Cardiovascular Monitoring Flashcards
What does the cardiovascular system do?
- Carry nutrient and oxygen to tissues and cells
- To transport waste products to the kidneys, liver and lungs
List anaesthetic associated arrythmias?
- Sinus tachycardia/bradycardia
- Ventricular tachycardia
- Atrial fibrillation
- Sinus arrest
- AV block
- VPCs
What does atrial fibrillation look like on a ECG graph?
- Normal QRS complexes
- Multiple P waves
What causes atrial fibrillation?
- Primary heart disease
How is atrial fibrillation treated?
- Treat underlying cause before anaesthesia
What does ventricular tachycardia look like on a ECG graph?
- Loss of P and T waves, as QRS complexes supersede
What causes ventricular tachycardia?
- Pain
- Stress
- Hypovolaemia
- Hypoxaemia
- Hypercapnia
How is ventricular tachycardia treated?
- Fluid therapy
- Analgesia
- Reduction of volatile agent
- Administration of lidocaine
What does ventricular fibrillation look like on a ECG graph?
- Irregular QRS complexes with loss of P and T waves
What causes ventricular fibrillation?
- Medication overdose
- Anaesthetic overdose
Numerous disease processes
How is ventricular fibrillation treated?
- Shock with defibrillator or a peri-cardial thump
What does a sinus arrhythmia look like on a ECG graph?
- Normal PQRST but may be slow or fast
What causes a sinus arrythmia?
- In healthy/very fit dogs
- Alpha-2-agonist drugs
- Vagal stimulation
How is a sinus arrhythmia treated?
- Reverse drugs
- Stop vagal stimulation
What does ventricular premature contraction (VPC) look like on a ECG graph?
- Wider QRS complexes and loss of P wave
What causes ventricular premature contractions (VPCs)?
- Hypoxia
- Hypercapnia
- Myocardial damage
- Trauma
- Hypo/hyperkalaemia
- Caesarians and GDVs
How is a ventricular premature contraction (VPC) treated?
- Fluid therapy
- Lidocaine
- Appropriate analgesia
- Treat underlying cause
What does a 2nd degree AV block look like on a ECG graph?
- P wave followed by a delayed QRS complex
What causes a 2nd degree AV block?
- Vagal stimulation
- Opioid administration
- Alpha-2-agonist drugs
How can a 2nd degree AV block be treated?
- Reverse drugs
- Stop vagal stimulation
What does a sinus arrest look like on a ECG graph?
- Gap in between normal complex
What causes a sinus arrest?
- Drug administration and vagal stimulation
How can a sinus arrest be treated?
- Reverse drugs and stop vagal stimulation
What is invasive blood pressure?
- Placing an arterial catheter and connecting it to a pressure bag of fluids and a transducer
What are the limitations of invasive blood pressure?
- Cost
- Availability of equipment
- Risk of local pain
- Haemorrhaging
- Haematoma formation
- Infection
- Embolism
- Ischemia/thrombosis
