Cardiovascular Flashcards
What might the ECG of someone with unstable angina show?
May be normal or might show T wave inversion and ST depression
What might ECG of someone with NSTEMI show?
May be normal or show T wave inversion and ST depression. May also be R wave regression, ST elevation and biphasic T wave in lead V3
What might ECG of someone with STEMI show?
ST elevation in anterolateral leads. After a few hours, T waves invert and deep, broad pathological Q waves develop
ECG: What is J point?
Where QRS complex becomes ST segment
ECG: What is normal axis of QRS complex?
-30 –> +90
ECG: What does P wave represent?
Atrial depolarisation
ECG: How long should PR interval be?
120-200ms
ECG: What might a long PR interval indicate?
Heart block
ECG: How long should QT interval be?
0.35-0.45s
ECG: What does QRS complex represent?
Ventricular depolarisation
ECG: What does T wave represent?
Ventricular repolarisation
ECG: Where would you place lead 1?
From right arm to left arm with positive electrode being at left arm. At 0
ECG: Where would you place lead 2?
From right arm to left leg with positive electrode being at left leg. At 60
ECG: Where would you place lead 3?
From left arm to left leg with positive electrode being at left leg. At 120
ECG: Where would you place lead avF?
From halfway between left arm and right arm to left leg with positive electrode being at left leg. At 90
ECG: Where would you place lead avL?
From halfway between right arm and left leg to left arm with positive electrode being at left arm. At -30
ECG: Where would you place lead avR?
From halfway between left arm and left leg to right arm with positive electrode being at right arm. At -150
What is dominant pacemaker of the heart?
SA node. 60-100bpm
How many seconds do following represent on ECG paper?
a) small squares
b) large squares
a) 0.04s
b) 0.2s
How long should QRS complex be?
Less than 110ms
In which leads would you expect QRS complex to be upright in?
Leads 1 and 2
In which lead are all waves negative?
avR
In which leads must R wave grow?
From chest leads V1 to V4
In which leads must S wave grow?
From chest leads V1 to V3. It must also disappear in V6
In which leads should T waves and P waves be upright?
Leads 1, 2, V2 –> V6
What might tall pointed P waves on an ECG suggest?
Right atrial enlargement
What might notched, ‘m shaped; P waves on an ECG suggest?
Left atrial enlargement
Give 3 signs of abnormal T waves
- Symmetrical
- Tall and peaked
- Biphasic or inverted
What happens to QT interval when HR increases?
QT interval decreases
What part of ECG does plateau phase of cardiac action potential coincide with?
QT interval
Name 3 conditions caused by atherosclerosis
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Gangrene
What is the main problem caused by atherosclerosis?
Plaque ruptures leading to thrombus formation
Give 5 risk factors for atherosclerosis
- Age
- Smoking
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
- Diabetes
Where are atherosclerotic plaques found?
Peripheral and coronary arteries
What factor affects the distribution of atherosclerotic plaques?
Changes in flow/turbulence e.g. bifurcations
What is a neointima?
A new or thickened layer of arterial intima formed by migration and proliferation of cells from the media
What does an atherosclerotic plaque consist of?
- Lipid
- Necrotic core
- Connective tissue
- Fibrous cap
What can an atherosclerotic plaque result in?
- Occlusion of lumen (angina)
2. Rupture
What is the response to injury hypothesis?
- Injury to endothelial cells leads to endothelial dysfunction
- Signals sent to leukocytes which accumulate in vessel wall
What causes inflammation in the arterial wall?
- LDLs
2. Leukocytes
What are chemoattractants?
Chemicals that attract leukocytes
What are the stages of leukocyte recruitment to vessel walls?
- Capture
- Rolling
- Slow rolling
- Firm adhesion
- Transmigration
What are the stages of atherosclerosis?
- Fatty streaks
- Intermediate lesions
- Fibrous plaques
- Plaque rupture
What do fatty steaks consist of?
Aggregations of foam cells and T lymphocytes in the intimal layer of vessel wall
What is the intermediate layer composed of?
- Foam cells
- Vascular smooth muscle cells
- T lymphocytes
- Platelets
- Extracellular lipids
What is the fibrous cap?
Layer of collagen and elastin that covers the lipid core and necrotic debris in fibrous plaques
What are fibrous plaques composed of?
- SMC
- Macrophages
- Foam cells
- T lymphocytes
What must happen to the fibrous cap to maintain it?
Resorption and redeposition
What is used to treat coronary artery disease?
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
What is a major limitation of PCI?
Restenosis
What drugs can be used to reduce restenosis?
- Taxol
2. Sirolimus
What is cardiac failure?
Failure to transport blood out of heart
What happens in severe cardiac failure?
Cardiogenic shock
What is a ventricular septal defect?
Hole in septum between 2 ventricles
What causes ischaemia?
Sudden reduction to lumen size
What is Dressier syndrome?
Inflammatory reaction of pericardium following MI
What happens when the stretch capacity of sarcomeres is exceeded?
Cardiac contraction forces decreases
What happens in left sided cardiac failure?
Pulmonary congestion and overload of the right side
What happens in right sided cardiac heart failure?
Venous hypertension and congestion
What happens in diastolic cardiac failure?
Stiff heart
What causes congenital heart disease?
Misplaced structures or arrest of the progression of normal structure development
Give 3 conditions associated with congenital heart disease
- Downs syndrome
- Rubella
- Thalidomide
Give 3 congenital heart disease conditions where there are right shunt problems
- Ventricular septal defect
- Patent ductus arteriosus
- Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Give 2 congenital heart disease conditions where there are left shunt problems
- Tetralogy of Fallot
2. Tricuspid atresia
What is left side shunting associated with?
Right side cardiac failure and right side cardiac hypertrophy
What is ostium secundum?
Central defect in central septum
What are the 4 main features of tetralogy of Fallot?
- Pulmonary stenosis
- Ventricular septal defect
- Over-riding ventricular septal defect
- Right ventricle hypertrophy
What is the result of correction of the aorta?
A narrowing of the aorta just after the arch, with excessive blood flow being diverted through the carotid and subclavian vessels into systemic vascular shunts to supply the rest of the body
What is a common complication of congenital aortic stenosis and coarctation?
Secondary endocardial fibroelastosis
What is dextrocardia?
Rightward orientation of the heart
What are 5 risk factors for ischaemic heart disease?
- Hypertension
- Smoking
- DM
- Male
- Sedentary lifestyle
Give 4 conditions that limit coronary flow
- Atherosclerosis
- Anaemia
- Dissecting aneurysm of aorta
- Fever
What can be the result of reperfusion of completely infarcted tissue?
Haemorrhage
What are the patterns of infarction?
- Subendocardial/patchy
2. Transmural
Give 3 complications of ischaemia damage
- Arrhythmia
- Left ventricular
failure - Rupture of myocardium
What is an aneurysm?
A dilation of part of the myocardial wall, usually associated with fibrosis and atrophy of myocytes
What is pericarditis?
A delayed pericarditic reaction following infarction
What is cor pulmonale?
Right ventricular hypertrophy and dilatation due to pulmonary hypertension
What causes acute rheumatic fever?
Group A β-haemolytic streptococcus infection
What are 5 clinical features of rheumatic fever?
- Carditis
- Polyarthritis
- Chorea
- Erythema marginatum
- Subcutaneous nodules
Give 3 diagnostic criteria for rheumatic fever
- Hx of rheumatic fever
- Arthralgia
- Raised CRP, ESR, WCC
What is the commonest cause for infective endocarditis?
Congenital heart disease
What organisms are commonly associated with infective endocarditis?
Streptococci, staphylococci
Give 5 symptoms of infective endocarditis
- Fever
- Anorexia
- Clubbing
- Sudden cardiac failure
- Renal impairment
What is the usual age of onset in calcific aortic stenosis?
65-80
What is the pathophysiology of calcific aortic stenosis?
Nodular calcific deposits in cusps with progressive distortion of valves opening/closure
What does mitral valve prolapse describe?
Degeneration of the mitral valves such that the inner fibrosa layer becomes more loose and fragmentary with accumulation of mucopolysaccharide material
What is myocarditis?
Inflammation of the myocardium usually associated with muscle cell necrosis and degeneration
What is the commonest form of myocarditis?
Viral myocarditis
Give 6 causes of myocarditis
- Influenza
- Typhus
- Staphylococcus
- Drug reaction
- SLE
- Radiation
Give 3 symptoms of myocarditis
- Palpitations
- Latitude
- Upper respiratory tract infection
What is cardiomyopathy?
Primary cardiac disease with contractile dysfunction and atypical morphology
Name 3 types of cardiomyopathy
- Dilated
- Hypertrophic (HCM)
- Arrythmogenic right ventricular (ARVC)
What is the pathophysiology of primary dilated cardiomyopathy?
Poorly generated contractile force leads to progressive dilation of heart with some diffuse interstitial fibrosis
What is the heart pathology in primary dilated cardiomyopathy?
Enlarged, heavy and dilated heart
What does the clinical progression of primary dilated cardiomyopathy involve?
- Cardiac failure
- Dysrhythmias
- Death
What are 3 causes of secondary dilated cardiomyopathy?
- Alcohol
- Pregnancy
- Male
What is the mechanism for HCM?
Defects in force degeneration allow progressive sarcomeric dysfunction
What are the investigations for HCM?
- High ejection fraction
- Echo
- FHx
What is ARVC?
A degenerative condition with progressive dilatation of the right ventricle with fibrosis, lymphoid infiltrate and fatty tissue replacement
What are the symptoms of endomyocardial disease?
- High grade eosinophilia
- Rash
- Progressive endocarditis
What is a cardiac tamponade?
Compression of the heart leading to acute cardiac failure following bleeding in to the pericardial space
What conditions is hypertensive vascular disease a risk for?
- Aortic aneurysm
- Stroke
- MI
What is the effect of hypertension?
Alters blood vessel walls by decreasing lumen size as wall thickness increases. This causes a progressive increase in vascular resistance in hypertensives
Name 5 conditions that cause hypertension
- Diabetes
- High aldosterone
- Cushing’s syndrome
- Hyperthyroidism
- Renin secreting tumours
What is Raynaud’s phenomenon?
Intermittent bilateral ischaemia of digits/extremities precipitated by motional cold temperature
What is vasculitis?
An inflammatory and variably necrotic process centred on the blood vessels
What is the commonest vasculitis?
Giant cell arteritis
What is the pathology of giant cell arteritis?
Focal, chronic and granulomatous inflammation of temporal arteries
What can giant cell arteritis cause when affecting large vessels?
Aortic aneurysm/ dissection
What age does giant cell arteritis usually affect?
> 70
Give 4 clinical features of giant cell arteritis
- Palpable blood vessel
- Granulomatous inflammation
- Necrosis
- Focal scarring
What is the vasculitis of the respiratory tract and kidney called?
Wegener’s granulomatosis
Give 5 symptoms of Wegener’s granulomatosis
- Rash
- Joint pain
- Neurological changes
- Haematuria
- Sinusitis
What is Buerger disease?
An inflammatory disease of medium and small arteries affecting the distal limbs
What may lead to remission of Buerger disease?
Smoking cessation
What are aneurysms?
Dilated areas of vasculature suggesting either congenital or required weakness of the wall of the vessels
What dilatation occurs in AAA?
> 50% of aortic diameter
Where do most AAA occur?
Below renal arteries
What is the Tx for AAA?
Prophylactic replacement with Dacron graft or endolumenal prosthesis
What is a dissecting aneurysm?
This is a haematoma within the arterial wall with blood entering under pressure from the lumenal surface and dissecting along the length of the media
Where do most dissecting aneurysms occur?
Just above aortic ring
What are 4 risk factors for varicose veins?
- Age
- Female
- FHx
- Posture
Give 5 risk factors for DVT
- Bed rest
- Trauma
- OCP
- Age
- Sickle cell disease
What sign is associated with DVT?
Homan sign
What is Homan sign?
Painful/tender calves
What is the Tx for DVT?
Anticoagulants
What is embolism?
Passage of material through the venous or arterial circulations
What is angina?
Mismatch of oxygen demand and supply – mostly a lack of supply
What is the commonest cause of angina?
Ischaemic heart disease
Give 5 predisposing factors for IHD
- Age
- Smoking
- DM
- FHx
- Hyperlipidaemia
Give 3 supply exacerbating factors for angina
- Anaemia
- Hypoxaemia
- Hypothermia
Give 3 demand exacerbating factors for angina
- Hypertension
- Hyperthyroidism
- Valvular heart disease
Give 3 environmental exacerbating factors for angina
- Cold weather
- Heavy meals
- Emotional stress
Name 3 cell types that contribute to coronary disease
- SMC
- Fibrocytes
- Cholesterol crystals
When does myocardial ischaemia occur?
When there is an imbalance between the heart’s oxygen demand and supply, usually from an increase in demand accompanied by limitation of supply
What can limit blood supply?
- Impaired blood flow by proximal arterial stenosis
- Increased distal resistance
- Reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood
When is there a rapid decline in coronary flow?
When diameter stenosis reaches 70%
Name 4 anginas other than stable
- Prinzmetal’s
- Microvascular
- Crescendo
- Unstable
What is the prevalence of angina?
4-5%
When do most angina causes occur?
65-74
What are the cardiac symptoms of angina?
- Chest pain
- Breathlessness
- Fluid retention
- Palpitation
- Syncope or pre-syncope
What is the Hx for pain in angina?
OPQRST Onset Position Quality Relationship Radiation Relieving or aggravating factors Severity Timing Treatment
What factors point to ischaemic cardiac pain?
- Heavy
- Central
- Cold weather provokes
- GTN relieves
- Breathlessness
- Smoking
Name 4 things in a chest pain DDx
- Myocardial ischaemia
- Pericarditis
- PE
- Chest infection
What is the investigation for chest pain?
- Routine bloods
- Lipids
- ECG
What diagnostic tests can be done for chronic chest pain?
- Exercise testing
- Myoview scan
- CT coronary angiography
- Stress echo
- Perfusion MRI
- Coronary angiography
What drug types can be used to treat angina?
- BB
- Nitrates
- Aspirin
- CCB
- Statin
- ACEI
How do BB effect the heart?
- Reduce HR
- Reduce LV contractility
- Reduce CO
- Reduce O2 demand
Name 3 side effects of beta blockers
- Tiredness
- Bradycardia
- Erectile dysfunction
Why are BB contraindicated in asthma?
Can cause severe bronchospasm
What is the effect of nitrates
- Venodilation
- Arteriodilation
- Reduce preload on heart
What is a side effect of nitrates?
Headache
What is the effect of CCB?
Arterial vasodilation so reduce afterload
What are 3 side effects of CCB?
- Flushing
- Hypotension
- Oedema
What is the effect of aspirin?
- COX inhibitor
- Reduce prostaglandin synthesis
- Reduce platelet aggregation
What is a side effect of aspirin?
Gastric ulceration
What is the mechanism of statins?
HMG CoA reductase inhibitors
What are the pros of PCI?
- Less invasive
- Convenient
- Repeatable
What are the pros of CABG?
- Prognosis
2. Deals with complex disease
What are the cons of PCI?
- Risk stent thrombosis
- Risk restenosis
- No complex disease
What are the cons of CABG?
- Invasive
- Risk of stroke/bleedings
- One time treatmetn
What are the symptoms of unstable angina?
- Cardiac chest pain at rest
- Cardiac chest pain with crescendo pattern
- New onset angina
How is unstable angina diagnosed?
- Hx
- ECG
- Troponin (no rise)
How is STEMI diagnosed?
ECG
How is NSTEMI diagnosed?
After troponin results and other investigations
What is an MI?
Non-Q wave or Q-wave MI on the basis of whether new pathological Q waves develop on the ECG as a result of it
Which MI types are associated with larger infarcts?
- STEMI
2. MI associated with LBBB
Describe the cardiac chest pain in MI
- Unremitting
- Usually severe but may be mild/absent
- Occurs at rest
- Associated with sweating, SOB, nausea
- 1/3 occur in bed at night
Give 3 conditions associated with higher risk MI
- DM
- Higher age
- Renal failure
What is the initial management for MI?
300mg aspirin
What is the hospital management for MI?
- Bed rest
- Pain relief
- Aspirin +- P2Y12 inhibitor
What causes the majority of ACS?
Rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque and consequent arterial thrombosis
Give 3 uncommon causes of ACS
- Plaque rupture
- Drug abuse
- Aortic dissection
What is troponin?
Protein complex that regulates actin: myosin contraction
Name 3 P2Y12 antagonists
- Clopidogrel
- Prasugrel
- Ticagrelor
What is the risk of P2Y12 antagonists?
Bleeding
Name 2 GPIIb/IIIa antagonists
- Abeiximab
2. Tirofiban
When are GPIIb/IIIa antagonists used?
When pt. are undergoing PCI
How do anticoagulants work?
Inhibit both fibrin formation and platelet activation
What anticoagulant is often used in ACS?
Fondaparinux or heparin
What is the treatment of choice for STEMI?
Primary PCI
When is coronary angiography performed?
For pt. wit troponin elevation or unstable angina refractory to medical therapy
Where is clopidogrel converted to its active form?
Liver
Name 4 factors that affect response to clopidogrel
- Dose
- Age
- DM
- Drug-drug interactions
What are the mechanisms of action off ticagrelor?
- Reversibly-binding P2Y12 antagonist
2. Inhibition of adenosine uptake via ENT-1 pathway
Give 5 adverse affects of ticagrelor
- Bleeding
- Rash
- GI disturbance
- Dyspnoea
- Ventricular pauses
What are the signs and symptoms of DVT?
- Pain
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Warmth
- Discolouration
What are the investigations for DVT?
- D-dimer (raised)
- US compression test proximal veins
- Venogram
What is the Tx for DVT?
- LMW Heparin
- Oral warfarin
- DOAC
- Compression stockings
What are the risk factors for DVT?
- Surgery
- OCP
- Immobility
- Inherited thrombophilia
- Pregnancy
What are the preventions for DVT?
- Hydration
- Early hydration
- Compression stockings
- LMW Heparin
What is the DDx for PE?
- MSK pain
- Infection
- Malignancy
- Pneumothorax
- Cardiac causes
- Gastro causes
What are the symptoms of PE?
- SOB
- Pleuritic chest pain
- Signs of DVT
What are the signs of PE?
- Tachycardia
- Tachypnoea
- Pleural rub
What are the investigations for PE?
- CXR
- ECG sinus tachy
- Blood gases: type 1 respiratory failure, decreased O2/CO2
- D-dimer - raised
- Ventilation/perfusion scan: mismatch
- CTPA spiral CT