Congestive Heart Disease Flashcards
List causes of heart failure
Hypertension
Infection/ immune: (viral e.g. HIV, bacterial e.g. sepsis), autoimmune (e.g. lupus, RA)
Genetic: hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM)
Heart disease: ischaemic heart disease, MI, atrial fibrillation
Volume overload: renal failure, nephrotic syndrome, hepatic failure
Infiltration: sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, haemochroamtosis
Structural: valvular disease, septal defects
Medications: calcium antagonists, anti-arrythmics, cytotoxic medication, beta-blockers (in the acute phase)
Endocrine disease: hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, adrenal insufficiency, Cushing’s syndrome
What is high-output cardiac failure?
States where demand > normal cardiac output
Name 3 things that can cause high-output cardiac failure?
- Anaemia
- Pregnancy
- Sepsis
What symptoms might heart failure present with?
Breathlessness on exertion Orthopnoea Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnoea (PND) Cough (with or without pink frothy sputum) Fatigue Reduced appetite Ankle swelling Presyncope/ syncope
Within a cardiovascular examination, what are signs of heart failure?
Tachycardia Hypotension Pulsus alternans Displaced apex beat RV heave Gallop rhythm (S3) Murmurs (valvular heart disease) Peripheral oedema (ankles +/- sacrum)
Within a respiratory examination, what are the signs of heart failure?
Tachypnoea
Raised JVP
Stony dullness on percussion
Bibasal end-inspiratory crackles (+/- wheeze)
Within an abdominal examination, what are the signs of heart failure?
Ascites
Hepatomegaly
What bedside investigations might you perform when heart failure is suspected?
ECG
Urinalysis
What ECG findings might be associated with heart failure?
Tachycardia
Atrial fibrillation (due to enlarged atria)
Left-axis deviation (due to left ventricular hypertrophy)
P wave abnormalities (e.g. P.mitrale/ P.pulmonale due to atrial enlargement)
Prolonged PR interval (due to AV block)
Wide QRS complexes (due to ventricular dyssynchrony)
What findings on urinalysis might point you to the cause of the heart failure?
Glycosuria (diabetes)
Proteinuria (renal disease)
What blood tests are relevant to heart failure?
FBC U&Es LFTs Tropnonin Lipids/ HbA1C TFTs Cardiomyopathy screen N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide
Why might you do a FBC?
Looking for anaemia
Why might you do U&Es?
Looking for renal failure, electrolyte abnormalities due to fluid overload (e.g. hyponatraemia)
Why might you do LFTs?
Hepatic congestion
Why might you do troponin?
If considering recent MI
Why might you do lipids/ HbA1c?
Assessing ischaemic risk profile
Why might you do TFTs?
Looking for hyper/hypothyroidism
What is included in a cardiomyopathy screen?
- Serum iron and copper studies
- Rheumatoid factor, ANCA/ANA, ENA, dsDNA
- Serum ACE
- Serum-free light chains
What is the benefit of doing serum iron and copper studies (within cardiomyopathy screen)?
To rule out haemochromatosis and Wilson’s disease
What is the benefit of checking rheumatoid factor, ANCA/ANA, ENA, dsDNA (within cardiomyopathy screen)?
To rule out autoimmune disease
What is the benefit of checking serum ACE (within cardiomyopathy screen)?
To rule out sarcoidosis
What is the benefit of checking serum-free light chains (within cardiomyopathy screen)?
To rule out amyloidosis
When should NT-proBNP be measured?
In all patients presenting with symptoms and clinical signs of heart failure to inform the type and urgency of further investigations such as echocardiography
What is the course of action if the NT-proBNP level is <400ng/L?
Heat failure is unlikely
What is the course of action if the NT-proBNP level is 400-2000ng/L?
Refer routinely for specialist assessment and transthoracic echocardiography within 6 weeks
What is the course of action if the NT-proBNP level is >2000ng/L?
Refer urgently for specialist assessment and transthoracic echocardiography within 2 weeks
Other than heart failure, what other conditions may the NT-proBNP be raised?
Left ventricular hypertrophy Tachycardia Liver cirrhosis Diabetes Acute or chronic renal disease
What can an echocardiogram calculate?
Ejection fraction
What ejection fraction strongly indicates heart failure?
<40%
Describe X-ray findings in heart failure
Alveolar oedema (bat-wing opacification)
Kerley B lines (interstitial oedema)
Cardiomegalogy (CT ratio >50% PA film)
Dilated upper lobe vessels
Effusions (blunted costophrenic angles)
How many classes are there in the NYHA classification system?
4
What is NYHA class I?
No symptoms during ordinary physical activity
What is NYHA class II?
Slight limitation of physical activity by symptoms
What is NYHA class III?
Less than ordinary activity leads to symptoms