cardiovascular Flashcards
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) - what happens in it (pathophysiology)
- chambers enlarge and walls become thinner - this causes systolic dysfunction
- this can cause AV valve leaflets to stretch out → mitral/tricusp regurg
most common cause of DCM
idiopathic
other causes of DCM
- chronic alcoholism (related to thiamine def)
- cocaine abuse
- infections
- haemochromatosis
- sarcoidosis
- pregnancy
Aortic stenosis murmur
Ejection systolic murmur radiating to the carotids
criteria for management of aortic stenosis
- if ASx - no Rx, observe
- valve replacement surgery if: symptomatic/valve gradient **> 40mmHg **AND features like LV systolic dysfunction
Types of surgery for aortic stenosis
- surgical AVR - treatment of choice for young, low/medium operative risk pts
- TAVR (transcatheter) - for pts w/ high operative risk
- balloon valvuloplasty - children w/ no aortic valve calcification OR adults w/ critical AS and not suitable for valve replacement
What Abx class can cause TDP
Macrolides e.g. Clarithromycin
Rx of acute ischaemic stroke: Criteria for extending the timeframe for thrombectomy
An extended target time of 6-24 hours may be considered if there is the potential to salvage brain tissue, as shown by imaging such as CT perfusion or diffusion-weighted MRI sequences showing limited infarct core volume (i.e. substantial salvageable brain tissue present)
What Ix needs to be done in a patient with AF but CHA2DS2-VASc score suggests no need for anticoagulation
Arrange transthoracic echocardiography to exclude valvular disease
Paediatric BLS: which 2 sites should pulse be checked
Brachial and femoral
This is due to the increased reliability of pulse being detected in central areas as peripheral pulses are weaker and harder to feel (which can be further exacerbated if the patient is unwell and has peripheral shutdown). In infants, due to their short necks, the carotid pulse is often difficult to palpate and the femoral pulse is preferred.
