Cardiovascular Flashcards
Define atherosclerosis
A hardened plaque in the intima of an artery inflammatory process.
Define Atherogenesis
development of an atherosclerotic plaque
Where does plaque build up?
In the peripheral and coronary arteries
What is seen as a precursor to atherosclerosis?
Fatty streaks
What can Atherosclerotic plaque cause?
- Heart attack
- Gangrene
- Stroke
What are the constituents of atherosclerotic plaque?
- Lipid core
- Necrotic debris
- Connective tissue
- Fibrous Cap
- Lymphocytes
Give 5 risk factors for atherosclerosis
- Family history
- Age
- Smoking
- High LDLs
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
Which layer is thinned by atheromatous plaque?
The media
What is the role of a chemo-attractant?
Signal to leukocytes which accumulate and migrate into vessel walls -> Cytokine release
This causes inflammation
What triggers chemoattractants?
A stimulus such as endothelial injury.
What are the 5 steps of atherosclerotic progression?
- Fatty streaks
- Intermediate lesions
- Fibrous plaque
- Plaque rupture
- Plaque erosion
What is the process of leukocyte recruitment?
- Capture
- Rolling
- Slow rolling
- Adhesion
- Trans migration
What does the fatty streak consist of?
Foam cells and T lymphocytes
What do intermediate lesions consist of?
Foam cells, T lymphocytes, smooth muscle, platelet adhesion and EC lipid pools
What do fibrous plaque consist of?
Cap overlies lipid core and necrotic debris, macrophages, foam cells, T lymph
Why are Fibrous plaque’s prone to rupture and what is the consequence?
The FP constantly grows and recedes, the Fibrous cap must be reabsorbed and redeposited
If balance is shifted in favour of inflammatory conditions, cap becomes weak and plaque ruptures
Consequence - thrombus and vessel occlusion = impeding blood flow.
What is the treatment for atherosclerosis?
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
What is a limitation of PCI?
The risk of restenosis.
What is done to minimise the risk of restenosis post PCI?
Using Drug-eluting stents –> anti proliferative and drugs that inhibit healing to prevent restenosis
What can be used to prevent atherosclerosis?
Aspirin as it is a platelet cyclooxygenase inhibitor
What is Angina?
Mismatch of oxygen demand and supply experienced on exertion. A type of IHD.
What is the main cause of Angina?
Most common cause is narrowing of the coronary arteries due to atherosclerosis
Describe the pathophysiology of angina.
On exertion there’s an increased O2 demand, blood flow obstructed by plaque
This causes myocardial ischaemia –> angina.
Can be reversed by resting.
List 5 causes of Angina
- Narrowed coronary artery
- Increased Distal resistance = LV hypertrophy
- Reduced O2 carrying capacity – anaemia
- Coronary artery spasm
- Thrombosis
List 5 modifiable risk factors for angina.
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- Obesity/sedentary lifestyle
- Hypertension
List 3 non modifiable risk factors
- Age
- Male
- Family history/genetics
What happens to microvascular resistance and flow when myocardial demand increases.
Microvasc resistance decreases
flow increases
What happens to microvascular resistance in a patient with CV disease
Epicardial resistance is high so Microvasc resistance drops at rest to compensate.
When exerted it cannot drop any lower = angina
How might a patient present with Angina?
Centralised crushing pain, heavy and tight
May get worse with cold weather, stress and heavy meals.
Always gets worst post exertion.
Give 3 symptoms of Angina
- Crushing central chest pain
- Pain is relieved at rest or using a GTN spray
- Pain is provoked by physical exertion
- Pain may radiate to arms, neck or jaw
- Breathlessness
What investigations could be considered for Angina?
- ECG – usually normal
- CT Angiography – has a high NPV and is good at excluding disease.
- Exercise tolerance test – induce ischaemia
- Invasive angiogram – tells you FFR – pressure gradient across stenosis
What test would you do to decide which investigation may be the best?
Pre test probability of CAD –> considers gender, age and typicality of pain.
What pharmacological therapies are used for Angina?
- Beta blockers
- Nitrates
- Calcium channel blockers
How do beta blockers work?
Antagonise sympathetic action –> neg inotropic and chronotropic
Can cause bradycardia, tiredness and erectile dysfunction.
When shouldn’t you give someone beta blockers?
If they have bradycardia or asthma
How do Nitrates work?
Venodilator –> decreased venous return –> decreased preload and less myocardial demand
How do calcium channel blockers work?
Arteriodilators –> reduced bp –> reduced afterload –> reduced myocardial demand
What primary prevention measure could be taken for Angina?
Risk factor modification and low dose aspirin
What secondary prevention measures could be taken for angina?
Risk factor modification, pharmacological therapies, interventional therapies e.g. PCI
What drugs can be used to improve the prognosis of someone at risk of angina?
Statins - Reduce amount of LDL in the blood.
Aspirin - COX inhibitors, prevents TXA2 Platelet aggregation (CAN CAUSE GASTRIC ULCERATION)
Define Revascularisation
Restores patent coronary artery and increases blood flow e.g. PCI and CABG
Two advantages of PCI and one disadvantage
Less invasive, convenient and acceptable
Risk of restenosis
One advantage and two disadvtanges of CABG
Advantage - very effective
Disadvantage - Very invasive, long recovery time
What is DVT?
A blood clot that develops within a deep vein in the body, usually the leg.
What are the symptoms of DVT?
Nonspecific symptoms Pain and swelling Tenderness Warmth Slight discolouration
What investigations would you order in DVT?
D-dimer – look for breakdown of fibrin products, if normal it excludes DVT
Ultrasound compression scan – if you can’t squash the vein it’s a clot.
What is the treatment of DVT?
- LMWH
- Oral Warfarin or DOAC (direct oral anti-coag)
- Compression stockings
- Treat underlying cause e.g. malignancy
What are the risk factors for DVT?
- Surgery, immobility, leg fracture
- OCP,HRT
- Long Haul flights
- Genetic predisposition
- Pregnancy
How can you prevent DVT?
- Hydration
- Mobilisation
- Compression stockings
- Low dose LMWH (Low weight molecular heparin
What is the consequence of a dislodged DVT?
PE
How would you describe an Arterial thrombus?
platelet rich - white thrombosis
How would you describe a venous thrombus?
Fibrin rich - red thrombosis
Give 3 consequences of Arterial thrombosis
- MI
- Stroke
- Peripheral vasc disease-e.g. gangrene
How would you treat an arterial thrombus?
Aspirin, LMWH, Thrombolytic therapy
What are the consequences of Venous Thrombosis?
PE
How does warfarin work?
It is an agonist of Vit K and produces non functional clotting factors 2,7,9,10
Why is warfarin difficult to use?
Constant monitoring
Lots of interactions
Teratogenic
What is a Pulmonary embolism?
A blood clot that has broken off and traveled to the lung.
What are the symptoms of PE?
Breathlessness
Pleuritic chest pain
SOB
What are the signs of PE?
Tachycardia, tachypnoea, pleural rub.
What can PE Cause?
Hypotension
Cyanosis
severe dyspnoea
Right sided heart failure/strain
What investigations would you order for a PE?
- CXR normal, ECG Tachy
- ABG – Type 1 resp failure, decreased O2 and CO2
- Normal D-dimer excludes diagnosis
- Ventilation perfusion scan – mismatch defects
What is the treatment for PE?
LMW Heparin, oral warfarin, DOAC, treat cause if possible.
How can you prevent a PE?
- Hydration
- Mobilisation
- Compression stockings
- Low dose LMWH (Low weight molecular heparin)
What is acute pericarditis?
inflammatory pericardial syndrome with or without effusion.
What is the major differential diagnosis?
Myocardial infarction
What are the symptoms of acute pericarditis?
- Chest pain –> sharp, pleuritic, rapid onset pain radiates to the arm
- Dyspnoea
- Cough
- Hiccups – caused by irritation of phrenic nerve
- Skin rash
Why does cardiac tamponade sometimes occur in pericarditis?
The parietal pericardium can adapt when effusions accumulate
What are the causes of pericarditis?
- Viral (Enteroviruses)
- Bacterial e.g. Mycobacterium TB
- Autoimmune e.g. RA
- Neoplastic
- Metabolic e.g. Uraemia
- Traumatic and iatrogenic
- Idiopathic
What investigation would you do for pericarditis?
- ECG
- CXR
- Bloods
- Echocardiogram
- FBC, CRP, Cardiac enzymes
What would the ECG show?
ECG –> PR depression, saddle shaped ST elevation
What must a patient have to make a diagnosis of pericarditis?
Patient must have at least two of the following:
- Friction rub
- Chest pain
- ECG changes
- Pericardial effusion
How would you treat pericarditis?
- Avoid strenuous activity until symptoms resolve
- NSAID or aspirin – high doses
- Colchicine – anti inflammatory
What is haemopericardium?
Direct bleeding from vasculature through ventricular wall post MI
What is dresslers syndrome?
A secondary form of pericarditis
- Myocardial injury stimulates auto-antibodies against the heart
- Causes fever, chest pain and a pericardial rub (Occurs 2-10 weeks after MI )
What is giant cell arteritis?
Vasculitis, localised, chronic and granulomatous inflammation of the temporal arteries.
Signs of Giant cell arteritis?
Thickened often palpable blood vessels
Evidence of granulomatous inflammation
What is a consequence of giant cell arteritis?
Blindness if the occular artery is affected
What criteria is used to diagnose IE?
The duke criteria.
What is infective endocarditis?
Infection of the heart valves or other endocardial lined structure within the heart
Describe the pathogenesis of IE
Microbial adherence –> vegetation on valve –> cardiac valve distortion
Causes cardiac failure and septic problems
What is the hallmark of IE?
Vegetation - lumps of fibrin hanging off heart valves
What are the causes of IE?
- Staph Aureus
- Staph Epidermis (Coagulase neg staph)
- Strep Viridians (alpha haemolytic)
Where are vegetations likely to grow?
Atrial surface of AV valves and ventricular surface of SL valves
Who is at risk of Infective endocarditis?
Elderly, IVDU, Those with rheumatic fever and Those with prosthetic valves
What are the risk factors for IE?
- Having a regurgitant or prosthetic valve
2. If infectious material is introduced into the blood stream during surgery
What are the symptoms of IE?
- Signs of systemic infection
- Embolization e.g. stroke, pe, mi
- Valve dysfunction e.g. HF or arrhythmia
What are the signs of IE?
splinter haemorrhages, oslers nodes, jaenway lesions, roth spots, heart murmurs
What investigations should be done if IE is suspected?
- Blood culture
- Echocardiogram shows endocardial involvement
- Bloods – raised ESR/CRP
- ECG
Give one disadvantage and two advantages of Transthoracic echo’s
Poor images, but safe and nnon invasive
Give one advantage and two disadvtanges of transoesophageal echos
Good pictures, discomfort, perforation + aspiration possible
What criteria is used for diagnosing infective endocarditis?
Dukes criteria
How do you treat infective endocarditis?
- Antibiotic based cultures
- Treat any complications
- Surgery
What are the different types of Infective endocarditis?
- Left sided native IE
- Left sided prosthetic IE
- Right sided IE
- Device related IE
True of false - Left sided IE is more likely to cause thrombo emboli.
True
True of false - Right sided IE is more likely to spread to the lungs.
True.
What are some indications for surgery in a patient with IE?
- AB not working
- Complications
- To remove infected devices
- To replace the valve
- To remove large vegetations before they embolise
What is the standard treatment of Myocardial infarction?
- MONA - Morphine,oxygen,nitrogen,aspirin
- PCI
- Aspirin and clopidogrel
- LMWH
- Anti-anginals –> Beta blockers, CCB, nitrates
- Prevent secondary event
What is the secondary prevention measures for NSTEMI?
- Aspirin
- Clopidogrel (P2Y12 Inhibitor)
- Statins
- Metoprolol (beta blocker)
- ACE Inhibitor
- Modification of risk factors
What is an acute coronary syndrome?
A spectrum of acute coronary conditions including unstable angina, NSTEMI and STEMI.
What is the commonest cause of ACS?
Rupture of atherosclerotic plaque and subsequent arterial thrombosis
What are uncommon causes of ACS?
Coronary Vasospasm
Drug abuse
Coronary artery dissection
What are the two types of Myocardial infarction?
M1 - Spontaneous MI with ischaemia due to plaque rupture
M2 - MI secondary to ischaemia due to increased O2 demand
What are the 3 cardiac enzymes?
Troponin
CK
Myoglobin
When are cardiac enzymes released?
During MI - during myocardial necrosis.
When is Troponin increased?
During MI - both NSTEMI and STEMI as a result of an occlusion causing ischaemia
Not significantly in angina
Can be in pericarditis but less so than an MI.
Other than an MI, when can Troponin be released?
- Gram negative sepsis
- Pulmonary embolism
- Myocarditis
- Heart failure
- Arrhythmia
What is a STEMI?
ST elevated myocardial infarction
Characteristed by ST elevation in anterolateral leads, Inverted T waves and Q waves become broad.
What is an NSTEMI?
Non ST elevated myocardial infarction
Can only be diagnosed after bloods (raised troponin)
ECG may be normal or show T wave inversion and ST depression.
What is unstable angina?
Type of IHD, Acute, poor blood flow to the heart characteristed by chest pain at rest.
What are the signs of unstable angina?
- Cardiac chest pain at rest
- Cardiac chest pain with crescendo patterns – pain more frequent and easily provoked
- No significant rise in troponin.
What is the treatment for unstable angina?
Clopidogrel, aspirin, surgery, lifestyle changes
What is the ECG like in unstable angina?
Normal or T wave inversion and ST depression
What are the signs of a Myocardial infarction?
- Unremitting and severe cardiac chest pain
- Pain that radiates down the left arm
- Pain occurs at rest
- Sweating, breathlessness, nausea and or vomiting
- 1/3rd occur in bed at night.
What are the complications for Myocardial Infarction?
- Heart failure
- Rupture of infarcted ventricle
- Rupture of interventricular septum
- Mitral regurgitation
- Arrythmias
- Heart block
- Pericarditis
A patient presents with an ACS, what investigations should be ordered?
- ECG
- Blood tests – troponin
- Coronary angiography
- Cardiac monitoring for arrythmias
A patient is diagnosed with ACS, what management options should be explored?
- Hospital
- If STEMI – PCI centre for transfer
- Aspirin 300mg, pain relief – morphine
- Oxygen if hypoxic
- Nitrates
What does P2Y12 do?
Amplifies platelet aggregation
What is a P2Y12 inhibitor?
Clopidogrel
What are some side effects of P2Y12 inhibitors?
Bleeding
Rashes
GI distrubances
What are the four types of valvular heart disease?
- Aortic Stenosis
- Mitral regurgitation
- Mitral stenosis
- Aortic regurgitation
What is aortic stenosis?
where the aortic orifice is restricted, and the LV can’t eject blood properly in systole –> pressure overload
What is the aetiology of aortic stenosis?
- Congenital bicuspid valve
- Acquired e.g. age-related degenerative calcification
- Rheumatic heart disease
What is the pathophysiology of aortic stenosis?
- Aortic orifice is restricted so there’s a pressure gradient between the aorta and LV
- LV function is maintained due to compensatory hypertrophy
- Overtime this leads to LV failure
What are the symptoms of aortic stenosis?
- Exertional syncope
- Angina
- Exertional dyspnoea (difficult or laboured breathing)
What are the signs of aortic stenosis?
- Slow rising carotid plus due to decreased pulse amplitude
- Soft or absent heart sounds
- Ejection systole murmur
What investigations would you order for aortic stenosis?
Echocardiography
What is the correct management for aortic stenosis?
- Ensure good dental hygiene
- Consider IE Prophylaxis
- Aortic Valve replacement or TAVI
Who should be offered an aortic valve replacement in aortic stenosis?
- Symptomatic patients with aortic stenosis
- Any patient with decreasing ejection fraction
- Any patient undergoing CABG with moderate aortic stenosis
Why does medication not work for mitral and aortic stenosis?
Medication doesn’t work for mitral and aortic stenosis as problem is mechanic so doesn’t prevent progression.
What is mitral regurgitation?
Back flow of the blood from LV to LA during systole – LV volume overload
What is the aetiology of mitral regurgitation?
- Myxomatous degeneration
- Ischaemic mitral regurgitation
- Rheumatic heart disease
- IE
What is the pathophysiology of mitral regurgitation?
- LV volume overload
- Compensatory mechanisms – LA enlargement and LVH and increased contractility
- Progressive LV volume overload causes dilation and progressive heart failure
What are the symptoms of Mitral regurgitation?
- Dyspnoea on exertion
2. Heart failure
What are the signs of mitral regurgitation?
- Pansystolic murmur
- Soft 1st heart sound
- 3rd heart sound
What is a sign of MR getting worse?
The intensity of the murmur
What are the investigations in Mitral regurgitation?
- CXR
- ECG
- Echocardiogram – estimate LA/LV size and function
What is the management of Mitral regurgitation?
- Rate control for AF –> Beta blockers
- Anticoagulation for AF
- Diuretics for fluid overload
- IE prophylaxis
- If symptomatic –> Surgery