Circulatory Disorders Flashcards
What is arteriosclerosis?
general term used to described many several conditions - wall of arteries thicken and lose elastic properties (become harder)
What is atherosclerosis?
condition where plaque builds up inside of artery walls - causing narrowing due to this build up
- where blood flow decreases and blood pressure increases
What can atherosclerosis lead to?
- depending on where plaque is, can lead to chest pain, blood clots, shortness of breath, heart attack or heart failure
How is arteriosclerosis treated?
- using angioplasty: a procedure where a tube is inserted into a clogged artery, the tube reaches the site where the artery is clogged, tiny balloons is inflated to force artery open –> where a vascular sent tube is inserted into blocked area, vessels open
- Aspiration: a medication that prevent platelets from sticking and reduce clots
- Urokinase and t-PA: special clot-busting meds that are used to breeze down clots and improve blood flow
Another way arteriosclerosis is treated?
Coronary Bypass
- surgeons choose to re-route the flow blood rather than try unblock blood vessels
- section of healthy artery or vein from another part of body like legs and use to create new pathway for blood around blockage
- may be double, triple, or quadruple bypass - depending on number of blockage
What is an aneurysm?
- damaging the artery walls
Definition: a bulge in an artery due to a weakened area of arterial wall - b.p cause aneurysm to grow larger in time -> increasing risk of bursting –> if it does their internal bleeding lead to death
- most occur in aorta
How are aneurysms treated?
treated by surgery that remove damaged portion of blood vessel and replace it with a patch or a graft
What are heart valve diseases
- Where valves does not close completely and blood flows backward instead of forward → this is called regurgitation
- Other cases, valves opening become narrowed from thickening or scarring, pressuring blood flow out of ventricle/atria → stenosis
- Common form = mitral valve prolapse, one or both mitral valve flaps bulges back into atriums, preventing valve from forming a tight seal
Causes of heart valve diseases?
- Natural process of aging, damage from infection or heart attack, or connective tissue disorders
- Some regurgitation and stenosis occur at the same time → affect more than 1 valve → reduce hearts ability to pump blood through body → common cause: heart failure
Treatment of heart valve diseases?
- Repair valves or replace them
- Replacement: may use animal or human sources or made of metal, plastic, or other material
What is arrhythmia?
- problem with speed or rhythm of heartbeat
- Irregular heartbeat may be harmless, but in some cases can lead to insufficient blood flow to brain or other organs
How is arrhythmia treated?
medication or may need a pacemaker (sends electrical impulses that control heart rate)
How does pacemakers work?
-Attached to skin of chest and includes a sensor that monitors heart
-Only transmits electrical impulses to heart when heartbeat is abnormal → can send to atria, ventricles, or both depending on issue
What is a congenital heart defect?
- Defect in the heart → present at birth
- Problems in walls dividing the chambers of heart in valves and structure of blood vessels near heart
- These defects can be heard (heart murmurs) with a stethoscopes (but has limitations, need more tests to get a full diagnosis), where blood leaks through valves can be heard → some defects can arise later in life (these are called acquired heart defects)
Treatment of congenital heart defects?
- Can remove or reduce damage
- CT scan or MRI scan can be used to create an exact plastic or wax model of body part like heart → allowing surgeons to plan and practice surgery beforehand
