Cardiology Flashcards
Effect of inspiration on JVP?
causes JVP to fall. - inspiration generates negative intrathoracic pressure + suction of venous blood towards the heart
what causes the normal a wave in JVP waveform?

due to right atrial contraction
- peak of a wave demarcates end of atrial systole
- actively pushes up into SVC
what causes the c wave in the normal JVP waveform?
- corresponds to closure of the tricuspid valve, bulging towards the R atrium during the start of ventricular systole

what causes the x descent in the normal JVP waveform?
- corresponds to atrial relaxation, stretch and rapid atrial filling due to drop in pressure

what causes the v wave in the normal JVP waveform?
due to passive filling of venous blood into the atrium against a closed tricuspid valve
- occurs during and following the carotid pulse

what is the y descent in the normal JVP waveform?
- opening of the tricuspid valve with passive movement of blood from R atrium into the R ventricle

causes of raised JVP with normal waveform?
- Heart failure: biventricular or isolate R HF
- fluid overload of any cause
- severe bradycardia
Causes of Kussmaul’s sign?
kussmaul’s sign: raised JVP on inspiration and drops with expiration
- implies R heart chambers cannot increase in size to accommodate increased venous return
- due to pericardial disease (constriction) or fluid in pericardial space (pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade)
Causes of Raised JVP with loss of normal pulsations?
SVC syndrome
- obstruction caused by mediastinal malignancy such as bronchogenic malignancy -> head, neck, arm swelling
causes of absent a waves in JVP?
atrial fibrilation
- no coordinated atrial contraction
causes of large a waves in JVP?
Tricuspid stenosis, right heart failure, pulmonary hypertension
Causes of cannon a wave in JVP?

caused by AV dissociation - allowing atria and ventricles to contract at same time
- atrial flutter, atrial tachycardias
- complete heart block
- ventricular tachycardia, ventricular ectopics
causes of giant v waves in JVP?

tricuspid regurgitation
- increased RA volume during ventricular systole causes prominent v wave
causes of steep x descent and diminished y descent in JVP?

cardiac tamponade

causes of steep y descent in JVP?
cardiac constriction e.g. constrictive pericarditis

cause of slow y descent in JVP?
tricuspid stenosis

causes of absent radial pulse?
- iatrogenic: post catheterisation or art line
- Blalock-Taussig shunt for Congen heart disease, eg TOF
- Aortic dissection with subclavian involvement
- trauma
- Takayasu’s arteritis
- peripheral arterial embolus
causes of collapsing pulse?
aortic regurg
AV fistula
patent ductus arteriosus
or other large extracardiac shunt
causes of slow rising pulse?
aortic stenosis
causes of jerky radial pulse?
HOCM
cause of bisferiens radial pulse?
double shudder due to mixed aortic valve disease w significant regurgitation
causes of pulsus alternans?
severe LV dysfunction
- pulses alternate from weak to strong
- EF reduced meaning that end diastolic volume is elevated -> may sufficiently stretch the myocytes to improve EF of next heart beat
causes of pulsus paradoxus?
- excessive reduction in pulse with inspiration
- LV compression, tamponade, constrictive pericarditis or severe asthma
where venous return is compromised
Causes of absent apical impulse?
- obesity/ emphysema
- pericardial effusion/ constriction
- dextrocardia
- right pneumonectomy with displacement

