Chest Pain And Palpitations Flashcards
Characteristic presentation of myocardial ischaemia
Crushing, gripping or heavy pain focussed centrally on the chest
Can radiate to neck, shoulder or jaw (usually left sided)
Associated with heaviness in one or both arms
Associated with dyspnoea, nausea and sweating
Quick onset (mins)
Characteristic presentation of aortic dissection
Severe, central chest pain radiating to the back and down the arms
Patients may be shocked and can have neurological symptoms secondary to blood supply to spinal cord
There may be signs of distal ischaemia or absent peripheral pulses
Rapid onset (seconds)
Characteristic presentation of pleural disease
Localised sharp pain, worse on deep breathing and coughing
Associated with costo-chondral tenderness
Pain in the shoulder tip is suggestive of diaphragmatic pleural irritation
Characteristic presentation of oesophageal disease
Retrosternal chest pain, can be difficult to separate from cardiac pain
Worse on bending over or lying down, relieved by antacids
Characteristic presentation of MSK disease
Can cause very severe pain, importantly associated with local tenderness
Worse with certain movements often a history of trauma or causative event
How to correctly set up the ECG machine
Skin must be clean and dry
V1/2 are positioned in the 4th intercostal space either side of sternum
V4 in 5th intercostal space, mid-clavicular line
V3 is placed between V2 and V4
V6 is in 5th intercostal space mid axillary line
V5 between v4 and V6
What is bundle branch block
A deficit in the conduction pathways of the bundles of his
- depolarisation wave reaches the septum normally so PR interval is normal, yet there is abnormal conduction through the left / right bundle branches of his
What causes a wide QRS (>120ms)
Delayed depolarisation of the ventricles
- right bundle branch block is seen in V1
- ‘M’ shaped in V1 and ‘W’ shaped in V6
How does left bundle branch block present on an ECG
Best seen in V6 with a broad M complex and the W pattern in V1 is often not fully developed
If LBBB is present with recent chest pain consider acute MI
If asymptomatic consider aortic stenosis
What is heart block
Abnormal conduction from the SAN to the ventricles
Thus creating abnormalities from the PR interval
What is first degree heart block
PR interval >0.22 seconds
Each wave of SAN depolarisation is spread to the ventricles but there is a delay somewhere along this path usually at the AVN
Is not pathological itself but can indicate
- coronary artery disease
- electrolyte disturbances
- digoxin toxicity
What is second degree heart block
Excitation intermittently fails to pass through the AVN or bundle of His
1. Wenckebach: progressive PR lengthening until an atrial beat is not conducted and then this cycle repeats
2. Mobitz type 2: constant PR interval yet there is sometimes atrial contraction without ventricular contraction
3. 2:1/3:1/4:1- 2-3x more P waves than QRS complex - indicates heart disease
What is complete (3rd degree heart block)
Atrial contraction is normal but no beats are conducted to the ventricles
P waves happen regularly but will be completely dissociated from the QRS complexes
Wide QRS complex
Pacing will generally always be required
What is sinus arrhythmia
Occurs in young people where heart rate changes with respiration so the R-R interval changes progressively on a beat-beat basis
Sinus bradycardia (<60) can be associated with athletic training, fainting attacks, hypothermia or hypothyroidism and also can occur immediately after a heart attack
Sinus tachycardia (>100) can be associated with exercise, fear, pain, haemorrhage or thyrotoxicosis
What is non sinus rhythm arrhythmias
Abnormal rhythms begin in one of three places: atrial muscle, ventricular muscle or the AVN. These are known as supraventricular and the QRS complex is narrow
Ventricular rhythms give wide, abnormal QRS complexes
How does bradycardia initiate
Rhythm is controlled by SAN at around 70bpm.
If the SAN fails control will be assumed by an atrial focus or the AVN (50/min)
If these fail, conduction is blocked and a ventricular focus will give a rhythm of about 30/min
What are escape rhythms and escape beats
Slow, protective rhythms are escape rhythms
If singular and then normal rhythm returns they are termed escape beats
Management of bradycardia
A-E assessment
Assess for adverse features such as shock, syncope, heart failure, MI
Assess for risk of asystole: recent asystole, mobitz II or complete heart block
If any of these features are present initiate atropine 500mcg IV repeated up to max 3mg
How does tachycardia initiate
Any foci in the myocardium can depolarise repeatedly causing sustained tachycardia
Finding P waves is important to deciding the origin of the tachycardia
What is supraventricular tachycardia
In atrial tachycardia, the atria depolarise faster than 150/min
P waves are often superimposed on the previous T waves
The AV node can only conduct atrial discharge rates up to 200/min so AV block occurs and some P waves are not followed by QRS complexes
Management of supraventricular tachycardia
A-E resuscitation
If irregular rhythm treat as AF
If regular attempt vagal manoeuvre
- carotid sinus massage - leads to vagal stimulation
If unsuccessful IV adenosine
Secondary prevention with B blockers
What is ventricular tachycardia
Wide, abnormal QRS seen in all 12 leads
Potential to transform to VF so requires urgent treatment
Management of ventricular tachycardia
If systolic BP <90mmHg, chest pain, heart failure or rate >150; immediate electrical cardioversion
In the absence of such signs amiodarone may be used (with electrical cardioversion)
- 300mg IV loading dose over 60mins
What is ventricular fibrillation
No QRS can be identified and the ECG is disorganised
The patient will have lost consciousness
Manage as per the ALS cardiac arrest protocol