Cardiovascular Toolbox Flashcards
What is the leading cause of mortality in the US and the world?
Has the death rate for this cause been increasing or declining?
Cardiovascular disease- from 1998 to 2008 it has been declining (by 30%) but it is still the leading cause
About how many Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day?
2200 which is about one every 39 seconds
What is the total and indirect cost for care for cardiovascular disease and stroke in 2008?
297.7 billion dollars
Cancers was (228 billion)
What is “ideal cardiovascular health” as defined by the American Heart Association?
(7 attributes)
the absence of clinical manifestations of cardiovascular disease and optimal levels of:
- lean body mass
- no smoking
- regular exercise
- healthy eating
- untreated cholesterol <100mg/dl
How many American adults over 20 have hypertension?
over 75 million
How many adults have cholesterol levels over 200?
over 240?
100 million, 33million
How many adults have DM?
Pre-diabetes?
Undiagnosed diabetes?
DM-18 million
undiagnosed- 7 million
pre-diabetes- 80 million
What percent of adults meet physical activity guidelines?
High Schoolers?
20%
37%
What percent of adults reach “ideal healthy diet?”
<1%
What percent of people are smokers?
20%
What percent of American adults are overweight or obese?
roughly 70%
What health factors have Americans been improving on?
What factors have plateaued?
What has gotten worse?
Improved: 1.CVD and stroke mortality 2. lowered cholesterol 3. increased physical activity Plateau: 1. HTN 2. smoking Gotten worse: 1. DM 2. obesity
What specific cardiovascular disease kills the most people worldwide?
Where do 80% of the deaths take place?
7 million from coronary heart disease, 6 million from stroke
80% of deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
What are the 4 major non-communicable diseases the WHO are focusing on?
What are the four common risk factors?
- Cardiovascular disease
- chronic lung disease
- Diabetes
- cancer
- tobacco
- inactivity
- alcohol
- unhealthy die
What are the 5 main cardiac complaints when taking a history?
- Chest pain
- Palpitations
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- Syncope
- Edema
Describe ischemic chest pain (angina pectoris).
how does it feel, where is it localized, where does it radiate, “classic” presentation
- tightness, heaviness (“elephant sitting on chest”), pressure, squeezing
- Cannot be localized to one point
- radiates to neck, jaw, upper arm, shoulder (sometimes midepigastric to back)
- nausea, sweating, vomiting, anxious
How does the description of angina pectoris differ for men and women?
Women have more vague symptoms with usually just nausea and midepigastric pain.
What four things can typically provoke ischemic chest pain?
What is the treatment for it?
- Exertion
- Emotional upset
- cold weather
- large meals
Treated with nitroglycerin or rest.
Describe the pain associated with pericardial inflammation.
What aggravates it?
- Sharp, stabbing
2. aggravated by changes in position or deep breaths
Describe the pain associated with aortic dissection.
Where does the pain radiate to?
- Tearing, severe
2. Radiates to the back
What are palpitations?
An unusual awareness of the beating of the heart:
racing, fluttering, pounding, skipping beats
Associated with abnormal rhythm (not always but frequently)
What causes dyspnea with heart failure?
Increased pulmonary pressure from heart failure or left valve dysfunction causes edema to leak into the alveolar space decreasing compliance and increasing resistance to airflow.
What is othopnea?
How is it assessed?
dyspnea in the supine position where gravity redistributes fluid back to central circulation, elevating pulmonary venous pressure.
It is assessed by the number of pillows a patient sleeps with each night
What is paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea?
A sleeping patient is awakened by sense of dyspnea that is only improved if they sit up
What is syncope?
What are the 4 prodromal symptoms?
transient loss of consciousness due to decreased cerebral blood flow.
Dizziness, visual change, nausea, sweating
What are the two main forms of edema associated with heart disease?
- Systemic edema- usually seen in the legs due to gravity but can progress to the entire body (anasarca)
- Pulmonary edema- fluid accumulates in the interstitial spaces of the lungs
What are the 5 major causes of edema?
- Heart disease
- Renal disease
- lymphatic drainage or venous insufficiency
- obstruction
- decreased colloid
What is the common presentation of volume overload?
- dyspnea on exertion
- PND, orthopnea
- edema
Given the following observations, what is suggested?
- obesity and/or cyanosis
- tall with long arms/fingers
- cachexia
- slender/nervous
- slow, non-pitting edema
- febrile, ill, skin lesion
- right heart failure, sleep apnea
- Marfan’s
- end stage heart disease
- hyperthyroidism
- hypothyroidism
- endocarditis
Normal blood pressure varies by less than ________________ between inspiration and expiration.
If it is greater than that what is potential cause?
10 mmHg
Greater than 12mmHg change is suggestive of pulsus paradoxus where cardiac tamponade is the typical cause.
Describe the physiological mechanism behind the change in BP during inspiration and expiration.
- On inspiration, the intrathoracic pressure decreases which increased RV filling.
- RV pushes septum into LV decreasing LV volume and stroke volume
- Decreased stroke volume decreases systolic BP slightly
What is pulsus paradoxus? What is the predominant cause?
It is an inspirational drop in systolic pressure of 12mmHg or more.
It is usually caused by cardiac tamponade which is fluid and pressure in the pericardial space which impinge upon the ventricles reducing LV stroke volume more.
Also seen with obesity/severe lung disease
What 2 things does the jugular venous waveform give us information about?
- fluid status in the right side of the heart (RA)
2. cardiac rhythm
How is jugular venous waveform measured and reported?
Jugular venous waveform should be measured: supine 45degree angle erect in order to ascertain the meniscus.
The RA is the zero reference level and the height of the waveform is reported as cm of water.
5-10cm is normal.
For venous waveforms, what are:
- a wave
- c wave
- x descent
- v wave
- y descent
- RA contraction
- Tricuspid closes
- RA relaxation
- RA filling
- tricuspid opens and RA empties into RV
What is the affect of respiration on the jugular venous pressure?
Inspiration increases filling in the right sided heart chambers due to negative intrathoracic pressure.
This decreases the blood in the vena cava, decreasing the JVP.
Expiration, intrathoracic pressure increases which inhibits vena cava emptying into the RA. This increases JVP.
What is Kussmaul’s sign?
What are the underlying causes?
It is when there is a paradoxical increase in JVP during inspiration due to right heart not being able to tolerate increased flow.
Caused by restrictive/constrictive cardiac disease like:
1. constrictive pericarditis
2. acute RV infarction
What are situations that could cause large A waves on the jugular venous waveform? (4)
What would cause absent A waves? (2)
A waves mark RA contraction, so anything that would increase RA pressure.
- A-V obstruction - tricuspid stenosis, myxoma
- Compete A-V block - “Cannon” a waves
- Increased RA volume
- Restriction to RV filling- pulmonary hypertension
Absent
- atrial flutter
- atrial fibrillation
What are situations that would cause V wave abnormalities on the hugular venous waveform?
V waves are the filling of the RA so, the V wave will be taller in the case of :
1. tricuspid regurgitation
What is the point of maximal impulse?
When and where can it be palpated?
When you place your palm on the left chest wall you can feel the impulse of the heart (less than the size of a nickel)
It can be palpated during early systole at the fifth intercostal space to the left of the sternum
What is the significance of the PMI being:
- displaced laterally
- inferiorly displaced
- sustained for majority of systole
- Ventricular dilation
- low diaphragm (potential COPD)
- ventricular hypertrophy
What 7 arteries should be assessed when taking pulse?
Which assesses normal arterial pulse best at the bedside?
- carotid- best arterial pulse at the bedside
- brachial
- radial
- abdominal aorta
- femoral
- popliteal
- posterior tibial
What is a bruit?
It is turbulent flow. It is a “swoosh” sound you hear when blood crosses an artery with an obstruction
What arteries are palpated during cardiology physical exam?
Why?
Popliteal and abdominal aorta to assess for peripheral vascular disease such as:
- atherosclerosis
- aneurysm
- congenital vascular disorders