formed Flashcards
-Most common cause of death
-The term for all types of diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
-the most common type of heart disease
-arteries that carry blood to the heart (coronary arteries) become narrowed from atherosclerosis plaque build-up
CORONARY HEART DISEASE
-chest pain or discomfort due to insufficient blood being delivered to the heart
Angina pectoris/ angina
- irregular or abnormal heartbeats
Arrhythmias
ARRHYTHMIA CATEGORIES AS TO LOCATION
- Ventricular Arrhythmia
2.Supraventricular Arrhythmia
- occur in the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles)
Ventricular Arrhythmia
occurs in the upper chambers of the heart (atria)
Supraventricular Arrhythmia
CATEGORIES AS TO SPEED
- TACHYCARDIA
2.BRADYCARDIA
fast heartbeat with a heart rate greater than 100 beats a minute
TACHYCARDIA
slow heartbeat with a heart rate of less than less than 60 beats a minute
Bradycardia
FORMS OF TACHYCARDIA
- Ventricular tachycardia
- Supraventricular Tachycardia
- begins in the ventricles
- a condition in which the sinoatrial node (natural pacemaker of the heart) no longer controls the beating of the ventricles
- Instead, other areas along the lower electrical pathway dominate the peacemaking role.
- may cause severe shortness of breath, dizziness, or fainting (syncope).
Ventricular tachycardia
-begins in the atria
-can happen in response to a number of things, including tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, and cough and cold medicines
-can cause shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest tightness, and a very fast pulse
-The disorder also may result from rheumatic heart disease or an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism)
Supraventricular Tachycardia
OTHER TYPES OF ARRHYTHMIAS
1.Ventricular Fibrillation
2.Premature Ventricular Contractions
3.Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT)
4.Atrial Flutter
5.Atrial Fibrillation
6.Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome
7.Premature Supraventricular Contractions/Premature Atrial Contractions (PACs)
8.Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
9. Heart Blocks
-takes place when the SA node sends its electrical signal properly, but the signal is not sent through the atrioventricular (AV) node or lower electrical pathways as quickly as it should be
-most often caused by aging or by the swelling or scarring of the heart that sometimes results from coronary artery disease
Heart Blocks
-a kind of orthostatic intolerance
-can lead to fatigue, lightheadedness, headaches, blurry vision, and fainting
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
-happen when the atria contract too soon, causing the heart to beat out of sequence
Premature Supraventricular Contractions/Premature Atrial Contractions (PACs)
-a group of abnormalities caused by extra muscle pathways between the atria and the ventricles
-The pathways cause the electrical signals to arrive at the ventricles too soon, and the signals are sent back to the atria resulting to a very fast heart rate.
-People with this syndrome may feel dizzy, have chest palpitations, or have episodes of fainting.
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome
-a fast, irregular rhythm where single muscle fibers in your heart twitch or contract
-the main cause of stroke, especially among elderly people
-may cause blood to pool in the heart’s upper chambers which can lead to the formation of blood clots.
-A stroke can occur if a blood clot travels from the heart and blocks a smaller artery in the brain (a cerebral artery).
Atrial Fibrillation
-happens when the atria beat very fast, causing the ventricles to beat inefficiently as well
Atrial Flutter
-a rapid, regular heart rate where the heart beats anywhere from 150-250 times per minute in the atria
-happens when electrical signals in the heart’s upper chambers fire abnormally, which interferes with electrical signals coming from the SA node (the heart’s natural pacemaker)
-more common in infants and young people
-more likely to occur in women, anxious young people, and extremely tired people (fatigued)
-People who drink a lot of coffee or alcohol or who are heavy smokers also have a greater risk
Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT)
-A less serious type of ventricular arrhythmia
-the condition happens when the ventricles contract too soon, out of sequence with the normal heartbeat
-generally, are not a cause for alarm and often do not need treatment
– most PVCs happen quickly and without warning, they can also happen in response to caffeine, which is found in coffee, tea, sodas, and chocolate and some kinds of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines may also cause PVCs
Premature Ventricular Contractions
-most serious arrhythmia
-Instead of one misplaced beat from the ventricles, you may have several impulses that begin simultaneously from different locations—all telling the heart to beat.
-result is a much faster, chaotic heartbeat that sometimes reaches 300 beats a minute
-very little blood is pumped from the heart to the brain and body and can result in fainting
-About 220,000 deaths from heart attacks each year are thought to be caused by ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular Fibrillation
TYPES OF HEART BLOCKS
a. First-degree heart block
b. Second-degree heart block
c. Third-degree heart block
-impulses are moving through the AV node too slowly.
First-degree heart block
-impulses are traveling through the heart’s atria but are delayed in the AV node. Because of this delay, the ventricles do not beat at the right moment.
Second-degree heart block
-no impulses are reaching the ventricles
-very serious and can lead to heart failure or death
-To make up for this, the ventricles use their own “backup” pacemaker with a slower rate. Because a gap in time is likely to occur between the impulse from the atria and the impulse from the “backup” pacemaker in the ventricles, a person may faint. This is known as a Stokes-Adams attack.
Third-degree heart block
-the inability of the heart to pump a sufficient amount of blood for the body’s needs
-usually present with shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness, cough, or swelling of the legs
Heart failure
-more commonly known as heart attack caused by a complete blockage of a coronary artery
Myocardial infarction
COMMON CAUSE OF CHD
atherosclerosis
RISK FACTORS OF CHD
- unhealthy lifestyle habits
- physical inactivity
- improper nutrition
- smoking
- hypertension
- diabetes
- hyperlipidemia
DEATH DUE TO INTRACRANIAL LESIONS
- Epilepsy
- Nontraumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
- Intracerebral Hemorrhage
- Meningitis
- Bacterial meningitis
- Viral meningitis
- Fungal meningitis
- Parasitic meningitis
- Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM)
- Meningococcemia
- Reye’s Syndrome
- Asthma
- Pneumonia
- Urogenital and Gastrointestinal Tracts
-Usually, but not always, such deaths are unwitnessed, with the victims often found dead in bed in the morning with no sign of seizure ((sheets and blankets undisturbed, no loss of urine) or on the body (bite marks of the tongue are absent in 75% of the cases)
EPILEPSY
is the leading cause of death in individuals with chronic, uncontrolled epilepsy
Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP)
- Typically, individuals dying suddenly and unexpectedly are young and show either sub-therapeutic levels or absence of epileptic medications on toxicological analysis
EPILEPSY
second most common cause of sudden unexpected death due to natural disease of the brain
Nontraumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Most common cause OF NONTRAUMATIC SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGE (NSH)
- Berry aneurysms
- intracerebral hemorrhages
- rupture of arteriovenous malformations
Uncommon cause OF NONTRAUMATIC SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGE (NSH)
- blood dyscrasias
- endocarditis with embolic phenomenon
- overuse of anticoagulants
- tumors (primary and metastatic/secondary)
- sickle cell hemoglobinopathy
-uncommon in the younger age groups
-usually occurs in individuals who are up and active rather than asleep
-Hypertension is virtually always present
- Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Primary sites of Intracerebral Hemorrhage
a. putamen
b. thalamus
c. cerebellum
d. pons
speech becomes slurred and the muscles of the face, arms, and legs gradually weaken
putamen
- hemiparesis occurs
- the sensory deficit is greater than the motor weakness
thalamus
repeated vomiting, occipital headache, vertigo, and inability to walk or stand;
loss of consciousness is uncommon;
Occasionally, the individual is thought to be intoxicated
c. cerebellum
consciousness is lost almost immediately
d. pons
inflammation (swelling) of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord
MENINGITIS
-Some people with the infection die and death can occur in as little as a few hours
-Those who do recover can have permanent disabilities, such as brain damage, hearing loss, and learning disabilities.
BACTERIAL MENINGITIS
Some causes of bacterial meningitis are more likely to affect certain age groups:
- NEWBORNS
- BABIES AND YOUNG CHILDREN
- TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS
- OLDER ADULTS
the most common examples of how people spread each type of bacteria to each other:
a. Group B Streptococcus and E. coli:
b. H. influenzae, M. tuberculosis, and S. pneumoniae
c. N. meningitidis:
d. E. coli:
People can get these bacteria by eating food prepared by people who did not wash their hands well after using the toilet.
E. coli / Escherichia coli
People spread these bacteria by sharing respiratory or throat secretions (saliva or spit). This typically occurs during close (coughing or kissing) or lengthy (living together) contact. v
N. meningitidis / Neisseria meningitidis
People spread these bacteria by coughing or sneezing while in close contact with others, who breathe in the bacteria.
H. influenzae, M. tuberculosis, and S. pneumoniae
Mothers can pass these bacteria to their babies during birth. v
Group B Streptococcus and E. coli
-when meningitis is caused by a virus
- is the most common type of meningitis. Most people get better on their own without treatment.
VIRAL MENINGITIS
- can develop after a fungal infection spread from somewhere else in the body to the brain or spinal cord
- People can get sick if they breathe in fungal spores.
- People get meningitis if the fungal infection spreads from the lungs to the brain or spinal cord
FUNGAL MENINGITIS
-much less common than viral and bacterial meningitis.
PARASITIC MENINGITIS
These parasites normally infect animals not people. People get infected primarily by eating infected animals or contaminated foods
PARASITIC MENINGITIS
People can get infected by eating raw or undercooked snails or slugs or contaminated produce.
A.CANTONENSIS/ ANGIOSTRONGYLUS CANTONENSIS
People get infected by accidentally ingesting infectious parasite eggs. These eggs can be found in raccoon feces and environments (such as dirt) contaminated with raccoon feces.
B.PROCYONIS / BAYLISASCARIS PROCYONIS
People can get infected by eating raw or undercooked freshwater fish or eels, frogs, poultry, or snakes.
G.SPINIGERUM / GNATHOSTOMA SPINIGERUM
-a rare brain infection that is caused by Naegleria fowleri (a free-living ameba) and is usually fatal
Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM)
-a blood infection due to the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis
-bacteria enter the bloodstream and multiply, damaging blood vessels throughout the body and causing bleeding into the skin and organs. This can lead to a significant rash.
-While the infection can occur in anyone, infants under 2 years of age and adolescents are the most at risk
-individual may die less than 10 h after onset of symptoms , Occasionally, a person who is walking around will suddenly collapse, die
MENINGOCOCCEMIA
- children, in which an upper respiratory tract infection, chicken pox, and, rarely, gastroenteritis are followed by vomiting, convulsion, coma, hypoglycemia, elevated blood ammonia, and abnormal serum transaminase values
-Individuals dying of the entity show fatty metamorphosis of the liver, with multiple small fatty cytoplasmic vesicles in the hepatocytes, myocardial fibers, and tubular cells of the kidneys.
-The only way to be absolutely sure of the diagnosis is to demonstrate specific mitochondrial changes in liver tissue.
-An increased incidence of this syndrome was noted in childrenwho had taken aspirin for flu-like illnesses or chicken pox. Because of this, the use of aspirin in the treatment of children was discontinued in the 1980s
REYE’S SYNDROME
-affects 3% of the population
- is increased at night or in the early morning, possibly due to a pronounced diurnal variation in airflow limitation
- occur within 30 minutes of onset of the attack
-Reduction in airflow is due to a combination of smooth muscle contraction, tenacious mucoid secretions in the bronchi, and an inflammatory infiltrate in the walls of the bronchi. If airflow obstruction is not relieved. There will be steady progression to elevated carbon dioxide, metabolic acidosis, exhaustion, and death.
ASTHMA
-a sticky tenacious white mucus deposit will fill the bronchi
-Microscopic sections of the lung show a chronic inflammatory infiltrate with numerous eosinophils around the bronchi
-basement membrane of the bronchi is thickened and has a wavy appearance
ASTHMA
-In most cases, this is a secondary complication of another disease
- are uncommon (usually involve alcoholism or individual has an impaired immune system)
PNEUMONIA
Urogenital and Gastrointestinal Tracts
a. Spleen
b. Pancreas
c. Liver
d. Adrenals
e. Miscellaneous
- massively enlarged due to undiagnosed leukemia may rupture, causing exsanguination.
- Absence of the spleen, either surgically or congenitally, is associated with pneumococcal septicemia and bilateral adrenal hemorrhages.
SPLEEN
-Sudden death from diseases of the pancreas generally involves two entities:
- ACUTE FULMINATING PANCREATITIS
- DIABETES MELLITUS
-Deaths from acute pancreatitis in which the patient is mobile and walking around are uncommon
acute fulminating pancreatitis
-a disorder in which the body does not produce enough or respond normally to insulin, causing blood sugar (glucose) levels to be abnormally high
DIABETES MELLITUS
-Sudden death in association with liver disease is uncommon
TRUE
DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH THE LIVER
a. hepatic necrosis
b. acute liver failure
c. chronic liver failure
d. Liver Cirrhosis
- death of cells in the liver
-cause: ingestion of poisonous mushrooms (Amanita phalloides - mortality rate = 20-30%)
HEPATIC NECROSIS
- extremely rapid parenchymal cell death
massive hepatic necrosis
-liver cells are replaced by scar tissue instead of normal liver cells
fulminant hepatic necrosis
rapid and sudden loss of liver function in someone who does not have a history of liver disease
-common cause: hepatitis virus or drugs (acetaminophen)
ACUTE LIVER FAILURE
- gradual and occurs in an individual who have liver disease
-common cause: hepatitis, viruses and alcohol abuse
CHRONIC LIVER FAILURE
-severe scarring of the liver
-common cause: excessive drinking of alcohol, hepatitis infections, and fatty liver that’s caused by obesity and diabetes
LIVER CIRRHOSIS
rare condition in which blood vessels in your adrenal glands rupture
Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome-
-Sudden, unexpected death could be caused by:
a. rupture of a tubal pregnancy
b. idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis
c. central pontine myelinosis
d. cysticercosis
e. a stasis ulcer of the ankle with erosion into a vessel
f. aneurysm of the femoral artery w
g. undiagnosed malignant tumors
Miscellaneous
