Ch 9 Abnormal Heart Flashcards
What is considered tachycardia + bradycardia in fetuses?
Tachy: over 180 bpm
Brady: under 100 bpm
(if sustained they can have severe clinical consequences)
We primarily assess arrhythmias using what?
M-mode
Is atria or ventricular rate assessed using m-mode?
Both!
What is the m/c benign arrhythmia?
PACs (premature atrial contractions)
Can PACs be conducted + non-conducted?
Yes!
What does it mean when PACs are conducted?
-They affect the ventricle
-Can lead to sustained tachy
-Occurs 2-3% of the time
What does it mean when PACs are non-conducted?
It stops at the AV node
Rate of SVT?
180-300 bpm
What is the ratio of atrial + ventricular beats with SVT?
1:1 ratio
What is SVT associated with in 10% of cases?
Structural cardiac lesions
If a fetus has SVT, what medication can be administered to the mother to treat it?
Digoxin (if structural)
A fetus with SVT that does not respond to treatment is at risk for what?
-Nonimmune hydrops
-Heart failure
What is the rate of atrial flutter?
300-400 bpm
What is the ratio of atrial to ventricular beats with atrial flutter?
2:1
-2 atrial beats for each ventricular beat
-there are dropped ventricular beats at a set rate
Is A-FIB rare?
Extremely rare!!
What is the rate of A-FIB?
Over 400 bpm
What is A-FIB? How does it differ from flutter?
-Irregular atrial rate (unlike flutter)
-No set ventricular conduction pattern (unlike flutter)
What heart condition are we concerned about when a fetus has bradycardia?
Heart block
What is the most severe form of a heart block?
3rd degree AV block
What would a 3rd degree AV block look like in terms of the atrial + ventricular HR?
-Normal atrial rate (120-180 bpm)
-Ventricular rate of approx 70 bpm or slower
(use m-mode to evaluate atria + ventricles)
If a fetus has a 3rd degree AV block, how will we treat this?
May deliver baby + do external pacing of the fetus
What is transient fetal bradycardia? Is it common?
-Slow HR that comes + goes
(heart can completely stop too)
-Very common
Can probe pressure cause the heart to slow down or stop?
Yes! In transient fetal bradycardia
What is the m/c cardiac malformation?
Isolated VSDs - ventricular septal defects
(accounts for 30% of cardiac abnormalities, incidence of 1-2%)