversion
- Rate control (BB or digoxin) and anticoagulation
What advice should be given regarding driving following PCI?
For a private vehicle: Don’t need to tell DVLA, may resume driving after 4 weeks.
For a Bus or Lorry: Patients must notify the DVLA themselves and may not drive for at least 6 week, after which they will be assessed by the DVLA.
What advice should be given regarding with HTN?
Can drive unless treatment causes unacceptable SE. Group 2 (Bus/lorry), resting BP 180+ systolic or 100+ diastolic would disqualify
What advice should be given regarding driving following elective angioplasty?
1 week off driving
What advice should be given regarding driving following CABG?
4 weeks off driving
What advice should be given regarding driving following ACS?
4 weeks off driving, unless successfully treated by angioplasty- then 1 week
What advice should be given regarding driving and angina?
Must not drive if symptoms occur at rest/whilst driving
What advice should be given regarding driving following pacemaker insertion?
1 week off
What advice should be given regarding driving following ICD insertion?
If for sustained ventricular arrhythmia: cease driving for 6 months.
If implanted prophylatically then cease driving for 1 month.
Having an ICD results in a permanent bar for Group 2 drivers
What advice should be given regarding driving following successful catheter ablation for an arrhythmia?
2 days off
What advice should be given regarding driving following aortic aneurysm of 6cm or more?
Notify DVLA.
Licensing will be permitted, subject to annual review.
Aortic diameter or 6.5cm or more = disqualify
What advice should be given regarding driving following heart transplant?
Can drive as normal. DVLA do not need to be notified
What is Kussmaul sign? What condition is this seen in?
A rise in JVP on inspiration (normally: falls - venous BF to heart increases)
Pericarditis (heart fails to relax)
What are the features constrictive pericarditis?
= thickened, fibrotic pericardium. (rare, but more common after TB, cardiac surgery, radiation)
- Dyspnoea
- Right heart failure: elevated JVP, ascites, oedema, hepatomegaly
- JVP shows prominent x and y descent
- Pericardial knock (loud S3)
- Kassmaul’s sign
How would you differentiate between constrictive pericarditis and cardiac tamponade?
Constrictive:
- Pericardial calcification on CXR
- Kussmaul’s sign
- JVP: X + Y present
Tamponade:
- No Y descent on JVP (TAMponade = TAMpaX)
- Pulsus paradoxus (abnormally large decrease in stroke volume, systolic blood pressure and pulse wave amplitude during inspiration)
What are the associations of coarctation of the aorta?
- Turner’s syndrome
- Bicuspid aortic valve
- Berry aneurysms
- Neurofibromatosis
What is coarctation of the aorta?
Features?
Congenital narrowing of the descending aorta, more common in males.
- Infancy: HF
- Adult: HTN
- Radio-femoral delay
- Mid-systolic murmur, maximal over back
- Apicial click from aortic valve
- Notching of the inferior border of the ribs (collateral vessels) - not seen in young children.
What would be the most likely cause of ST elevation in leads V1-V4 with reciprocal changes in inferior leads?
100% occlusion of the LAD
What is Prinzmetal angina?
Non-exertional chest pain, typically cyclical with most episodes occurring the in the early hours. Normal exercise tolerance.
Due to coronary artery spasm.
What are the 9 absolute CI to thrombolysis?
- Active internal bleeding
- Recent haemorrhage, trauma or surgery (inc dental extraction)
- Coagulation and bleeding disorders
- Intracranial neoplasm
- Stroke <3 months
- Aortic dissection
- Recent head injury
- Pregnancy
- Severe HTN
What are the side-effects of thrombolysis? Which drug causes these more commonly?
- Haemorrhage
- Hypotension (more common with streptokinase)
Allergic reactions may occur with streptokinase
What are the side effects of B blockers?
- Bronchospasm
- Cold peripheries
- Fatigue
- Sleep disturbances inc nightmares
- Erectile dysfunction
Why wouldn’t you prescribe B blockers to someone also taking verapamil?
May precipitate severe bradycardia
CI to B blockers?
Uncontrolled HF
Asthma
Sick sinus syndrome
Verapamil use
What doses of simvastatin are used in primary and secondary prevention?
Primary: Atorvastatins 20mg OD
Secondary: Atorvastatin 80mg OD
When during the day should statins be taken?
At night, as this is when the majority of cholesterol synthesis occurs. (Esp for simvastatin as this has a short HL)
What blood test monitoring should be undertaken with statins?
LFTs at baseline, 3 months and 12 months (discontinue if transaminase conc rise to and persist at 3x upper limit)
What are the side effects of statins?
Myopathy: myalgia, myositis, rhabdomyolysis and asymptomatic raised CK.
(additional RF: advanced age, female sex, low BMI, DM)
Liver impairment
What are the two non-shockable rhythms?
What would you do instead?
Pulseless electrical activity and asystole
Give 1mg of intravenous adrenaline + CPR
Identify and treat cause.
Further 1mg IV adrenaline every 3-5 min
What ECG changes would you expect in pericarditis?
Widespread 'saddle-shaped' ST elevation PR depression (most specific)
In which patients would you start anti-HTN treatment if one ABPM reading 135/85 or over (but under 160/100)?
This is stage 1 HTN. Treat if: Aged less than 80 with 1+ of: - Target organ damage - Established CVD - Renal disease - DM - 10 year cardiovascular risk of 20% or more
Why should amiodarone be given into central veins?
It causes thrombophlebitis
What is the monitoring of patients taking amiodarone?
TFT, LFT, U&E, CXR prior to treatment
TFT, LFT every 6 months
What territory and coronary artery is V1-V4?
Anteroseptal
LAD
What territory and coronary artery is II, III, aVF?
Inferior
RC
What territory and coronary artery is V4-6, I, aVL?
Anterolateral
LAD or Left circumflex
What territory and coronary artery is I, aVP, +/- V5-6?
Lateral
Left circumflex
What territory and coronary artery would tall R waves in V1-2 suggest?
Posterior
Usually left circumflex (also right coronary)
What are the common causative organisms in bacterial endocarditis?
Gram positives:
- Strep viridans
- Staph aureus (IVDU or prosthetic valves)
- Staph epidermis (prosthetic valves)
What is the empirical abx therapy in:
- Native valve endocarditis
- NVE with severe sepsis, penicillin allergy or MRSA
- NVE with severe sepsis and RF for gram negative infection
- Prosthetic valve endocarditis
- Native valve endocarditis: Amox + Gent
- NVE with severe sepsis, penicillin allergy or MRSA: Vanc + Gent
- NVE with severe sepsis and RF for gram negative infection: Vanc + meropenem
- Prosthetic valve endocarditis: Vanc, gent + rifampacin
Can alter once culture results available.
Courses are normally 4-6 weeks.
What are the adverse effects of loop diuretics?
- Hypotension
- Hyponatraemia
- Hypokalaemia
- Hypochloraemic alkalosis
- Ototoxicity
- Hypocalcaemia
- Renal impairment (dehydration and direct toxic effect)
- Hyperglycaemia (less common than with thiazides)
- Gout
What are the 2 pansystolic murmurs?
Difference?
Mitral regurg - high-pitched and ‘blowing’
VSD - ‘harsh’
What factors would favour rate control in AF?
Older than 65
Hx IDH
What factors would favour rhythm control in AF?
<65 Symptomatic First presentation Lone AF or AF secondary to corrected precipitant (e.g. alcohol) CHF
What would be first line for rate control in AF?
What if they also have heart failure?
B-blocker or CCB (RATE limiting, not amlodipine)
If HF: Digoxin
What are the most common 3 agents used in rhythm control in AF?
Sotalol
Amiodarone
Flecainide
How does subclavian steal syndrome characteristically present?
Mx?
Posterior circ symptoms, such as dizziness and vertigo during exertion of an arm. (subclavian A steno-occlusive disease proximal to the origin of the vertebral artery -> flow reversal in the vertebral artery.)
Mx: percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or a stent.