Cardiovascular Flashcards
Atri
Atrium
Cardi
Heart
Echo
Sound
Valv
Valve
Valvul
valve
-apheresis
removal
-pexy
surgical fixation/suspension
Cardiogenic
Originating from the heart
angiogram
an x-ray or computer image (CT scan or MRI) of the blood vessels and blood flow in the body. A dye may be injected through a catheter (small tube) into an artery or vein to make the blood vessels easier to see
Polycythema
rare disorder in which the bone marrow produces an abnormally large amount of blood cells
Where is the heart located?
Mediastinum
Whats the membrane that houses the heart?
Pericardium
At what part of the thorax is the base (superior) of the heart located?
Third costal cartilage
At what part of the thorax is the apex (inferior tip) of the heart located?
just to the left of the sternum between the fourth and fifth rib.
Describe the layers of the pericardium
- The sturdy outer fibrous pericardium is made of tough, dense connective tissue that protects the heart and holds it in position.
- Separated by the pericardial cavity and containing pericardial fluid the inner serous pericardium consists of two layers:
the outer parietal pericardium, which is fused to the fibrous pericardium.
the inner visceral pericardium, or epicardium, which is fused to the heart and forms the outer layer of the heart wall.
Three layers of the heart wall
Epicardium (visceral pericardium)
Myocardium (muscle tissue middle thick)
Endocardium (lines the heart chambers and valves)
What are the four chambers of the heart and their locations?
Atria (upper chamber left and right)
Ventricles (lower champs left and right)
Interventricular Septum
muscular wall that separates the right and left ventricles. The interatrial septum separates the right and left atria.
Tricuspid Valve
Right AV valve, separate right atrium from right ventricle
Biscupid (mitral) Valve
Separate the left ventricle from the left atrium
Pulmonary Valve
Separates the right ventricle from the pulmonary trunk
Aortic Valve
Separates the left ventricle from the aorta
What are the two circulatory systems that the heart pumps blood to?
Pulmonary and systemic
Pulmonary Circuit
Blood to and from lungs that circulates oxygen and drops off CO2
Systemic Circuit
Fresh oxygenated blood to and from all tissues, and returns CO2 and Deoxyg blood
Diastole
the portion of the cycle in which the heart is relaxed and the atria and ventricles are filling with blood. The AV valves are open so that blood can move from the atria to the ventricles.
Systole
the portion of the cycle in which the heart contracts, AV valves slam shut, and the ventricles eject blood to the lungs and the body through the open semilunar valves. Once this phase ends, the semilunar valves close, in preparation for another filling phase.
What are the three main arteries that give myocardial blood supply?
Anterior interventricular artery (left anterior descending artery or LAD)
Circumflex artery (Cx)
Right coronary artery (RCA)
Explain the electrical system of the heart
Sinoatrial node (SA) and Atrioventricular (AV) bundle (bundle of His).
SA Node creates contractions in the both atria, blood moves into the ventricles, and then the AV node makes sure the blood has made it into the ventricles. Then it passes an impulse on to the bundle of his which makes the ventricles contracts to move the blood through the pulmonary arteries.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
The cause of an abnormally enlarged heart muscle is unknown, but the condition is often undiagnosed and can cause sudden death in apparently otherwise healthy young people. NON ATHLETES, normal in athletes to some extent
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
an unknown cause and is seen in people of any age. In this disorder, one of the ventricles of the heart is larger than normal.
Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
a complication of other conditions which cause the myocardium to scar or stiffen
Cardiomyopathy other possible causes
may also be caused by myocardial infarctions, myocardial infections, pregnancy, alcohol or cocaine abuse, autoimmune and endocrine diseases. Because the myocardium is responsible for contracting and pumping blood, patients with cardiomyopathy experience impaired heart function which may lead to heart failure
Heart Failure (AKA congestive heart failure)
inability of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body. It is also called congestive heart failure (CHF). This condition causes swelling in the lower extremities and shortness of breath, due to a buildup of fluid in the lungs. It may be caused by cardiomyopathy, and it may lead to hypertension and heart valve disorders
Valvular Heart Disease Causes
Infections such as rheumatic disease or bacterial endocarditis can affect the heart valves and result in scar tissue formation which interferes with valve function. Other causes of heart valve disease include congenitally malformed valves, autoimmune diseases, and other cardiovascular diseases such as aortic aneurysms and atherosclerosis
Valvular Heart Disease Symptoms
may be asymptomatic or cause dyspnea, arrhythmias, fatigue and other symptoms. It is often detected when a heart murmur is heard through a stethoscope
Valvular Heart Disease: Mitral Valve Prolapse
The mitral (bicuspid) valve is diseased or malformed and is not able to close completely, allowing the regurgitation of blood back into the left atrium during systole. Because some of the blood goes back into the atrium, insufficient blood is pumped out of the ventricle into the systemic circulation. This inability to close properly and the resulting regurgitation may also be found in other heart valves
Valvular Heart Disease: Aortic Stenosis
The aortic valve is narrowed and hardened, preventing it from opening fully and allowing sufficient blood to travel to the systemic circulation. Any heart valve can be stenosed, but this disorder most often affects the aortic valve
Aneurysms
a defect in the wall of an artery in which the wall becomes thin and weak and starts to balloon out as blood pulses against the vessel wall. This can happen to any artery and even to the myocardial walls. Aneurysms sometimes occur in the portion of the aorta that is in the thorax (see Figure 9.8). If these aneurysms start to leak between layers of the vessel wall, the condition is known as aortic dissection. If an aortic or cardiac aneurysm bursts, there is sudden, massive internal bleeding
Can be asymptomatic and is typically treated with antihypertensive medications or surgically repaired
Risk Factors for Aneurysms
People who smoke or have hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and/or atherosclerosis have an increased risk of developing aneurysms. Having a family history of aneurysms or certain genetic diseases may also increase a person’s risk of developing an aneurysm.
How does a fetus circulate blood?
There are two extra openings in the fetal heart, the foramen ovale and the ductus arteriosus, which allow blood circulation that bypasses the immature fetal lungs. The fetal blood is reoxygenated by the mother’s lungs and transported between mother and fetus via the placenta. These two openings usually close around the time of birth.
Patent Ductus Arteriosus
a congenital condition in which the ductus arteriosus fails to close. If untreated, the condition can result in congestive heart failure.
Patent Foramen Ovale
one type of atrial septal defect (ASD), due to a failure of the hole in the interatrial septum to close at birth.
As much as 20 to 25% of the general population may have a patent foramen ovale. Most have the benign, asymptomatic version but in extreme cases, a surgical repair is required to close the opening permanently.
Tetralogy of Fallot
a congenital condition that may also occur from exposure to unknown environmental factors; it occurs when there is an opening in the interventricular septum caused by blockage of the pulmonary trunk, normally at the pulmonary semilunar valve. This allows blood that is relatively low in oxygen from the right ventricle to flow into the left ventricle and mix with the blood that is relatively high in oxygen.
Tetralogy of Fallot Signs and Symptoms
Signs and symptoms include a distinct heart murmur, low blood oxygen percent saturation, dyspnea, polycythemia, clubbing of the fingers and toes, and in children, difficulty in feeding or failure to grow and develop.
It is the most common cause of cyanosis following birth. Other heart defects may also accompany this condition, which is typically confirmed by echocardiography imaging.
Blue Baby
In the case of severe septal defects, including both tetralogy of fallot and patent foramen ovale, failure of the heart to develop properly can lead to a condition commonly known as a blue baby. Regardless of normal skin pigmentation, individuals with this condition have an insufficient supply of oxygenated blood, which leads to cyanosis, especially when active.
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
the buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries obstructs the flow of blood and decreases compliance of the vessels. This condition is called atherosclerosis. As the disease progresses and coronary blood vessels become more and more narrow, cells of the myocardium become ischemic which causes symptoms of angina pectoris, in some patients. If untreated, coronary artery disease can lead to myocardial infarction (MI).
CAD Risk Factors
Risk factors include smoking, family history, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, high alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, stress, and hyperlipidemia.
CAD Treatment
Treatments may include medication, changes to diet and exercise, angioplasty with a balloon catheter, insertion of a stent, or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).
Angioplasty
a procedure in which the occlusion (blocked) is mechanically widened with a balloon. A specialized catheter with an expandable tip is inserted into a blood vessel in the arm or leg, and then directed to the site of the occlusion. At this point, the balloon is inflated to compress the plaque material and to open the vessel to increase blood flow. Once the balloon is deflated and retracted, a stent consisting of a specialized mesh is typically inserted at the site of occlusion to reinforce the weakened and damaged walls and prevent re-occlusion.
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)
a surgical procedure which grafts a replacement vessel obtained from another part of the body to bypass the occluded area.
Myocardial Infarction (MI)
Heart Attack:
normally results from a lack of blood flow to a region of the heart, resulting in death of the cardiac muscle cells. A MI often occurs when a coronary artery is blocked by the buildup of atherosclerotic plaque. It can also occur when a piece of an atherosclerotic plaque breaks off and travels through the coronary arterial system until it lodges in one of the smaller vessels. MIs may be triggered by excessive exercise, in which the partially occluded artery is no longer able to pump sufficient quantities of blood, or severe stress, which may induce spasm of the smooth muscle in the walls of the vessel.
Myocardial Infarction Symptoms
sudden pain beneath the sternum (retrosternal pain) called angina pectoris, often radiating down the left arm in males but not in female patients. Other common signs and symptoms include dyspnea, palpitations, nausea and vomiting, diaphoresis, anxiety, and syncope. Many of the symptoms are shared with other medical conditions, including anxiety attacks and simple indigestion, so differential diagnosis is critical.
Myocardial Infarction Risk Factors
coronary artery disease, age, smoking, high blood levels of LDL, low levels of HDL, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, lack of physical exercise, chronic kidney disease, excessive alcohol consumption, and use of illegal drugs.
Arrhythmia
SA node fails to initiate an impulse, or when the conduction system fails to transmit that impulse through the heart which can lead to atrial or ventricular fibrillation.
Atrial Fibrillation
a serious condition, but as long as the ventricles continue to pump blood, the patient’s life may not be in immediate danger.
Ventricular Fibrillation
a medical emergency that requires life support, because the ventricles are not effectively pumping blood, left untreated ventricular fibrillation may lead to brain death.
Asystole
No heartbeat
Bradycardia
Resting heart rate below 60 bpm
weakness, fatigue, dizziness, syncope, chest discomfort, palpitations, or respiratory distress may indicate that the heart is not providing sufficient oxygenated blood to the tissues.
Tachycardia
Resting heart rate above 100 bpm
Some individuals may remain asymptomatic, but when present, signs and symptoms may include dizziness, shortness of breath, rapid pulse, heart palpitations, chest pain, or syncope.
Treatment depends upon the underlying cause but may include medications, ablation, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, or surgery.
Heart Block
an interruption in the normal conduction pathway. Heart blocks are generally named after the part of the conduction system that is causing the problem. For example, bundle branch blocks occur within either the left or right atrioventricular bundle branches.
First Degree or Partial Block
a delay in conduction between the SA and AV nodes
Second Degree or Incomplete Block
when some impulses from the SA node reach the AV node and continue, while others do not
Third Degree or Complete Block
no correlation between atrial activity and ventricular activity. This means that none of the impulses generated by the SA node get transmitted to the rest of the heart and the AV node must take over as the primary pacemaker, initiating contractions at 40 to 60 bpm, which is adequate to maintain consciousness.
Ablation
The removal or destruction of a body part or tissue or its function. Ablation may be performed by surgery, hormones, drugs, radiofrequency, heat, or other methods.
Cardiac Troponin
The regulatory protein for muscle contraction.
Cardiomegaly
Enlarged heart
Diabetes Mellitus
A disease in which the body does not control the amount of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood and the kidneys make a large amount of urine. This disease occurs when the body does not make enough insulin or does not use it the way it should.
Pericardiocentesis
surgical puncture to aspirate fluid from the (sac) surrounding the heart.
