Cardiovascular Emergencies Flashcards
3 Major Components to the Circulatory System
Heart-pump
Blood Vessels- pipes
Blood- fluid
3 Major Components to the Circulatory System
Heart-pump
Blood Vessels- pipes
Blood- fluid
Angina Pectoris
transient chest pain caused by lack of oxygen to the heart muscle. Oxygen demand temporarily exceeds the supply
Atherosclerosis
build up of plaque in a blood vessel, restricting or obstructing blood flow
Angina usually last no longer than
10 minutes
Signs and Symptoms of Angina
chest pain/pressure
weakness/fatigue
excessive sweating
abnormal vital signs
Angina Resolves with
Rest
oxygen
nitroglycerin
Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI or MI)
when blood flow decreases or stops to a part of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle.
AMI symptoms
chest pain/pressure
weakness/fatigue
excessive sweating
abnormal vital signs
Atypical Presentations of MI
not all patients experiencing MI have chest pain
- some may experience silent MI (no pain)
- some complain of indigestion
Patient groups that often experience atypical MI
geriatrics
women
diabetics
alcoholics
Complications of MI
Cardiac dysrhythmias
sudden cardiac arrest
CHF
cardiogenic shock
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
occurs when ventricles are unable to keep up with the flow of blood coming to them
Signs and Symptoms of CHF
dyspnea
chest pain
pulmonary edema
JVD
pedal edema (fluid in the lower extremities)
orthopnea (difficulty breathing when lying down)
Right Ventricle does what?
receives deoxygenated blood from the right atrium and pumps it under low pressure into the lungs via the pulmonary artery.
Left Ventricle does what?
is responsible for pumping oxygenated blood to tissues all over the body
Failure of the right ventricle causes what?
blood backs up into the venous system that feeds into the right heart
Failure of the left ventricle causes what?
blood backs up into the lungs (pulmonary edema)
What is considered to be hypertensive when it comes to BP?
systolic above 140
Diastolic above 90
Hypertensive crisis
systolic bp above 190
diastolic bp above 94
Signs and symptoms of of hypertension
severe headache ringing in the ears (tinnitus) nausea vomiting dizziness nose bleed
What are the best options for medications when dealing with chest pain or symptoms of cardiac emergency?
nitroglycerin .4mg
Aspirin 4 equaling 324mg
