CVSR - Phase 1 Flashcards
Comparison of action potentials (skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, autorhythmic)
- Membrane Potential
- Stimulus
- Depolarisation ion
- Repolarisation ion
- Hyperpolarisation
- Refractory period
Factors that influence rate of pacemaker cells
Tachycardia:
- SNS activity (A/NA) increases funny current activity
Bradycardia:
- increasing the threshold for Ca2+ channel opening
- inhibiting funny current activity
- hyperpolarising the resting membrane potential by increasing K+ permeability
Types of aneurysm
True aneurysms:
- fusiform: entire circumference of the vessel is distended
- saccular: pouch/pocket appearance as only one portion of the vessel circumference is affected
note: false aneurysms occur when there is a rupture but blood is contained as a haematoma which appears similar to an aneurysm
Three shunts of foetal circulation and how they close
Ductus Arteriosus – between the pulmonary trunk and the arch of the aorta, bypasses lungs,
- prostaglandin E produced by the placenta maintains the DA during foetal period, reduction of PGE2 following birth allows for closure
- increases in partial pressure of oxygen following the first breath induces closure
Ductus Venosus – between umbilical vein and IVC, bypassing the liver
- changes in blood flow and pressure following birth facilitate closure, prostaglandins also may be involved
Foramen Ovale – between right atrium and left atrium, bypassing pulmonary circulation
- first breath and functioning of the lungs decreases pulmonary vascular pressure and increases LA pressure which forces the septum primum against the septum secundum and functionally closes the foramen
Features of the tetralogy of Fallot
- overriding aorta
- large ventricular septal defect
- pulmonary valve stenosis
- right ventricle hypertrophy
Pathophysiology of Atherosclerosis
- Endothelial dysfunction occurs as a result of shear stress, infection, toxins (e.g. smoking) or autoimmune causes
- Endothelium constricts and releases chemokines + cytokines and upregulates adhesion molecules
- Accumulation of lipids occurs within the subintimal space, these become oxidised by ROS released by the damaged endothelium from LDL → mLDL, increasing toxicity
- Continued inflammation attracts macrophages to the subintimal space which take up mLDLs via scavenger receptor → foam cells which burst and become necrotic (fatty streak)
- Recruitment of smooth muscle cells to form fibrous cap via wound repair mechanism results in advanced plaque with a fibrous cap and necrotic core
Sliding filament theory of muscle contraction including the role of calcium
- Depolarisation of muscles cells opens VGCCs allowing Ca2+ ions to enter the cell
- Ca2+ binds to ryanodine receptors and trigger calcium-induced calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of the muscle cell
- Ca2+ binds to troponin-C causing a morphological change in the troponin-tropomyosin complex that exposes the myosin binding sites of actin
- Myosin heads bind to actin, ATP binds to myosin and is hydrolysed into ADP + Pi
- Release of ADP + Pi from myosin initiates the power stroke, sliding the filaments over each other and shortening the sarcomere
- Binding of another ATP to myosin causes the myosin head to detach and process repeats
- Cross bridge cycling continues until Ca2+ is returned to the sarcoplasmic reticulum by Ca2+ ATPases, causing contraction to stop
Starling’s forces
- Hydrostatic pressure: lateral pressure component of blood flow which pushes fluid out through capillary pores, decreases along the length of the capillary
- Colloid osmotic pressure: osmotic pressure created by proteins in a capillary
Virchow’s triad for blood coagulation
Endothelial damage/dysfunction – atherosclerosis, trauma, surgical procedures
Hypercoagulability – thrombophilia, sepsis, trauma, malignancy
Stasis – immobility/paralysis, venous obstruction, atrial fibrillation
Mechanism of haemostasis
- vasoconstriction – endothelial damage → vasoconstriction ↑ serotonin, TXA2 ↓ NO
- platelet plug formation – exposure of collagen or vWF activates platelets, morphological changes and release of PAF, ADP, serotonin, TXA2 recruits others
- coagulation cascade – formation of a fibrin mesh
- extrinsic: tissue factor 3 in subendothelium → factor 7 → 10
- intrinsic: collagen → factor 12 → 11 → 9 → 8 → 10
- common: factor 10 → thrombin (+ve feedback on 5, 8, 9) → fibrin
Risk factors and pathogenesis of IHD (including four types)
modifiable: smoking, diet high in saturated fat and salt, alcohol, sedentary lifestyle, stress
non-modifiable: male sex, advanced age, ethnicity, genetics, FHx
IHD occurs as a result of an imbalance between myocardial oxygen demand and coronary supply, due to occlusion of the coronary arteries typically from atherosclerosis
Types of IHD:
- stable angina
- unstable angina
- myocardial infarction
- sudden cardiac death
Types of angina
- Stable: due to atherosclerotic occlusion, symptoms on exertion when occlusion >70%
- Unstable: plaque rupture and thrombosis, symptoms at rest
- Variant/Prinzmetal: idiopathic cause due to vasospasm
Principles of analysing ECGs
- Leads and artery
- Method to interpret
- Rhythm: regular, regularly irregular, irregularly irregular
- Rate: R-R distance counted on rhythm strip or 300/no. large squares
- Intervals: PR < 1 large box, QRS < 0.5 large boxes
- Axis: thumb rule (lead I = left, aVF = right)
- P wave character
- QRS appearance
- ST-elevation
- T wave inversion
Electrical conduction of the heart
- Signal originates in the pacemaker cells of the SA node at the superior end of the crista terminalis within the RA
- Travels through the atria to the AV node, causing atrial depolarisation
- Slows through AV node before travelling down the septum through the Bundle of His then the left/right bundle branches to the apex of the heart
- Jumps across to right ventricle papillary muscles via moderator band (septomarginal trabeculae)
- Depolarises ventricles via the Purkinje fibres which travel back towards the base
Structure of blood vessels
Lumen (larger in veins)
Tunica Intima = endothelium, basement membrane
Tunica Media = smooth muscle, collagen, elastin in arteries (thicker in arteries)
Tunica Externa = loose CT, vasa vasorum, nerva vasorum (thicker in veins)
Basic embryology of the heart
- Progenitor cells of the splanchnic mesoderm differentiate into myoblasts in ‘blood clusters’ that form a horseshoe shape
- Canalisation, lateral + craniocaudal folding results in a midline tube with vessels developing around it
- Atria: two sinus venosus horns shift to become predominately right sided (venae cavae) while left becomes coronary sinus, septum primum and septum secundum grow down from the roof of the atrium to divide into left and right with a foramen ovale
- Endocardial cushions grow in the atrioventricular canal to isolate and form the AV valves, superior, inferior and lateral (x2) – superior + inferior grow faster
- Ventricles: membrane grows up from the floor to divide the ventricles and apoptosis occurs to enlarge lumen and form endocardial structures
- Rotating spiral shaped membrane grows to isolate great vessels and endocardial cushions grow to create semilunar valves (aorta – PLR, PT – ALR)
Types of congenital heart disease
Cyanotic:
deoxygenated blood flowing from the right side of the heart into the left, reducing arterial blood oxygenation leading to cyanosis
e.g. tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries
Acyanotic:
not affecting blood oxygenation, generally L to R shunts in which oxygenated blood re-enters the pulmonary circulation leading to right heart overload and pulmonary hypertension
e. g. ASD, VSD, PDA
* note: untreated L to R shunts typically reverse due to Eisenmenger syndrome*
Classification of aortic dissections
Aortic dissection occurs when blood begins tracking along the planes of the vessel wall typically in the tunica media, occurs in hypertension and Marfan syndrome
- Type A: ascending aorta involved
- I: ascending only
- II: spread to other regions
- Type B: ascending aorta not involved
Thrombosis vs. embolism
Thrombosis = process of blood clotting which is essential for haemostasis but can become pathological due to occlusion or embolism
Embolism = movement of a mass through circulation resulting in eventual obstruction, potential emboli include thrombi, fat, tumour cells, gas/air, amniotic fluid
Serum diagnostics used in assessment of cardiac disease
- Creatine Kinase: CK-MB isoenzyme primarily present in myocardium, fall quickly
- Myoglobin: useful as an early marker of an infarction and to gauge size, however it is not specific for myocardium (used to rule out)
- Troponin: I and T highly specific for myocardial injury, levels begin to rise 3–12 hours after infarction, falls gradually over days/weeks
- LDH: isoenzymes 1 and 2 associated with myocardial injury
Cellular changes which occur in myocardial infarction
- Hypoxia due to coronary blockage leads to a shift from glycolysis to favour beta-oxidation which decreases ATP synthesis efficiency
- Impaired Na/K ATPase function leads to Na+ build up within the cell while anaerobic metabolism creates excess H+ (lactate)
- Reversal of Na/Ca channel occurs to remove Na+ but results in Ca2+ build up
- Excess calcium further depletes ATP, leads to contracted myocardium and apoptosis
Sequelae of myocardial infarction
DARTHVADER
Death
Arrhythmia
Rupture
Tamponade
Heart failure
Valvular disease
Aneurysm
Dressler’s syndrome
Embolism/thrombosis
Regurgitation
Placement of ECG leads
limb leads:
right arm, left arm, left leg
precordial leads:
- V1 + V2 first, either side of sternum in 4th ICS
- place V4 in same location as apex beat
- place V3 halfway between V2 and V4
- place V5 and V6 extending around the 5th ICS to the MAL
Types of coagulation studies
Prothrombin Time (PT) – evaluates extrinsic (play tennis outside)
Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) – evaluates intrinsic (play table tennis inside)
International Normalised Ratio (INR) – adjusted form of PT used to evaluate blood thinners
Types of hypoxia
Hypoxic – decreased oxygenation of the blood due to low availability or respiratory disease
Anaemic – diminished oxygen carrying capacity of the blood
Histotoxic – inability for tissues to utilise delivered oxygen
Circulatory – normal oxygenation and tissue function but impaired blood delivery
Cardiac determinants of mean arterial pressure
Mechanisms of blood pressure regulation
Autonomic Nervous System:
- SNS – increases blood pressure by increasing heart rate and contractility as well as peripheral vasoconstriction
- PNS – decreases blood pressure by decreasing heart rate at the SA node
Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System:
Multistep process which synthesises angiotensin II in response to decreased blood pressure, ATII causes vasoconstriction and increases sympathetic tone
Local signalling:
variation based on which vascular bed however various vasoactive chemicals and metabolites can induce changes in arteriolar radius to influence blood pressure:
- constriction: serotonin, ADH
- dilation: NO, bradykinin, histamine, ANP, carbon dioxide
Types of adrenergic receptors
- Receptor
- Location
- Mechanism
- Effect
Baroreceptor reflexes
High pressure baroreceptors – in carotid body and aortic arch, increased stretch in this region indicates high blood pressure and leads to increased PNS activity and vice versa
Low pressure baroreceptors – in SVC/IVC/RA, increased stretch in this region indicates high venous return and induces an increase in SNS activity to compensate
Classifications of hypertension by severity and cause
primary/essential = idiopathic cause
secondary = result of another condition
classification of severity:
- mild: 140-59/90-99
- moderate: 160-79/100-109
- severe: >180/>110
hypertensive urgency = severe category with risk factors for end organ damage
hypertensive emergency = severe category with evidence of end organ damage
Pharmacology of hypertension and compliance issues
- β-blockers: reduce cardiac output by decreasing HR and contractility
- ACE inhibitors: inhibit RAS resulting in decrease in TPR
- ARBs: inhibit RAS resulting in decrease in TPR
- Ca<u>2+</u> channel blockers: reduce contractility of heart and constriction of vessels
- Thiazide diuretics: increase loss of fluid via urine resulting in reduced blood volume
- α-antagonists: inhibit peripheral vasoconstriction therefore decreasing TPR
- Central acting mimetics: decrease SNS tone
Patients with hypertensive medications often have compliance issues as the effects of HTN are not immediately recognisable, they must be taken indefinitely, may have side effects etc.
Structure and function of lymphatic capillaries
Lymphatic capillaries are blind-ended vessels made up of endothelial cells anchored by tethering filaments which expand with the interstitium creating low pressure to generate flow
Pharmacology of angina management
- Aspirin: antiplatelet agent by inhibiting COX synthesis of TXA2
- Nitrates: metabolised to NO which causes vasodilation
- β-blockers: reduce cardiac output by decreasing HR and contractility
- Ca2+ channel blockers: reduce contractility of heart and constriction of vessels
- Statins: inhibit HMG-CoA reductase to prevent endogenous cholesterol synthesis
- Fibrinolytics: catalyse plasminogen → plasmin to dissolve blood clots
Overview of the RAAS
- angiotensinogen synthesised by the liver
- decreased afferent arteriolar stretch stimulates renin release by juxtaglomerular apparatus which converts angiotensinogen → angiotensin I
- ACE in pulmonary vasculature converts angiotensin I → angiotensin II
- Angiotensin II causes vasoconstriction and increases sympathetic tone, stimulates Aldosterone and ADH (Na + H2O retention to increase Blood Volume)
Physiological zones of the lung
Zone 1 – at lung apex, arterial pressure low and alveolar pressure high leads to vascular collapse and physiological dead space, only in positive pressure ventilation and hypotension
Zone 2 – low arterial pressure (gravity) leads to partial collapse and reduced flow
Zone 3 – adequate arterial pressure gradient allows for normal flow, majority of healthy lungs
Zone 4 – high interstitial pressure compresses extra-alveolar capillaries at the extreme base