Course 2: Pathophysiology Etiology Flashcards
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): Etiology?
Narrowing of the coronary arteries limits blood supply to the heart muscle causing angina (chest pain specifically due to heart muscle ischemia)
Myocardial Infarction (MI) STEMI/non-STEMI: Etiology?
Acute blockage of the coronary arteries results in ischemia and infarct of the heart muscle.
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF): Etiology?
The heart becomes enlarged, inefficient, and congested with excess fluid.
Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib): Etiology?
Electrical abnormalities in the “wiring” of the heart caused the atria to quiver abnormally.
Pulmonary Embolism (PE): Etiology?
A blood clot becomes lodged in the pulmonary artery and blocks blood flow to the lungs.
Pneumonia (PNA): Etiology?
Infiltrate (bacterial infection) and inflammation in the lungs.
Pneumothorax (PTX): Etiology?
Collapsed lung due to trauma or a spontaneous small rupture of the lung.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Etiology?
Long-term damage to the lung’s alveoli (emphysema) along with inflammation and mucous production (chronic bronchitis)
Reactive Airway Disease (RAD): Etiology?
Constricting of the airways due to inflammation and muscular contraction of the bronchioles, known as a “bronchospasm”.
Ischemic CVA: Etiology?
Blockage of the arteries supplying blood to the brain resulting in permanent brain damage.
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA): Etiology?
Vascular changes temporarily deprive a part of the brain of oxygen (symptoms usually last less than 1 hour)
Meningitis- Bacterial v Viral: Etiology?
Inflammation and infection of the meninges; the sac surrounding the brain and spinal cord
Spinal Cord Injury: Etiology?
Injury to the spinal cord may create weakness or numbness in the extremities past the site of injury
Seizure (Sz): Etiology?
Abnormal electrical activity in the brain leading to abnormal physical manifestations. Often caused by epilepsy, EtOH withdrawals, or febrile sz in pediatric pts.
Bells Palsy: Etiology?
Inflammation or viral infection of the facial nerve causes one-sided weakness of the entire face.
Headache (HA) – Cephalgia: Etiology?
Various causes including hypertensive HA (from high BP), recurrent diagnosed migraines, sinusitis, etc.
Altered Mental Status (AMS): Etiology?
Multiple causes: most common are hypoglycemia, infection, intoxication, and neurological.
Syncope (Fainting): Etiology?
Temporary loss of blood supply to the brain resulting in loss of consciousness. There are a variety of causes; most common are vasovagal and low blood volume (dehydration/hypovolemia). Occassionally, syncope occurs due to cardiac/neurologic causes.
Vertigo (Room Spinning): Etiology?
Caused by two etiologies: the vertigo may be from a harmless problem of the inner ear (benign positional vertigo) or it may be caused due to damage in a specific center the brain (possible CVA).
Appendicitis (APPY): Etiology?
Infection of the appendix causes inflammation and blockage, possibly leading to rupture.
Small Bowel Obstruction (SBO): Etiology?
Physical blockage of the small intestine
Gallstones (Cholelithiasis, Cholecystitis): Etiology?
Minerals from the liver’s bile condense to form gallstones, which can irritate, inflame, or obstruct the gallbladder
Gastointestinal Bleed (GI Bleed): Etiology?
Hemorrhage in the upper or lower GI tract can lead to anemia
Diverticulitis: Etiology?
Acute inflammation and infection of abnormal pockets of the large intestine, known as diverticuli
Pancreatitis: Etiology?
Inflammation of the pancreas
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): Etiology?
Stomach acid regurgitating into the esophagus
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI): Etiology?
Infection in the urinary tract (bladder or urethra)
Pyelonephritis: Etiology?
Infection of the tissue in the kidneys, usually spread from a UTI
Kidney Stone (Nephrolithiasis): Etiology?
A kidney stone dislodges from the kidney and begins traveling down the ureter. The stone scrapes and irritates the ureter, causing severe flank pain and bloody urine.
Ectopic Pregnancy: Etiology?
Fertilized egg develops outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube. High risk for rupture and death
Ovarian Torsion: Etiology?
Twisting of an ovarian artery reducing blood flow to an ovary, possibly resulting in infarct of the ovary
Testicular Torsion: Etiology?
Twisting of the spermatic cord resulting in loss of blood flow and nerve function to the testicle
Upper Respiratory Infection (URI): Etiology?
Most often viral infection causes congestion, cough, and inflammation of the upper airway
Streptococcal Pharyngitis (Strep Throat): Etiology?
Bacterial infection of the tonsils and pharynx causing a sore throat and frequently swollen lymph nodes.
Otitis Media (Middle Ear Infection): Etiology?
Viral or bacterial infection of the tympanic membrane (TM) causing ear pain and pressure.
Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye): Etiology?
Infection of the outer lining of the eye, known as the conjunctiva
Epistaxis (Nosebleed): Etiology?
Rupture of a blood vessel inside the nose causes blood to flow out the nose and into the throat.
Musculoskeletal Back Pain: Etiology?
Deterioration or strain of the back creates pain that is worse with movement
Extremity Injury: Etiology?
Trauma creates pain/swelling in an extremity.
Aortic Dissection: Etiology?
Separation of the muscular wall from the membrane of the artery, putting the patient at risk of aortic rupture and death.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): Etiology?
Blood slows down while flowing through long straight veins in the extremities; slow-flowing blood is more likely to clot. Once formed the clot can continue to grow and eventually occlude (block) the vein.
Abscess (Cellulitis with Fluctuance): Etiology?
Skin infection with an underlying collection of pus
Cellulitis: Etiology?
Infection of the skin cells
Rash: Etiology?
Changes in the skin’s appearance due to systemic or localized reaction. May be caused from medication, virus, bacteria, fungus, insect, etc.
Allergic Reaction: Etiology?
Immune response causing an inflammatory reaction consisting of swelling, itching (pruritis), and rash
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA): Etiology?
Shortage of insulin resulting in hyperglycemia and production of ketones.
Psychological Disorder: Etiology?
Various types of psychological disease produce abnormal thoughts, behaviors, or actions
Trauma: Etiology?
Depending on the mechanism of injury (MOI), physical trauma may break bones, sever nerves, rupture blood vessels, or damage internal organs.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA): Etiology?
Widened and weakened arterial wall at risk of rupture.
Hemorrhagic CVA (Brain Bleed): Etiology?
Traumatic or spontaneous rupture of blood vessels in the head leads to bleeding in the brain.
