Cardiovascular Flashcards
Acute treatment of Atrial Fibrillation in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. What do you have to avoid?
Goals: control ventricular response and termination of AF
- Hemodynamically unstable: immediate electrical cardioversion
- Stable: Rythm control➡Procainamide, Ibutilide, Amiodarone
*Avoid AV nodal blocking agents: adenosine, beta-blockers, CCB (especially verapamil), digoxin▶AF into Ventricular fibrillation (⬆conduction through accessory pathway)
What is “pulsus parvus and tardus” and when do you expect to find it?
- Delayed (slow-rising) and diminished (weak) carotid pulse
- Severe aortic stenosis
*Outflow tract obstruction syncope
Which are the two aberrant electrical pathways of the Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome?
- Pre-excitation→involves the node itself►Supraventricular tachycardias (atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter)
- Electrical pathway→reaches out of the AV node, connects to the bundle of His in the ventricles→early electrical impulse to the ventricles while bundle of His is in refractory period►Ventricular tachycardia
Gold standard treatment for chronic WPW syndrome
Radiofrequency ablation
How do you differentiate cardiac tamponade vs right ventricle failure?
- Pulsus paradoxus►Cardiac tamponade, NO in right ventricle failure
- Both have Beck’s triad►muffled cardiac sounds, hypotension, jugular venous distention
Most likely ECG pattern expected in a pulmonary embolism
Non-specific ST segment and T waves abnormalities, and sinus tachycardia→70% of PE
*S1 Q3 T3, right axis deviation, Right bundle branch block, atrial fibrillation [right heart strain]→may suggest PE, but absence does not rule out (20% of PE)
Most useful test for diagnosing pericarditis, which finding is more specific?
ECG→Diffuse concave ST elevation, PR depression (more specific finding), occasionally flipped T waves
*Echocardiogram→to rule out coexisting pericardial effusion or tamponade, often normal in acute pericarditis alone. Find small amount of fluid is not specific, seen in variety of conditions
When beta-blocker and ACEIs are more efficient between them to reduce mortality in post-myocardial infarction patients?
- Beta-blockers→post-MI patients with normal ejection fraction (↓O2 demand and ventricular arrhythmias)
- ACEI→post-MI in patients with reduced ejection fraction
Which Beta-blockers you should avoid when treating Heart Failure and why?
Pindolol and Acebutolol→have sympathomimetic activity
How do you identify a pericardial effusion at chest x-ray?
Enlarged and globular cardiac silhouette (“water bottle” heart shape)
Important physical examination finding to suspect pericardial effusion
- Clear lung fields
- Inability to palpate the point of maximal apical impulse
- If large pericardial effusion→cardiac tamponade►Beck’s triad (hypotension, elevated JVP, muffled heart sounds)
Physical examination findings on coarctation of the aorta
- Simultaneous palpation of the brachial and femoral pulses→assess for brachial-femoral delay
- Bilateral upper extremities (supine position) and lower extremities (prone position) blood pressure measurement→evaluate blood pressure differential
Confirmatory diagnostic test for coarctation of the aorta
Echocardiogram
Embolism that more commonly occur during vascular procedures such as peripheral angiography or interventions, guidewire or catheter manipulations during cardiac catheterization, intraaortic balloon pump insertion
Cholesterol crystal embolism→disruption of atherosclerotic aortic plaques►systemic atheroembolism
Most common high-dose Niacin side effect. Why does it happen?
- Flushing and pruritus
- Drug-induced release of Histamine and Prostaglandin (no true hypersensitivity)
*Give low-dose ASA 30 minutes before niacin
What is Inferior Vena Cava plethora and what does it mean?
- Lack of the normal inspiratory collapse of a dilated IVC on echocardiography (Normally the IVC diameter decreases about 50% during inspiration)
- Right heart failure and constrictive pericarditis (cardiac tamponade)
Hemodynamic changes on cardiac tamponade (most asked variables)
- Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure ⬆
- Cardiac Index ⬇
- Right atrial pressure ⬆
- Systemic vascular resistance ⬆
Diagnostic gold standard for viral myocarditis. Most frequently, which study does assist the diagnosis in a regular basis?
- Endomyocardial biopsy (lymphocytic infiltration) aided by viral polymerase (DNA or RNA)
- Cardiac MRI▶️late enhancement of the epicardium
What is the indication for mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists on heart failure?
- Left ventricular ejection fraction <40% with recent ST-elevation myocardial infarction
- Symptomatic heart failure
Differences between ascending and descending aortic aneurysms in location and etiology
- Ascending aneurysm→60% cases, origin anywhere from aortic valve to the innominate artery, cystic medial necrosis (aging) or connective tissues disorders (Marfan sx or Ehler-danlos sx)
- Descending aneurysm→40% cases, origin distal to the subclavian artery, atherosclerosis
Chest X-ray findings suggesting thoracic aortic aneurysm
- Widened mediastinal silhouette
- Increase aortic knob
- Tracheal deviation
ECG finding on acute pericarditis due to renal failure
Nonspecific T wave abnormalities
*Classic diffuse ST elevations are typically absent due to lack of myocardial inflammation
What does hyponatremia suggest in a patient with acute heart failure?
Severe congestive heart failure➡independent predictor of adverse clinical outcomes
Which electrolyte disturbance is associated with increase susceptibility of digoxin toxicity? Why?
Hypokalemia (may be associated with excessive diuretic use)→permissive for digoxin binding at K+ binding site on Na+/K+ ATPase
Best initial tests to diagnose pulmonary embolism. Which is most often the best next step or test to do after them?
- Chest x-ray, ECG, Arterial Blood Gas
- CT Angiogram (Spiral CT Scan)→standard of care to confirm PE
*Angiography is most accurate but 0,5% mortality (rarely done)
If you suspect a pulmonary embolism and the V/Q and spiral CT don’t give a clear diagnosis, what do you do next?
Lower Extremity Doppler study
- Positive→no further test is needed (80% of PEs come from legs and the therapy won’t change)
- Negative→Withhold Heparin
First choice test to confirm pulmonary embolism in pregnancy
V/Q scan
*Completely normal scan excludes a clot
When do you use thrombolytics in a pulmonary embolism?
- Hemodynamically unstable→hypotension (systolic BP<90, tachycardia, etc)
- Acute right ventricular dysfunction
*There is no specific time limit as in stroke or MI
What is the first step to confirm the diagnosis of peripheral artery disease?
Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI)→<0,9►diagnostic of occlusive PAD with a 90% sensitivity and 95% specificity in symptomatic patients
*Arterial ultrasound of the lower extremities→less sensitive and specific than ABI►localize site and severity of vascular obstruction
Most common indications for surgery in infectious endocarditis
- Acute heart failure (acute aortic/mitral valve regurgitation)
- Extension of infection (abscess, fistula, heart block)
- Difficult to treat pathogen (fungus, muti drug-resistant pathogen)
- Persistent bacteremia on antibiotics
- Large vegetation/persistent septic emboli
Neurologic complications of infective endocarditis
- Embolic stroke
- Cerebral hemorrhage
- Brain Abscess
- Acute encephalopathy or meningoencephalitis
Ventricular apical ballooning, history of myocardial infarction after a stressful situation and normal coronary angiography. Disease and its mechanism?
- Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy
- Massive catecholamine discharge
When do you use Exercise Tolerance Testing to evaluate chest pain?
Etiology is not clear and EKG is not diagnostic
Why the EKG in an Exercise Tolerance Testing may not be suitable to read and interpret?
Baseline EKG abnormality→Left bundle branch block, left ventricular hypertrophy, pacemaker use, effect of digoxin
Which antiplatelet drugs are preferred in addition to aspirin in a patient undergoing angioplasty and stenting? and why?
- Prasugrel or Ticagrelor
- Restenosis of stenting is best prevented
Medication that offers the best mortality benefit in chronic angina
Aspirin and Beta blockers
Which other medications can be used instead of ACEI/ARB in systolic dysfunction to decrease mortality? in what situation could you switch them?
- Hydralazine (arterial vasodilator→↓ afterload) and Nitrates (dilate coronary arteries) - Reduce mortality in african-american
- Hyperkalemia by ACEI or ARB
Which EKG finding in the context of acute coronary syndrome has the worst prognosis?
ST elevation in V2-V4 leads or Anterior Wall Miocardial Infarction
*If untreated - 30 to 40% mortality in 1 year
Most important measure in decreasing the risk of restenosis of the coronary artery after PCI
Placement of drug-eluting stent (paclitaxel, sirolimus)
When do you suspect a perivalvular abscess?
Symptoms of infective endocarditis + New conduction abnormalities (ex, 2:1 second-degree atrioventricular block with syncope)
Which symptom is more specific when suspecting beta-blocker intoxication?
- Beta-blocker intoxication→bradycardia, atrioventricular block, hypotension (ex, present also in CCB, digoxin, cholinergic intoxication)
(+) Wheezing more specific
In an ST-segment depression acute coronary syndrome, which is the best next step in the management after aspirin is given? Which of them is best in terms of mortality?
- Heparin
- Low molecular weight heparin superior to unfractionated heparin
Most accurate test in diagnosing congestive heart failure. In which case do you use it?
- Multiple-gated acquisition scan (MUGA) or nuclear ventriculography
- Ex: Patient receiving chemotherapy with doxorrubucin