cardiovascualar emergencies Flashcards
loss of potency in nitroglycerin
- if its exposed to sunlight
- patient may not experience the normal burning sensation and headache that often accompany nitroglycerin administration
difficulty breathing while lying flat, often graded in severity by how many pillows required to breath comfortably when sleeping
orthopnea
forms of nitroglycerin
- a small white pill
- spray
- skin patch
occurs when the inner layers of the aorta become seperated, allowing blood (at high pressures) to flow between the layers
dissecting aneurysm
weakness in the wall of the aorta; aorta dilates at the weakened area which makes it susceptible to rupture
aortic aneurysm
disorganized, ineffective quivering of the ventricles
ventricular fibrillation
an abnormal enlargement of the wall of a blood vessel that results from weakening of the vessel wall
aneurysm
rapid heart rhythm, usually at a rate of 15o to 200 beats/min
ventricular tachycardia
rapid beating of the heart, 100 b eats/min or more
tachycardia
edema swelling of legs, feet, and ankles
pitty, pedal, or dependent edema
a blood clot that is floating through blood vessels until it reaches an area too narrow for it to pass, causing it to stop and block the blood flow at that point
thromboembolism
cholesterol build up and form a plaque inside the walls of blood vessels, obstructing and interfering with they ability to dilate and contract
atherosclerosis
relieves pain for angina; relaxes the. muscles of blood vessel walls, dilates coronary arteries, increases blood flow and the supply of oxygen to the heart muscle, and decreases the workload of the heart
nitroglycerin
2 defibrillation rhythms
- v-fib
- pulseless v-tach
unusually slow beating of the heart, 60 beats/min or less
bradycardia
guiding principles to use ECG
- to maintain the correct lead placement, it may occasionally be necessary to shave body hair from the electrode site
- rub the electrode site briskly with an alcohol swab before application
- attrach the electrodes to the ECG cables before placed
- turn it on
what will left sided heart failure cause?
pulmonary edema
heart tissues aren’t getting enough oxygen; commonly described as a crushing pain
angina pectoris
death of heart tissues; occurs if blood flow is cut off and not restored
myocardial necrosis
s/s of acute myocardial infarction
- sudden onset of weakness, nausea and sweating
- pain, discomfort, or pressure in the lower jaw, arms, back, abdomen, or neck
- irregular heartbeat and syncope (fainting)
- shortness of breath or dyspnea
- sudden death
s/s of chf
- orthopnea
- hypertension/rapid or irregular pulse due to shunting of blood
- edema swelling of legs, feet, and ankles
- edema swelling of abdomen, liver, spleen, and lungs
what will right sided heart failure cause?
dependent, pedal, or pitty edema
edema swelling of abdomen, liver, spleen, and lungs
pulmonary edema or rales
- 60-100 bpm
- regular rhythm
- P wave before QRST
- .12-.20 from P to Q
- < .12 secs of QRS
normal sinus rhythm (nsr)
a cardiac muscle cell to contract spontaneously without a stimulus from a nerve cell
automaticity
shortness of breath
dyspnea
the amount of force the heart has to beat against
peripheral vascular resistance (per)
a blockage occurs in the coronary arteries; causing as classic heart attack
acute myocardial infarction
“clot busting” medications
thrombolytic and fibrinolytic
atrial depolarization; makes it a sinus rhythm
P waves
caused by damage to the heart; enlarged left ventricle (myocardial hypertrophy); fluid backs up into the lungs or body as heart fails to pump
congestive heart failure (chf)
abnormal arrhythmia heart rhythms
- sinus tachycardia
- sinus bradycardia
s/s of a dissecting aortic aneurysm
- sudden chest pain located in the anterior part of the chest or in the back between the shoulder blades
- difference in blood pressure between arms
- diminished pulses in the lower extremities
to shock the heart with a specialized electric current in an attempt to stop the chaotic, disorganized contraction of the myocardial cells and allow them to start again in a synchronized manner top restore a normal rhythmic beat
defibrillate
usually occurs only with a systolic pressure greater than 180 mm Hg or a rapid rise in the systolic pressure
hypertensive emergency
the absence of all heart electrical activity
asystole
s/s of hypertensive emergency
- sudden severe headache
- strong bounding pulse
- ringing in the ears
- nausea and vomiting
- dizziness
- warm skin (dry and moist)
- nosebleed
- ALOC
- sudden development of pulmonary edema
ventricular repolarization
T waves
medication that prevents clots from forming or getting bigger
aspirin
who is at risk for silent myocardial infarctions?
geriatric females and diabetics
pain in the chest occurs when there heart doesn’t receive enough oxygen
ischemic heart disease
ventricular depolarization
QRS complex
contraindications of nitroglycerin
- patient has taken 3 doses (prior per this episode)
- last dose was less than 5 minutes ago
- patient has taken a sexually enhancement drug with 48-72 hours
- ALOC
- systolic pressure of less than 100 mm Hg
- head injury
