Haematological & Cardiac Diseases

Question 1

Haemolytic Anaemia Aetiology?

Answer 1

-immune mediated

-some drugs, toxaemia, incompatible blood transfusion

Question 2

Haemolytic Anaemia Pathophysiology?

Answer 2

-destruction of red blood cells by the animals immune system or due to parasites or toxin eventually leading to reduced circulating red cell volume

Question 3

What does the bone marrow attempt to do in response to the destruction of RBC’s?

Answer 3

-bone marrow attempts to respond by producing a regenerative anaemia releasing immature cells from bone marrow

Question 4

What does haemolysis lead to in some cases?

Answer 4

-increased bilirubin in the animals blood

Question 5

What are the clinical signs of anaemia?

Answer 5

-pale mucous membranes
(due to lack of RBC/oxygen)
-weakness
(lack of oxygen going to body tissues)
-murmur
(due to changes in the blood flow)
-tachycardia
(due to heart working harder)
-dyspnoea
-inappetent
-petechiation (small red bruises)

Question 6

How can anaemia be diagnosed?

Answer 6

-history and clinical signs
-packed cell volume test
-blood smears
-mean cell volume

-Coombs test

Question 7

What does the Coombs test do?

Answer 7

-detects the presence of antibodies against circulating red blood cells in the body, which induce haemolysis

Question 8

What is the difference between direct and indirect Coombs test?

Answer 8

Direct looks for antibodies that are stuck to red blood cells

Indirect looks for antibodies floating in the liquid part of the blood, called serum

Question 9

Dilated cardiomyopathy aetiology?

Answer 9

-idiopathic
-may be related to genetic biochemical defects

-some cats affected is idiopathic

Question 10

Dilated cardiomyopathy pathophysiology?

Answer 10

-progressive thinning of the myocardium which impairs the efficiency of the heart contraction

-eventually AV valve stretch leading to regurgitation of blood and atrial enlargement

Question 11

What happens to the atria and the heart wall?

Answer 11

Atria becomes enlarged

Heart wall stretches becoming ballooned

Question 12

What does this lead to?

Answer 12

-may lead to abnormalities in the heart rate and rhythm

-eventually falling CO leads to signs of congestive heart failure

Question 13

Dilated cardiomyopathy clinical signs?

Answer 13

-lethargy
-depression
-anorexia
-exercise intolerance
-cough
-murmur
-sudden death

Question 14

Dilated cardiomyopathy diagnosis?

Answer 14

-history and clinical signs
-chest radiographs
-ECG
-blood pressure measurements
-ECHO cardiography
-thoracic auscultation

Question 15

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy aetiology?

Answer 15

-idiopathic
-can be genetic
-often secondary to hyperthyroidism

Question 16

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy pathophysiology?

Answer 16

-progressive thickening of the ventricular muscle
-enlarged heart and thickened walls
-reduced cardiac output, back pressure and atrial enlargement

Question 17

What happens to the chambers in this condition?

Answer 17

-chambers become narrowed reducing chamber volume

Question 18

Are signs of heart failure commonly seen?

Answer 18

-May only be seen in advanced stages of the disease

Question 19

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy clinical signs?

Answer 19

-murmur
-lethargy
-depression
-anorexia

Leads to heart failure, dyspnoea and tachypnoea

Question 20

Is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy commonly diagnosed?

Answer 20

Has a long silent phase

Question 21

What is aortic thrombo-embolism?

Answer 21

Common complication of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Question 22

Aortic thrombo-embolism pathophysiology?

Answer 22

-thrombus leaves the heart and lodges in the caudal aorta obstructing blood flow

-thrombi develop due to poor blood flow through the heart leading to stagnation of blood causing blood clots

Question 23

Aortic thrombo-embolism clinical signs?

Answer 23

-acute paralysis of the hindlimbs
-no arterial pulse in the affected limbs
-limbs cold to touch
-pain

Question 24

Mitral valve disease aetiology?

Answer 24

-malformation of the mitral or tricuspid valve

Question 25

Mitral valve disease pathophysiology?

Answer 25

-blood regurgitates into the atria
-increased workload leading to enlargement
-congestion
-right sided tricuspid heart failure
-left sided mitral heart failure

Question 26

Mitral valve disease clinical signs?

Answer 26

-May or may not show signs
-heart murmur
-present with heart failure