Cardiology - CP, ACS + MGMT Flashcards
A 75 year old male with known colorectal carcinoma presents to A&E with chest pain and shortness of breath. The pain is worse on breathing in and coughing. What other sign/symptom would aid your diagnosis?
A. Gradual onset chest pain B. Absent peripheral pulses C. Collapsing Pulse D. Haemoptysis E. Abdominal Pain
D. Haemoptysis
You should be thinking of PE:
pleuritic chest pain + SOB + Hx of malignancy
Mr B a 52 year old male presents to his GP with central, tight chest pain. He has noticed the pain comes on when he is gardening or walking to the bus stop in a hurry, but normally goes away when he rests. What medication would the GP prescribe to treat his underlying condition?
A. GTN spray B. Propanolol (Beta Blocker) C. Ramipril (ACEi) D. Aspirin E. Atorvastatin (Statin)
B. Propanolol (Beta Blocker)
Looks like stable angina (central, tight CP, relieved by rest)
BBs are primary medical management
Definition of angina?
Angina Pectoris is chest pain arising from the heart as a result of myocardial ischaemia bought about by exertion and relieved by rest
What pathology causes angina?
Most commonly artherosclerotic processes in coronary artery disease.
Rarer causes include anaemia, tachyarrhythmia, small vessel disease and heart failure.
What types of angina are there?
Decubitus Angina
Printzmetal Angina
Unstable Angina
Syndrome X
What is Decubitus Angina?
Angina with symptoms experienced when lying down
What is Printzmetal Angina?
Symptoms caused by coronary artery vasospasm
What is Unstable Angina?
Symptoms that occur on rest or is of increasing frequency/severity
What is Syndrome X?
Symptoms of angina but with normal exercise tolerance tests and normal coronary angiograms
What is the clinical presentation of Acute Coronary Syndrome/ Angina?
(SOCRATES)
Chest Pain: S – central O – sudden C – crushing, tight, “elephant on chest” R – left arm, jaw A – sweating, nausea, collapse, SOB, pallor T – at rest (ACS specific) E – exacerbated by exercise, cold weather, emotion, relieved by GTN
What will you find on examination of a patient with ACS/ Angina?
Pallor
Sweaty
Anxiety
Signs of CV disease:
Xanthelasma
Corneal Arcus
What are the non-modifiable risk factors of ACS/Angina?
age,
male,
Fhx of IHD (MI in 1st Degree relative <55)
What are the modifiable risk factors of ACS/Angina?
obesity; cocaine, smoking; HTN, DM, hyperlipidaemia,
How would you diagnose and clinically assess angina?
Diagnosis is based on features of anginal pain:
- Constricting discomfort in the chest, or neck, shoulders, jaw, arms
- Precipitated by exercise
- Relieved by rest or GTN within 5 minutes
Clinical Assessment
3 features = typical angina
2 features = atypical angina
1 or no features = non-anginal pain
If clinical assessment is insufficient to exclude stable angina, what investigation would you perform?
12-lead ECG:
- ST flattening/inversion
- pathological Q waves
- may be normal!
How would you diagnose someone with typical angina?
3 out of 3 features of anginal pain:
- Constricting discomfort in the chest, or neck, shoulders, jaw, arms
- Precipitated by exercise
- Relieved by rest or GTN within 5 minutes
How would you diagnose someone with atypical angina?
2 out of 3 features of anginal pain:
- Constricting discomfort in the chest, or neck, shoulders, jaw, arms
- Precipitated by exercise
- Relieved by rest or GTN within 5 minutes
A patient comes in with chest pain which is unstable. What do you suspect? How do you proceed?
ACS!
Emergency admission
A patient comes in with stable chest pain but has no known CAD. What do you do?
- CT coronary angiography
- Non-invasive functional imaging
- Invasive coronary angiography
Don’t worry about knowing what 2. is.
What are the two most common presentations of Ischaemic Heart Disease?
Stable angina
ACS
What is the DDx of ACS? (3)
- Unstable angina
- nSTEMI
- STEMI
What investigations would you perform in a patient with known CAD who has atypical angina?
Exercise ECG or
Stress functional imaging or
Echo
How do you manage angina?
- Conservative Management
RF modification - smoking cessation, weight loss, exercise - Medical Treatment
Anti-anginals - Beta-blockers, CCBs
Preventative/Episodic Tx - GTN
RF management - aspirin, ACEi, BBs - Surgical Treatment
Revasculatisation: PCI or CABG (if medical treatment insufficient)
What is aortic dissection?
A tear in the tunica intima resulting in blood accumulation between the inner and outer tunica media (false lumen).
How do you classify aortic dissection? What’s the name of the classification?
Stanford Classification:
Type A - Tear in the ascending aorta
Type B - Tear in the descending aorta (after the left subclavian branch)
What are the risk factors for aortic diss.?
Hypertension
Atherosclerosis
Connective tissue disorders (SLE, Marfan’s, Ehler’s Danlos)
Iatrogenic (angiography/angioplasty)
Congenital - coarctation of aorta
Cocaine
Aortic diss. presentation?
S – central O – sudden C – tearing R – back A – depends on position of tear: Carotid - blackouts, hemiparesis Coronary - MI, angina Renal - AKI, renal failure Coeliac trunk - abdo pain
Aortic diss. examination findings?
Tachycardia,
BP >20mmHg discrepancy between arms,
Wide pulse pressure,
Murmur on back below scapulae
Signs of Aortic Insufficiency:
Collapsing pulse
EDM
Aortic dissection investigations?
Bloods - FBC, U&Es (renal damage), X Match 10 units of blood
CXR - Widened mediastinum and aortic notch visible
CT Thorax - Visualisation of dissection
Echo - TOE (very sensitive)
ECG - often normal, maybe some LV Hypertrophy
CT aortogram – gold standard showing intimal flap
(TOE - Transesophageal Echocardiography)
What is pericarditis?
Inflammation of the pericardial sac
Can be acute, subacute or chronic
What are the causes of pericarditis?
- Idiopathic
- Infection:
- Viral (coxsackie, flu, EBV, mumps)
- Bacterial (pneumonia, strep, staph, TB, rheumatic fever) - Post-MI:
- Early (24-72hrs)
- Dressler Syndrome (2-10 weeks) – pleuritic chest pain, low grade fever, pericarditis
What is dressler syndrome?
Secondary form of pericarditis occurring after injury to heart or pericardium.
Occurs 2-12 weeks post MI due to antibodies forming against circulating myocardial antigens.
Consists of fever, pleuritic pain, pericarditis and/or pericardial effusion.