Embolism, Infarction, & Shock Flashcards
Describe an embolism
A detached intravascular solid/liquid/gaseous mass that occludes a blood vessel within circulation
Types of Emboli:
Thromboemboli
Air
Amniotic
Fat
Cholesterol
Pulmonary Thrombo-embolism:
Describe what Thrombo-embolisms are
Pulmonary emboli that start from deep venous thromboses, these fragmented thrombi are carried through larger veins & into the right side of the heart —> lungs
Pulmonary thrombo-embolism:
Describe a Saddle embolus
If the emboli occludes the main pulmonary artery & straddles the pulmonary artery bifurcation
Pulmonary thrombo-embolism:
Describe a Paradoxical embolism
A venous embolus that passes through an interatrial or interventricular defect to gain access to the systemic arterial circulation
Pulmonary thrombo-embolism:
Describe a Cor Pulmonale
When an emboli obstructs 60% or more of the pulmonary circulation these don’t normally cause hemorrhage or infarction this type of emboli can cause sudden death from right-sided heart failure or cardiovascular collapse
Systemic Thrombo-embolism:
Which conditions are most likely to give risk to systemic thrombo-emboli?
Most of these will arise form intracardiac mural thrombi and are associated with left ventricular thrombus because:
- Infarction
- Left atrial dilation
- Fibrillation
- Aortic aneurysms
- Atherosclerotic plaques
- Valvular vegetation
- Venous thrombi (aka paradoxical emboli)
Where do systemic thrombo-embolisms most commonly happen?
75% in the lower extremities & 10% in the brain
Describe a fat embolism
1.When fractures of long bones rupture vascular sinusoids causing fat and hematopoietic bone marrow to become an embolus and travel to the lung
2. Release of free fatty acids from the fat globules causes toxic injury to the endothelium
Describe the features/presentation of fat embolism syndrome
Patients will present with pulmonary insufficiency, neurological symptoms, anemia, & thrombocytopenia
It can happen 1-3 days after an injury and typically has sudden onset tachypnea, dyspnea, & tachycardia, irritability, restlessness (can progress to a delirium or coma)
Patient presents with petechial hemorrhages and hemorrhages in the white matter with evidence of injury by micro globules of fat
Patient likely suffered from a fat embolism syndrome
The following histo slide describes what type of embolus? What does the star highlight?
Bone marrow embolus within the pulmonary circulation
Star: Hemapoietic cells
Amniotic fluid embolism:
Describe the features of Amniotic fluid embolism
Arises as a complication of labor and the immediate postpartum period.
Features include:
- Sudden/severe dyspnea
- Cyanosis
- Shock
- Seizures
- Pulmonary edema & neurological impairment
If the patient survives they will still have pulmonary edema with disseminated intravascular coagulation
The histo slides describe what type of emboli?
Amniotic fluid emboli this happens when the amniotic fluid spills into mom’s circulation (from tears in placenta or uterine ruptures)
Squamous cells from fetal skin, lanugo hair, mucin, & fat from vernix caseosa can make their way into mom’s pulmonary circulation
Describe the features of an acute air embolism
Happens when gas bubbles in the circulation coalesce to form frothy masses that obstruct blood flow & cause ischemic injury
What are somethings that could cause an air embolism?
Barotrauma
Surgery
Dysfunctional one-way valve
Uncapped catheters
Bypass surgery
X-ray of a patient suggests the presence of which type of embolism?
Air embolism
Chest CT causes the following, what embolism is most likely? A & B
Air embolism (A)
Bilateral-pleural-based/wedge-shaped mass consolidations with central necrosis in lower lobes (B)
Decompression sickness:
Describe the features of Decompression sickness
Sudden changes in atmospheric pressure during ascent (i.e scuba diving).
Breathing in higher pressures causes nitrogen gas to dissolve in tissues and as the pressure reduces too fast the gas expands in tissues forming air emboli and ischemic injury (the bends)
Elbow/shoulder are most common in divers
How do you treat an air embolism?
A hyperbaric chamber to decompress the gas
Describe the features of Caisson disease (aka chronic air embolism)
This is a chronic form of decompression sickness (caisson disease) where recurrent/persistent gas emboli are in the bones and cause multifocal ischemic necrosis leading to osteonecrosis (6-60 months)
Which bones are most commonly effected by Caisson disease?
The head/shaft of the humerus
Lower end of the femur
Tibial head
Cholesterol crystal embolism (blue toe/purple toe syndrome):
Describe the features of Cholesterol crystal embolism
Severe atherosclerosis of larger arteries (aorta) can cause ulcerative atherosclerotic plaque
Patients tend to complain about pain in their legs, butt, lower back, & restless legs
Cholesterol crystal embolism typically happens in patients with what condition?
Usually in patients with advanced atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta because the cholesterol crystals micro-embolize in the lower extremities
Cholesterol embolism:
Describe Livedo reticularis.
This makes a mottled, purplish discoloration of the skin with reticulated cyanotic areas surrounding central cores (fishnet pattern) because of spasms/obstructions of perpendicular arterioles and pooling blood in surrounding venous plexuses
Cholesterol embolism:
Describe what a biopsy of areas with livedo reticularis will show?
Occlusions of arterioles by multinucleated foreign-body giant cells and fibrosis surrounding biconvex/needle-shaped clefts that correspond to cholesterol crystal micro emboli
Describe what a fat embolism is?
The release of fat globules from bone marrow when it’s fractured causing Petechial hemorrhages, pulmonary insufficiency, neurological impairment, anemia, & thrombocytopenia usually 1-3 days after the injury
Describe what an Amniotic fluid embolism is?
a complication of labor that happens immediately in the post-partum period as Sudden and severe dyspnea, cyanosis, shock/seizures, pulmonary edema, & neurological impairments,
Caisson disease