Cardiothoracic

Question 1

If someone is stabbed, what anatomical structure of the heart is most likely to be damaged?

Answer 1

Right atrium

Question 2

Life threatening etiologies of chest pain

Answer 2

ACS- stemi or nstemi
Aortic dissection
myocarditis
pericarditis
cardiac tamponade
pulmonary embolism
tension pneumo
booherave

Question 3

Why is cardiac tamponade and tension pneumo so life threatening?

Answer 3

Impairment of venous return

Question 4

What part of the aortia is likely to be injured in a deceleration injury?

Answer 4

aortic isthmus between the left subclavian and ligamentum arteriosum

Question 5

What congenital heart defects make babies blue?

Answer 5

Right to left shunts which includes the 5T’s
Truncus arteriosis
Transposition of the great vessels
Tricuspid atrsia
Tetralogy of Fallot

Question 6

Thymomas tend to be associated with…

Answer 6

myasthenia gravis

Question 7

What is pulsus paradoxus?

Answer 7

In cardiac tamponade, outward expansion of the ventricles is limited because of fluid in the pericardial space. During inspiration, increased venous return leads to increased right ventricular volume. As outward expansion is limited, the right ventricle expands via the interventricular septum, which bulges into the left ventricle. This effect leads to further reduction in left ventricular filling during inspiration, resulting in decreased stroke volume and a subsequent drop in blood pressure. A drop in systolic blood pressure > 10 mm Hg during inspiration is known as pulsus paradoxus, a sign characteristically seen in moderate and severe cardiac tamponade but also in some cases of severe asthma, tension pneumothorax, and constrictive pericarditis.