Cardiovascular Conditions Flashcards
Hypertension: Causes
Usually no cause
5% caused by renal disease, obesity, pregnancy, endocrine, drugs
(ROPED)
Hypertension: Diagnostic Criteria
- BP >140/90 in clinic
- BP >135/85 at home
Hypertension: Risk Factors (6)
- Alcohol
- Sedentary lifestyle
- DM
- Age
- Family history
- Ethnicity (afro-caribbean)
Hypertension: Investigations (2)
- Take BP in clinic but only home BP is diagnostic
- Rule out renal failure (dipstick), cardio complications (ECG), hypertensive retinopathy, DM
Hypertension: Treatment (3)
- When they have T2DM - give ACEi, may need CCB (calcium channel blocker), may still need thiazide-like diuretic
- When they don’t have DM and are <55 do same as above
- When they don’t have DM and are >55 or Afro-caribbean first give CCB then ACEi if needed then add thiazide-like diuretic
Ischaemic Heart Disease: Pathology
Atherosclerosis → endothelial dysfunction and injury causes lipid accumulation → local cellular proliferation → mural thrombi (plaque)
Ischaemic Heart Disease: Risk Factors (6)
- Family history
- Age
- Ethnicity (S. Asian)
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Sedentary lifestyle
Ischaemic Heart Disease: Presentation
Presents with angina - pain in chest, neck, shoulders, jaws or arms. Starts with physical exertion. Relieved by rest
Ischaemic Heart Disease: Investigations (4)
- CT coronary angiography!
- Lipid profile - high LDL
- FBC - to exclude anaemia
- HbA1c - to exclude DM
Ischaemic Heart Disease: Treatment (3)
- Antiplatelet - aspirin/clopidogrel
- Lipid lowering - Statins
- Beta blockers for angina
Acute Coronary Syndrome: Description
Thrombus from an atherosclerotic plaque blocking a coronary artery
Causes Unstable Angina (ischaemia), STEMI (complete occlusion), NSTEMI (partial occlusion)
Acute Coronary Syndrome: Presentation
- Chest pain radiating to jaw/arms
- Sweating
Acute Coronary Syndrome: Investigations (4)
- If ECG shows ST elevation = STEMI
- If ECG shows ST depression, deep T wave inversion look at troponins
- If troponins normal = unstable angina
- If troponins are abnormal = NSTEMI
Acute Coronary Syndrome: Immediate Management
MONAC
Morphine
Oxygen (if sats ,92%)
Nitrate
Aspirin
Clopidogrel
Acute Coronary Syndrome: STEMI management (2)
- Give PCI (Percutaneous coronary intervention - minimally invasive procedure) **within 2 hours
- If PCI not possible give fibrinolysis (clot buster)
Acute Coronary Syndrome: NSTEMI/Unstable angina management (3)
- Use GRACE score to predict risk
- Low risk - aspirin
- Medium/High risk - angiography + PCI
Acute Coronary Syndrome: Secondary Prevention (4)
Give ACE inhibitors
Clopidogrel
Aspirin
Beta blocker
Angina: Definition
Chest pain/discomfort arising from the heart as a result of myocardial ischaemia
Can be stable - induced by effort and relieved by rest
Or unstable - increases in severity, occurs at rest or is of recent onset
Angina: Symptoms (4)
- Central crushing retrosternal chest pain that radiates to arms, jaw and neck
- Dyspnoea
- Palpitations
- Syncope
Angina: Differential Diagnosis (3)
- Pericarditis/Mycocarditis
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Chest Infection
Angina: Investigations (3)
- ECG - usually normal, may show ST depression and T wave inversion
- CT angiography - narrow coronary artery
- Bloods - check FBC (anaemia), cardiac enzymes, glucose, lipid profile
Angina: Treatment (5)
- Lifestyle changes
- Glyceryl Trinitrate (GTN) spray - 1st line (dilates coronary arteries)
- Beta blockers - reduce HR and force of contraction
- Amlodipine - Ca2+ channel blocker
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)
Heart Failure: Definition
- A clinical syndrome rather than one specific disease
- Symptomatic condition of breathlessness, fluid retention and fatigue associated with cardiac abnormalities that reduce cardiac output
Heart Failure: Epidemiology
Incidence of 10% in patients over 65
Heart Failure: Causes (5)
- IHD
- Hypertension
- Cardiomyopathy
- VHD
- CHD
Heart Failure: Risk Factors (3)
- Age - over 65
- Obesity
- Male
Heart Failure: Types
- Systolic - failure to contract, ejection fraction <40%
- Diastolic - inability to relax and fill, ejection fraction >50%
Heart Failure: Pathology (compensatory changes)
Compensatory changes - sympathetic stimulation (increases HR), increased RAAS (due to fall in CO, leads to increased water retention and oedema), cardiac changes (ventricular dilation and myocyte hypertrophy)
Heart Failure: Left HF (definition and symptoms)
- Reduced ejection fraction (systolic)
- Symptoms - pulmonary oedema, tachycardia, pleural effusion
Heart Failure: Right HF (definition and symptoms)
- Can be caused by left ventricular failure
- Symptoms - pitting oedema, ascites, weight gain (fluids)
Heart Failure: Investigations (3)
- ECG - may show underlying causes
- Bloods - Brain Natriuretic Peptide (released by ventricles with mycocardial wall stress)
- Cardiac enzymes - creatinine kinase, Troponin I, Troponin T, Myoglobulin
Heart Failure: Treatment (6)
- Lifestyle changes
- ACE inhibitors - dilates blood vessels
- Beta blockers
- Diuretics
- Heart transplant
- Oxygen (acute)
ECGs: Conduction Pathway
SA node → AV node → Bundle of His → Left and right Bundle Branches → Purkinje fibres
ECGs: Letters explained
- P wave - atrial depolarisation
- PR interval - atrial depolarisation and delay in AV junction
- QRS complex - ventricular depolarisation and atrial repolarisation
- T wave - ventricular repolarisation
ECGs: 12 Lead Placements
R - right arm
L - left arm
F - left leg
N - right leg
V1 - fourth intercostal space to the right of the sternum
V2 - fourth intercostal space to the left of the sternum
V3 - between V2 and V4
V4 - fifth intercostal space midclavicular line
V5 - level with V4 at left anterior axillary line
V6 - level with V5 at midaxillary line
ECGs: Limb Leads
I: -RA +LA
II: -RA +LL
III: -LA +LL
aVR: +RA
aVL: +LA
aVF: +LF
ECGs: 10 Rules of ECGs
- PR = 120-200s (3-5 small squares)
- QRS not wider than 110ms (3 little squares)
- QRS upright in leads I and II
- QRS and T waves have same direction in the limb leads (I, II and III)
- All waves negative in aVR lead
- R wave increases in size from V1-V4, S wave grows from V1 to V3 and is absent in V6
- ST segment is isoelectric in all leads except V1 and V2 where it may be slightly raised
- P waves upright in I and II and V2-V6
- There should be no Q waves larger than o.o4s in I, II, V2-V6
- T wave upright in I, II, V2-V6
Arrhythmias: Sinus Tachycardia (HR and treatment)
> 100 BPM
Treat with beta blockers (bisoprolol)
Arrhythmias: Atrial Flutter (HR, treatment)
Atrial HR = 300, ventricular rate = 150
Give beta blockers and amiodarone
Arrhythmias: AV Nodal Re-entry Tachycardia (definition, investigation, treatment)
impulse produces a circuit movement tachycardia in AV node.
ECG shows P waves not visible and QRS normal
Vagal manoeuvres or IV adenosine
Arrhythmias: AV Reciprocating Tachycardia (definition, treatment)
Circuit involving atria and ventricles.
Vagal manoeuvres or IV adenosine
Arrhythmias: Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (definition, investigation)
AVRT with extra bundle between atria and ventricles.
ECG shortened PR interval, slurred start and narrow QRS
Arrhythmias: Atrial Fibrillation (definition, causes, symptoms)
- Atrial rhythm 300-600BPM, HR 120-180. Most common arrhythmia. Irregular ventricular response to atrial impulses
- HF, hypertension, CAD, RHD, VHD
- Asymptomatic, palpitations, dyspnoea, chest pain