CVS L5: Hypertension & Shock Flashcards
Patient 01: DDx
A 55-year-old male smoker with a history of high blood cholesterol visits his family physician for a health checkup.
His Blood Pressure records 180/120 mmHg. Blood test: a high plasma renin activity.
Special test: Renal angiogram reveals a significant asymmetric renal artery stenosis at the upstream junction of the left renal artery and abdominal aorta that reduces the entrance to the renal artery by 75%.
Most likely diagnosis in patient 01: Systemic Hypertension due to renal artery stenosis
Other differential:
- Primary hyperaldosteronism
- Cushing’s syndrome
- Reninoma
- Pheochromocytoma
Mechanisms causing hypertension:
- Increased peripheral vascular resistance
- Increased blood viscosity
- Prolonged increase in cardiac output
- Increased blood volume
COMMON CAUSES OF HYPERTENSION
- Essential hypertension
- Coarctation of aorta
- Salt sensitivity
- Renal abnormalities
- Abnormalities of the RAAS
- Disorders of adrenal gland
- Neurological disorders
- Nitric oxide deficiency
- Insulin resistance
Coarctation of the Aorta:
- Congenital narrowing of the aorta distal to the origin of the left subclavian artery
- Blood pressure is elevated in the arms, head, and chest but lowered in the legs
- Because of low renal blood flow, plasma renin level is increased
- Stimulation of Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in a positive feedback manner
- Elimination of the constriction by resecting the narrowed segment of the aorta usually cures the condition
- The pressure tracings from the thoracic and abdominal aorta obtained from a 4-month-old infant who exhibited dyspnea, difficulty feeding, and poor weight gain
Renal causes for hypertension:
- Constriction of one or both renal arteries, Ex. fibromuscular dysplasia, arteriosclerotic change
- Tumors of the renin-secreting juxtaglomerular cells
- Ureteral obstruction: Increase in renal interstitial pressure and stimulation of renin secretion
- Acute and chronic glomerulonephritis: a) Activation of RAAS and/or b) ECF volume expansion due to abnormal salt and water handling by the kidneys.
- Liddle’s syndrome: a condition in which there is abnormal Na+ retention due to over-activation of the epithelial sodium channels (ENaC)
Liddle’s syndrome
- Young patient presenting with high BP
- H/O family members with early onset severe hypertension
- Autosomal dominant transmission
- Suppressed renin
- Suppressed aldosterone
- Abnormality of epithelial sodium channels (ENaC) in distal nephron
- The vascular function curve
- An inverse relationship exists between RAP and VR in the range 0 to 7 mm Hg of RAP
- No further increase in VR occurs when RAP < 0 mm Hg as veins collapse at negative pressures
Combining cardiac function curve and vascular function curve
Combining the two curves helps to predict the changes in CO/VR under various conditions
Factors that change the cardiac and vascular function curves
C for C; V for V
Effect of increasing myocardial contractility on combined curves:
Positive inotropic agents Eg:Sympathetic nerves, digitalis
Effect of increasing total blood volume on combined curves:
Increased blood volume: Eg:Infusion of IV fluids
Progressive course of the Heart
Immediate effect of reduced contractility: (Point B) There is a reduction in CO; This soon changes due to the compensatory changes in the heart
Compensated failure: (Point C)
Blood volume expansion has partially restored the
CO by Starling’s mechanism; This gradually progresses to massive volume expansion
Decompensated failure: (Point D)
As failure progresses, there is severe reduction in contractility despite extreme increase in preload due to overstretching of ventricle.
At this point, increase in preload is harmful to heart!
causes and types of shock:
A. Hypovolemic shock:
Inadequate volume of blood to fill the vascular system
B. Distributive shock (also called vasogenic or low-resistance shock):
Increased size of the vascular system produced by vasodilation in the presence of a normal blood volume
C. Cardiogenic shock:
Inadequate output of the heart as a result of myocardial abnormalities
D. Obstructive shock:
Inadequate cardiac output as a result of obstruction
of blood flow in the lungs or heart
Physical findings in Hypovolemic Shock:
- Hypotension (systolic pressure <90)
- A rapid, low volume, thready pulse
- Cold, pale, clammy skin
- Intense thirst
- Rapid respiration
- Restlessness or Low activity
- Markedly decreased urine output
- Altered mental status
Do not rely on systolic BP as the main indicator of shock. Compensatory mechanisms prevent a significant decrease in systolic BP until the patient has lost 30% of the blood volume.
Compensatory reactions activated by Hypovolemic Shock:
- Vasoconstriction & consequences
- Tachycardia
- Venoconstriction
- Tachypnea – cause and benefit
- Increased movement of interstitial fluid into capillaries
- Increased secretion of ADH
- Increased secretion of glucocorticoids
- Stimulation of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone
- Increased secretion of erythropoietin
- Increased synthesis of plasma proteins