Chapter 16 - Cardiovascular Emergencies

Question 1

Aorta

Answer 1

Body’s main artery

Question 2

Automaticity

Answer 2

Allows a cardiac muscle cell to contract spontaneously without a stimulus from a nerve source.

Question 3

Autonomic nervous system

Answer 3

Controls the functions of the body that do not require conscious thought

Question 4

Sympathetic nervous system

Answer 4

Also known as the “fight or flight” system, makes adjustments to the body to compensate for increased physical activity.

Question 5

Parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 5

Slows the heart and respiratory rates, constricts blood vessels in the muscles, and dilates blood vessels in the muscles, and dilates blood vessels in the digestive system

Question 6

Stroke volume

Answer 6

The volume of blood ejected with each ventricular contraction

Question 7

Coronary arteries

Answer 7

Blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle

Question 8

Cardiac output

Answer 8

Calculated by multiplying the heart rate by the volume of blood ejected with each contraction, or the stroke volume

Question 9

Ischemia

Answer 9

Decreased blood flow

Question 10

Atherosclerosis

Answer 10

A disorder in which calcium and a fatty material called cholesterol build up and form a plaque inside the walls of blood vessels, obstructing flow and interfering with their ability to dilate or contract

Question 11

Occlusion

Answer 11

Blockage

Question 12

Lumen

Answer 12

The inside diameter of the artery

Question 13

Thromboembolism

Answer 13

A blood clot that is floating through blood vessels until it reaches an area too narrow for it to pass, causing it to stop and block the blood flow at that point.

Question 14

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI)

Answer 14

If a blockage occurs in a coronary artery, a classic heart attack

Question 15

Infarction

Answer 15

Death of tissue

Question 16

Acute coronary syndrome

Answer 16

Also called ACS, a term used to describe a group of symptoms caused by myocardial ischemia

Question 17

Angina pectorals

Answer 17

The pain when the heart tissue does not get enough oxygen for a brief time

Question 18

Signs and symptoms of acute myocardial infarction

Answer 18

• sudden onset of weakness, nausea and sweating without obvi cause
• chest pain, discomfort, or pressure that is often crushing or squeezing and that does not change with each breath
• pain, discomfort, or pressure in the lower jaw, arms, back, abdomen, or neck
• irregular heartbeat and syncope
• shortness of breath, or dyspnea
• nausea/vomiting
• pink frothy sputum
• sudden death

Question 19

The pain of acute myocardial infarction

Answer 19

• it may or may not be caused by exertion but can occur at any time
• it does not resolve in a few minutes; rather, it can last between 30 minutes and several hours.
• it may or may not be relieved by rest or nitroglycerin

Question 20

Tachycardia

Answer 20

Rapid beating of the heart, 100 beats/min or more

Question 21

Bradycardia

Answer 21

Unusually slow beating of the heart, 60 beats/min or less

Question 22

Ventricular tachycardia

Answer 22

Rapid heart rhythm, usually at a rate of 150 to 200 beats/min.
The electrical activity starts in the ventricle instead of atrium.
This rhythm usually does not allow adequate time between beats for the left ventricle to fill with blood.
Therefore the patient’s blood pressure may fall, and the pulse may be lost altogether.

Question 23

Ventricular fibrillation (V-fib)

Answer 23

Disorganized ineffective quivering of the ventricles.
No blood is pumped through the body, and the patient usually becomes unconscious within seconds.
The only way to convert this dysrhythmia is to defibrillate the heart.

Question 24

Asystole

Answer 24

The absence of all heart electrical activity.

Question 25

Congestive heart failure (CHF)

Answer 25

A disorder in which the heart loses part of its ability to effectively pump blood, usually as a result of damage to the heart muscle and usually resulting in a backup of fluid into the lungs.

Question 26

Dependent edema

Answer 26

Collection of fluid in the part of the body that is closest to the ground.

Question 27

Hypertensive emergency

Answer 27

Usually occurs only with a systolic pressure greater than 180 mm Hg or a rapid rise in the systolic pressure.

Question 28

Aortic aneurysm

Answer 28

A weakness in the wall of the aorta. The aorta dilates at the weakened area, which makes it susceptible to rupture.

Question 29

Dissecting aneurysm

Answer 29

Occurs when the inner layers of the aorta become separated, allowing blood to flow between the layers.

Question 30

Signs and symptoms of Acute Myocardial Infarction

Answer 30

• sudden weakness, nausea, and sweating without obvi cause
• chest pain, discomfort, or pressure
• pain, discomfort, or pressure in the lower, jaw, arms, back, abdomen, or neck
• irregular heartbeat and syncope
• shortness of breath, or dyspnea
• nausea/vomiting
• pink, frothy sputum (possible pulmonary edema)
• sudden death

Question 31

Physical findings of acute myocardial infarction

Answer 31

• general appearance: appears frightened, may be nausea, vomiting and a cold sweat. Pale or ashen gray skin
• pulse: pulse rate will increase as a normal response to pain, stress, fear or actual injury. Also may feel irregular and even slowing of pulse
• Blood pressure: may fall because of diminished cardiac output, but most patients will have a normal or possibly high BP
• Respiration’s: the rate is usually normal (unless its CHF) and often labored
• Mental Status: may feel confused or angry and sometimes a feeling of impending doom (the patient might say “I think I’m going to die”)