Cardiovascular clinical Flashcards
What is transient loss of consciousness defined as?
A state of real or apparent loss of consciousness with loss of awareness,characterised by amnesia for the period of unconsciousness,loss of motor control,loss of responsiveness, and a short duration.
What are the causes of TLOC?
- Head trauma
- syncope
- Epileptic seizures
- TLOC mimics e.g. psychogenic, pseudo-syncope.
Define what syncope is.
Transient loss of consciousness due to cerebral hypoperfusion, characterised by rapid onset,short duration, and spontaneous complete recovery.
What are the three categories of syncope?
- Reflex
- Orthostatic
- Cardiac
What is reflex syncope
Neural reflexes Causes cardioinhibition through vagal stimulation.
This causes bradycardia and a decrease in CO
Depression of sympathetic activity to blood bessels cause vasodepression.
This causes vasodilation (decrease in SVR, CO, SV and eventually MAP)
This leads to systemic hypotension causing a transient period of cerebral hypoperfusion
results in syncope
What are the three subtypes of reflex syncope?
- Vasovagal syncope ( most common type for all syncope)
- situational syncope
- Cartoid sinus syncope.
How is faint activated in Vasovagal reflex syncope?
- Emotional distress
2. orthostatic stress
What is vasovagal reflex syncope associated with?
ii. Give examples of this.
Typical prodrome.
ii. Pallor
Sweating
Nausea
How can Vasovagal reflex syncope be averted?
- Adopting the horizontal gravity neutralisation position (lying down)
- crossing legs.
this increases venous return
VVS is associated with increased mortality true or false?
false
How do you treat VVS?
- Education
- reassurance
- avoidance triggers
- adequate hydration
How does fainting occur from a situational reflex syncope?
- cough
- Micturition- action of urinating
- swallowing
i. e a specific trigger.
How do you treat SRS?
Treat the cause, if possible (e.g. cough)
Advise patient to lie down, if possible (e.g. during a coughing episode)
Avoid dehydration and excessive alcohol
Cardiac permanent pacing may be needed in some cases of situational syncope
What are the risk factors of Carotid sinus reflex syncope?
ii. how do you treat CSS?
- mechanical manipulation of the neck
- shaving
- tight collar
- Elderly males
- carotid artery atherosclerosis
- Injury to head or neck
- radiation
ii. Cardiac permanent pacing
How does Postural (orthostatic) hypotension occur?
failure of Baroreceptor responses to gravitational shifts in blood, when moving from horizontal to vertical position
What are the risk factors to orthostatic hypotension?
Age related Medications Certain diseases Reduced intravascular volume Prolonged bed rest
What is a positive result for orthostatic hypotension?
ii. What needs to occur?
When there is a drop in:
- systolic pressure by 20 mmHg (with or without symptoms).
- diastolic blood pressure of at least 10 mm Hg (with symptoms)
ii. A positive result is indicated by a drop, within 3 minutes of standing from lying down
What are the symptoms of orthostatic hypotension?
Symptoms may include those of cerebral hypoperfusion such as: 1. lightheadedness 2. dizziness, 3. blurred vision, 4.faintness 5. falls
What the causes for cardiac syncope?
- Arrhythmias
- acute myocardial infarction
- structural cardiac disease e.g. aortic stenosis
- PE
- Aortic dissection
all lead to sudden drop in CO
What are the main factors which suggest cardiac syncope and not other forms of reflex syncope?
- Syncope during excretion or when supine
- structural cardiac abnormality or coronary heart disease is present
- A family history of sudden death at young age
- Sudden onset palpitations immediacy followed by syncope
Findings on ECG suggestive of arrhythmic syncope
What are the risk factors of atheroma?
- cigarette smoking
- hypertension
- Hyperlipidemia
- diabetes
- Age (elderly)
- gender (males)
- Genetics
How does the process of atherosclerosis occur?
- Primary endothelial injury
(e. g. smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia) - accumulation of lipids and macrophages
- Migration of smooth muscle cells
- increase in size
when is atherosclerosis likely to cause a critical disease?
It is the only artery supplying an organ or tissue (i.e. There is no collateral circulation)
The artery diameter is small (e.g coronary artery versus common iliac artery)
Overall blood flow is reduced (i.e. cardiac failure)
What can atherosclerosis cause?
- Stenosis
- Thrombosis
- Aneurysm
- Dissection
- Embolism
What are the characteristics of arterial stenosis?
NARROWING OF THE ARTERIAL LUMEN
REDUCED ELASTICITY
REDUCED FLOW IN SYSTOLE
TISSUE ISCHAEMIA
What the clinical effects of cardiac ischemia?
REDUCED EXERCISE TOLERANCE
ANGINA
UNSTABLE ANGINA
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION
CARDIAC FAILURE
What are the clinical effect of cardiac fibrosis?
LOSS OF CARDIAC MYOCYTES
REPLACEMENT BY FIBROUS TISSUE
LOSS OF CONTRACTILITY
REDUCED ELASTICITY & FILLING
What are the clinical effects of thrombosis?
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION
CEREBRAL INFARCTION
RENAL INFARCTION
INTESTINAL INFARCTION
Clinical examples of lipid related issues?
- Xanthomata - deposition of yellowish cholesterol-rich material that can appear anywhere in the body in various disease state
- Xanthelasma - yellow deposits of plaque on upper eye lids
- Corneal arcus - epositing of phospholipid and cholesterol in the peripheral cornea in patients over the age of 60 which appears as a hazy white, grey, or blue opaque ring
- milky blood /serum- Turbid, cloudy or milky serum (lipemic serum) may be produced by the presence of fatty substances (lipids) in the blood
- Coronary heart disease.
What lipid related values do we measure?
- Total cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol
- Triglycerides if requested - this is effective by prandial status
- LDL cholseterol if requested
What is the average value of LDL cholesterol in relation to total cholesterol?
LDL is normally 2 mmol ml lower then total cholesterol
What should be the value for Total Cholesterol HDL ratio?
If value is lower than 4.5 than good
if higher than 5 than needs to be treated.
Describe the types of studies used to treat diseases.
Case-control study: two different groups differing in outcome are identified and compared on their causal attribute
cohort study - Follows a group of people over time
randomised clinical trial- experiment in which trial participants are randomly allocated treatment
systematic review
meta-analysis
Expert opinion.
What is the role of statins?
- Lowers cholesterol
2. slows down atherosclerosis process
What is the normal BMI range?
18-24 kg/m2
What would be the BMI an overweight person.
Range of 25-30 kg/m2
What would be the BMI of an obese person?
30 kg/m2 or higher
Give examples of statins
atorvastatin fluvastatin lovastatin pravastatin simvastatin rosuvastatin - more efficient than atorvastatin and simvastatin
what is familial hypercholesterolemia
ii. what should you look at?
- As common as type 1 diabetes
It causes LDL cholesterol level to be very high
ii. Ankles and knuckles
what is familial hypercholesterolemia
ii. what are the symptoms
- As common as type 1 diabetes
It causes LDL cholesterol level to be very high
ii. chest pain with activity xanthomas xanthelasmas corneal arcus
Define what hypertension is.
ii. What is its clinical blood pressure?
A disorder in which the level of sustained arterial pressure is higher than expected for the age,sex,and race of the individual.
ii. 140/90 mm Hg or higher
How can you classify hypertension?
In regards to cause - primary/essential (unknown cause) and secondary (known)
In regards to consequence - benign and malignant( acute severe).
white-coat hypertension - elevated clinical pressure but normal ABPM( <135/85)
What occurs in malignant hypertension?
ii. what can it cause?
Severe hypertension
Bilateral retinal haemorrhages and exudates
papilloedema (may not be present)
ii. AKI
heart failure
encephalopathy
What are the characterstics of primary hypertension?
No obvious cause Genetic factors (twin studies) Salt intake -25% salt sensitive Protein intake Renin - Angiotensin system Sympathetic activity (as BP = TPR x CO)
What underlying diseases could be the cause for secondary hypertension?
Renal disease (any renal disease) - reduced renal blood flow causes excess renin release and salt and water overload
Endocrine disease
Aortic disease
Renal artery stenosis
Drug therapy (cortizol steroids have an increase in BP)
What can benign hypetenson cause?
Serious life threatening morbidity.
eventually leading to :
Left ventricular hypertrophy Congestive cardiac failure Increases atheroma Increases aneurysm rupture - aortic dissection, Berry aneurysms
Renal disease
What can left ventricular hypertrophy cause?
INCREASED LV LOAD POOR PERFUSION INTERSTITIAL FIBROSIS MICRO-INFARCTS DIASTOLIC DYSFUNCTION
sudden cardiac death!
The greater the diastolic pressure in benign hypertension the greater the risk of ?
Strokes and Myocardial infarction
Every 10mmHg of diastolic pressure above 85 doubles risk of MI
Every 8mmHg of diastolic pressure above 85 doubles risk of stroke
What is the diastolic pressure of malignant hypertension?
> 130-140 mm Hg
What are the symptoms of malignant hypertension?
Causes cerebral oedema - seen as papilloedema (swelling of optic disc)
Acute renal failure
Acute heart failure
Headache and cerebral haemorrhage
Blood vessels show fibrinoid necrosis and endarteritis proliferans of their walls
What is pregancy associated hypertension known as?
ii. what are its symptoms?
iii. What are its causes?
Pre- eclampsia
ii. Increased maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality
Hypertension secondary to silent renal or systemic disease
Describe what Stage 1 hypertension is.
When clinical BP is higher or 140/90 mmHg
and at home BP is 135/85 mmHg
Describe what stage 2 hypertension is
Clinical blood pressure is 160/100 mmHg or higher
When resting BP is 150/95 mmHg or higher.
Describe what severe hypertension is.
when clinical Blood pressure 180/110 mmHg or higher.
Describe the effect of hypertension on elastic arteries.
ii. What does this have on the peripheral vascular resistance?
Internal lamina thickening, smooth muscle,hypertrophy and fibrosis.
Therefore lumen narrows and decreases endothelial function causing a decrease in compliance.
ii. Increases it thereby again increasing blood pressure
Describe the effect of hypertension on smaller arteries.
Hyaline sclerosis occurs narrowing the lumen.
Atherosclerosis is accelerated under hypertension true or false?
true
What are the risk factors which lead to an increase in atheroma?
Hypercholesterolaemia
diabetes
smoking
impaired glucose tolerance
What happens with decreased vascular compliance which is secondary to atherosclerosis?
Makes systolic Blood pressure become disproportionately greater than diastolic.
Give examples of cerebal complications caused by hypertension.
Transient ischemic attack
Cerebal infarction
Intracerebal haemorrhage- caused by extravasation (leakage of fluid from its vessel) of blood from micro aneurysms along walls of small intracerebral arterioles.
subarachnoid haemorrhage - due to degeneration of internal elastic membrane at apex of bifurcation which itself is caused
by haemodynamic stress.
Dementia
Carotid artery bifurcation is particularly vulnerable to atherosclerosis true or false?
true
What is the carotid bifurcation?
Where the common carotid artery terminates and where the external and internal carotid artery form.
What aortic related issues does hypertension cause?
aortic aneurysm - a sac like dilation of weakened aortic wall
aortic dissection- where blood enters the wall of aorta through a small tear in the tunica intima. Creates a large amount of stress causing two layers which compromises blood flow.
where is the main effect of hypertension on the kidneys?
Renal arteries and glomeruli.
How do you diagnose Hypertension?
Confirm diagnosis: ABPM or home BP monitoring and also clinic BP. ABPM preferred over HOME BPM
just go straight to management if clinical BPM >180/110
Look for end organ damage:
- Urine analysis -Proteinuria and microalbumuria.
- ECG or ECHO for LVH
- Fundoscopy
Pregnancy - dip stick
Bloods: FBC , U&E, glucose and cholesterol
What are the causes for peripheral arterial occlusive disease?
- Atherosclerotic or inflammatory process causing stenosis.
2. Thrombus formation.
What is accelerated (malignant) hypertension?
ii. what ethnic group is it most common in?
Refers to accelerated microvascular damage. small arteries and arterioles show fibrinoid necrosis.
ii. afrocaribbean
What are the risk factors of hypertension?
Race - Afrocaribbean more likely
Gender - greater in men
Age- if you old uh oh
Enviroment
Obesity
Diabetes
Too much salt in diet
Stress
Abnormalities in nervous,circulatory and renal systems
What are the risk factors of CVD?
Age
positive family history
Smoking
diabetes
Male
Afrocaribbean
Hypercholesterolaemia
obesity
What are the signs and symptoms of Hypertension?
Mainly asymptomatic - except for malignant hypertentsion
Signs:
renal damage
Radiofemoral delay
weak femoral pulses
renal bruits
cushings syndrome
End-organ damage: LVH , retinopathy and proteinuria
for malignant hypertension:
headaches and visual disturbances
Why when taking blood pressure should the arm be elevated to heart level?
If arm is below then there is an overestimate of systolic and diastolic values
while vice versa if arm is raised.
If the fourth kortikoff sound is heard what might this suggest?
Left ventricular stress- caused by hypertension
what Might carotid bruits suggest?
Indicator of secondary hypertension and organ damage.
What does hypertension cause in the eyes?
hypertensive retinopathy - retinal vascular damage. If untreated has high mortality rate.
What are the three types of hypertensive retinopathy?
Mild- Generalised arteriolar narrowing and silver wall wiring (arteriolar wall opacity)
Moderate- retinal haemorrhage (dots,blots or flamed shaped)
accerlerated- visual loss
What are the gradings for hypertensive retinopathy?
Grade 1- arteriolar narrowing
Grade 2- Increased generalised narrowing
Grade 3- haemorrhages
Grade 4- papilledema
What are the two types retinal vein thrombosis?
central vein occlusion
branch vein occlusion
No salt added diet leads to blood pressure dropping below 2-4 mm Hg true or false?
true
How do you manage hypertension
Treat underlying causes: stop smoking and drinking. Reduce salt intake
Drugs:
A: ACE inhibitor (lisinopril) or ARB (candesartan) if ACE not tolerated
C: calcium channel blocker e.g. nifedipine
D: Thiazide diuretic
Step 1: ACE/ARB if <55year or give C or D if >55/black
Step 2 A+ C or A+D
Step 3 A+C +D
All start at stage 2 or above only stage 1 if:
Diabetes. Renal disease. End organ damage. Established cardiovascular disease. 10 year cardiovascular risk > 20%.
beta blockers: usually not first line for hypertension but considered in young people who:
Intolerant to ACE/ARB
pregnant
or there is an increase in sympathetic drive (sweating)
Give examples of causes of secondary hypertension.
Hyperaldosteronism
Renovascular disease e.g. (atheromatous renal artery stenosis and fibro-muscular hyperplasia)
Paranchymal renal disease
Coarctation of the aorta
Phaechromocytoma
Cushing’s syndrome
Drugs
What are the presenting features of secondary hypertension?
Onset if younger then 35 and especially if younger than 20
Sudden loss of good blood pressure control.
Resistance to adequate drug treatment.
systolic BP greater than 200 mm Hg and diastolic greater than 120 mm Hg
What is ALT?
alanine transaminase. It is an enzyme found mostly in the liver. When liver cells are damaged, they release ALT into the bloodstream.
Why is swimming good?
Doesn’t cause osteoarthritis.
What is a fundoscopy?
An exam that uses a magnifying lens and a light to check the fundus of the eye (back of the inside of the eye, including the retina and optic nerve).
What would be shown on an ECG with LVH?
Large QRS wave.
Does diuretic drugs increase uric acid?
yes so don’t use it with gout.
Describe the diastolic pressures pattern.
Rises till age of 50 and then falls.
Describe the systolic pressure pattern.
ii. What does this do to pulse pressure?
Keeps increasing.
ii. Increases causing syncope more likely to occur. As drugs will treat how systole pressure but will lower already low diastolic BP in elderly.
How do you calculate CV risk ?
Use Assign score.
What does an abdominal bruit suggest?
Renal failure.
What is a bruit?
A sound heard over an artery or vascular channel, reflecting turbulence of flow. Most commonly, a bruit is caused by abnormal narrowing of an artery.
Fasting glucose level ?
00 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L) is considered prediabetes. If it’s 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L) or higher on two separate tests, the the patient has diabetes.
Fasting glucose test is used for what?
To detect for diabetes see patients normal blood sugar level
What does ankle swelling suggest?
- Right sidedHeart failure
- Nephrotic syndrome
- Calcium channel blockers (drugs)
- Hypothyroidism
What enzyme do statins inhibit?
Hmg Coa reductase
What must you say to a patient when prescribing ace inhibitor and ARBs?
- Never take them if they have diarrhoea and vomiting as it causes acute renal failure.
- They’re renal function needs to monitored at least annually. 7-10 days after if stop using them
- Be aware of dry cough
What is normal eGFR value?
60 or more.
What do Aceinhibitors end in?
ii. Beta blockers
iii. ARBs
(rule of thumb not all of them)
i. -pril
ii. -lol
iii. -artan
What is papillodema?
Is inflammation of the optic disc
What is hypertensive retinopathy associated with?
Generalised or local narrowing of retinal arterioles.
What might acute or severe hypertension cause?
Retinal arterioles may leak or become occluded. This causes:
- extravascular oedema
- Intra- retinal haemorrhages
- Nerve fibre layer infarcts
- retinal microaneurysms
What is papilloedema associated with?
flame haemorrhages
venous congestion
vascular exudates
Give examples of drugs which cause hypertension.
Alcohol
Caffeine
Nasal sprays and remedies
NSAIDS
Erythropoietin.
Corticosteroids
How would you test for chronic kidney diesease?
Estimate Glomerulus filtrate rate.
How would you test for cushings syndrome?
24 hour free cortisol and creatinine.
How would you test for coarctation of aorta?
BP in both arms plus one leg ; echo
How would you carry out urinalysis?
ii Can you give examples of how to make sure the procedure is carried out properly?
dipstick test.
ii. Must be analysed within an hour
keep reagent strips in original container don’t refrigerate
What would a positive result of protein and blood in urine dipstick test suggest?
ii. what is the proteinuria value which is deemed to significant?
iii. What happens if glycosuria is present?
Renal disease or target organ damage.
ii. 150mg/24 hours.
iii. suggests diabetes.
What is hypokalemia?
ii. what does it suggest?
Mean low serum potassium - levels less than 3.5 mmol/L
ii. highly suggestive of primary aldosteronism. Even if patient is on diuretic
What is hyperuricaemia?
ii. what does it suggest?
Is an usually high level of uric acid in the blood due to reduced excretion or increased cell turnover.
ii. risk of gout in those who use diuretics.
What happens if urea and creatine levels are increased?
Suggest underlying renal damage or disease.
What is microalbuminuria?
abnormal urinary excretion of albumin between 30-300mg/24 hour and is found in 8-15% of patients with hypertension.
What does anaemia suggest?
Renal impairment can be associated with anaemia which can be caused by hypertension. Or that the hypertension is secondary.
What does a raised mean corpuscular volume suggest
covert high alcohol intake, a major cause of secondary hypertension.
Describe what happens to people with ischaemic heart disease?
Stable accumulation of flow restriction
angina
unstable clinical syndromes
heart attack
NSTEMI
STEMI
What is common symptom of IHD?
ii what is the normal clinical diagnosis?
Chest pain
ii. Angina
What is common symptom of IHD?
ii what is the normal clinical diagnosis?
Chest pain
ii. Angina
What different diagnosis can you get on the GI tract which seems like chest pain but isn’t?
Reflux, burning, acid, waterbrash, provoked by food
Peptic ulcer pain. Epigastric, boring, point of finger gesture, relief by antacids / food
Oesophageal spasm
Biliary colic
What differential diagnosis can you get with MSK which seems like chest pain but isn’t?
Injury, location, tender, prolonged, exac. by moving area,
Nerve root pain, character, prolonged
What are the differential diagnosis of pericarditis which appears like chest pain?
Central, posture related
What is pleuritic pain described as?
Focal, exacerbated by breathing, sharp, catching
Give examples of emergency differential diagnosis for chest pain
Myocardial infarction
Severe, associated autonomic upset, angor animi
Ongoing pain, despite >10mg Morphine
Pulmonary embolus
Breathlessness, dull (maybe pleuritic)
Dissection of aorta
Tearing, excruciating, severe then eases
What is angor animi?
Angor animi is a symptom defined as a patient’s perception that they are in fact dying.
What are the pros of perfusion imaging?
Non invasive
Pharmacological stress in less mobile patients
More precision than ETT
Risk stratification
What are the cons of perfusion imaging?
Radiation
False positives and negatives
What are the pros and cons of CT angiography?
Non-invasive
Anatomical data and risk stratification
cons
Radiation
Less precise than angiography, particularly when calcium present
Cost
What are the pros and cons of an angiography?
Pros “Gold standard” Anatomical and risk stratification Follow-on angioplasty Cons Risk 1:1000 death, stroke Radiation Contrast: renal dysfunction, rash, nausea
What are the complications of a Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG)?
Death 1-2% Stroke 2-3% MI 3% Atrial fibrillation Infection Cognitive impairment Sternal malunion Renal failure Failure to recover
What are the complications of Percutaneous coronary interventions?
Death 0.8% Stroke 0.6% MI 1-2% Renal failure Bleeding Vascular complications Stent thrombosis Stent restenosis Emergency CABG may be required.
What is the PCI technique?
Vascular access Anti-platelet drugs, anticoagulation Catheter to ostium of coronary Guidewire down vessel Balloons threaded over wire Stent(s) implanted Balloon, catheter, wires removed
What symptoms/factors should be presented in a patient in order for a angiography to be used?
Suitability for revascularisation Multi-vessel disease, diffuse or focal Left main disease Diabetes Co-morbidities
What is the ideal choice of preference if someone is having a STEMI?
PCI
What is a STEMI?
ST elevated myocardial infarction
What do people complain of if they have intermitten claudication?
Patients with intermittent claudication complain of exertional discomfort, most commonly in the calf, which is relieved by rest.