Cardiovascular System Flashcards
Heart Anatomy
Differentiate between: Pulmonary circulation and Systemic circulation
•Pulmonary circulation: transports blood between the heart and lungs for exchange of blood gases
•Systemic circulation: transports blood between the heart and the rest of the body
Differentiate between: Systole and Diastole
•Systole: The phase of the heart cycle during which the myocardium is contracting (top number)
•Diastole: The phase of the heart cycle in which the myocardium is relaxing (bottom number)
Where is the sinoatrial node located and what is important about it?
It is located in the upper portion of the right atrium near the superior vena cava. An electrical current is transmitted through the myocardium, resulting in a heartbeat.
•List the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease that are in control of the patient.
•List those that are not in control of the patient
•List the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease that are in control of the patient: Smoking, high blood pressure, alcohol use, poor diet, high cholesterol, obesity
•List those that are not in control of the patient: Age, family history, diabetes mellitus
When performing chest x-rays (CXR), what factors can the radiographer control? What significance do each of these have on the image? What factors are out of the radiographer’s control?
•What factors can the radiographer control? patient posture, degree of inspiration, correct positioning, geometric factors, and exposure technique selection
•What significance do each of these have on the image? they can affect things like how the heart appears (ex: enlarged heart when it’s not actually enlarged), using adequate kVp can help show vascular markings within the lung
•What factors are out of the radiographer’s control? patient body habitus, bony thorax abnormalities, and pathologic conditions such as pneumothorax or pulmonary emphysema
Echocardiography
•Echocardiography is similar to what other modality?
•What is a TEE?
•Echocardiography is similar to what other modality? Sonography/Ultrasound
•What is a TEE? transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), in which the individual swallows a mobile, flexible probe containing the transducer. With TEE, the heart’s structure can be readily visualized without interference from such structures as the skin, rib cage, and chest muscles. It is especially helpful in imaging the aortic arch and root. The use of a TEE probe allows 3-D echocardiography systems obtain a volumetric dataset, similar to computed tomography (CT)
Nuclear Cardiology
•What cardiac conditions can be assessed with Nuclear Cardiology procedures?
coronary artery disease (CAD), congenital heart disease, and cardiomyopathy
CT
What information can a calcium scoring test provide?
evaluating the amount of calcium (hard plaques) present in the coronary arteries
MRI
What cardiovascular information can MRI provide?
It may be used to evaluate myocardial wall thickness, cardiac valvular structure, and chamber volumes, and is especially helpful in diagnosing right ventricular dysplasia. MRI is highly effective in the evaluation of viable versus nonviable myocardium. MRI is a valuable tool for imaging the anatomy, function, and disease of the heart
Angiography
What is angiography?
A procedure commonly performed to evaluate cardiovascular disease. It may be performed for diagnostic purposes or for therapeutic reasons
CABG
Define and describe the term CABG
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting involves bypassing the obstruction with a segment of the saphenous vein. A portion of the saphenous vein is removed from the patient’s leg, and one end is attached to the aorta superior to the level of the coronary arteries. The distal end of the graft is attached to the coronary artery, distal to the site of the occlusion.
List of congenital and hereditary conditions
•Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
•Coarctation of the Aorta
•Septal Defects
•Transposition of the Great Vessels
•Tetralogy of Fallot
Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
•What is it?
•What is it? ductus arteriosus remains open after birth, resulting in recirculation of arterial blood through the lungs instead of the systemic circulation
Coarctation of the Aorta
•What is it?
•What is it? a narrowing of the aorta at the junction site
Septal Defects
•What is it?
•Associated medical terms
•What is it? A defect in either the ventricular septum or the atrial septum allows the blood to be shunted between the two chambers, mixing pulmonary and systemic blood
•Associated medical terms: Shunt- a small tube or passage that moves fluid from one part of the body to another
Transposition of the Great Vessels
•What is it?
•What is it? an anomaly in which the aorta arises from the right ventricle instead of the left ventricle, and the pulmonary trunk arises from the left ventricle instead of the right ventricle. This serious congenital defect does not allow the pulmonary and systemic subsystems to communicate
Tetralogy of Fallot
•What is it?
•What is it? a combination of four defects: (1) pulmonary stenosis, (2) ventricular septal defect, (3) overriding aorta, and (4) hypertrophy of the right ventricle
Aneurysm
•What is it?
•What is it? A localized “ballooning” or outpouching of a vessel wall is called an aneurysm. It results when the vessel wall has been weakened by atherosclerotic disease, trauma, infection, or congenital defects.
Embolism
•What is it?
•What is it? occurs when a mass of matter in the blood stream collects and creates an embolus, which obstructs a blood vessel. Emboli may be comprised of clotted blood, known as a thrombus, or any other foreign material within the blood such as an air bubble, fat, bacteria, or amniotic fluid
Atherosclerosis
•What is it?
•What is it? a degenerative condition that affects the major arteries of the body, often termed hardening of the arteries. It is the most prevalent disease in humans and occurs in epidemic proportions in the United States.
Coronary artery disease (CAD)
•What is it?
What is it? also known as ischemic heart disease, results from the deposition of atheromas on the wall of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle. As plaques accumulate in the coronary arteries, blood supply to the heart muscle is decreased, resulting in ischemia, a local and temporary impairment of circulation caused by obstruction of circulation, and myocardial damage as an infarct, which is an area of ischemic necrosis.
Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
•What is it?
•What is it? most commonly caused by an acute thrombus of the coronary arteries and primarily affects the left ventricle of the heart. The ability of the heart to continue pumping blood depends on the extent of muscle damage. Clinical signs and symptoms of MI include a sudden onset of severe, crushing chest pain that may radiate down the left arm or up into the neck.
