Haemodynamic Disorders Flashcards
What is a thrombus?
Intravascular mass formed in life consisting of red blood cells, platelets and fibrins
Virchow’s triad
Endothelial injury, stasis, hypercoagulabiliy
Common clinical states leading to thrombus
Venous stasis
Contact activation
Paraneoplastic syndrome
Estrogen (pro-coagulator)
Endothelial injury
Causes of venous stasis
Prolonged bed rest, immobilisation, atrial fibrilation
Causes of contact activation
Prosthetic heart valve (anti-coagulants are needed for life)
Causes of paraneoplastic syndrome
Cancer cells secreting clotting factors (lung/pancreas)
Causes of high estrogen levels
Oral contraceptives, late pregnancy
Causes of endothelial injury
Post-surgery, post-birth
Fates of thrombi
Dissolution by fibrinolysis - for new thrombi, old thrombi are more cross-linked
Propagation - accumulation of more platelets
Organisation and recanalisation - ingrowth of new capillaries to restore flow
Embolisation - detachment and lodging in a distant site, may become infected (septic emboli)
Causes of edema
Increased capillary hydrostatic pressure
Decreased capillary oncotic pressure
Sodium and water retention
Increased vascular permeability and active hyperaemia - AKA local inflammation giving exudate
Obstruction of lymphatic drainage
Causes of increased capillary hydrostatic pressure
Local - impaired venous drainage (e.g. DVT)
General - congestive heart failure, portal hypertension
Causes of decreased capillary oncotic pressure
Nephrotic syndrome (loss of proteins in urine)
Hypoalbuminemia (liver damage causing decreased albumin synthesis)
Malnutrition
Causes of sodium & water retention
Low renal perfusion leading to activation of RAAS system
Low renal perfusion could be due to two reasons:
Low blood volume (as a result of high capillary hydrostatic pressure and low capillary oncotic pressure, increased transudate and hence decreased blood volume)
Low blood pressure (left heart failure)
Causes of obstruction of lymphatic drainage
Filariasis (elephantiasis)
Neoplasm - Lymphoma
Post-surgical/radiation damage
Cardiac causes of edema
RHF leading to backpressure effects on systemic circulation, increased venous pressure and increased capillary hydrostatic pressure > transudate and edema
Decreased cardiac output causing low renal perfusion and hence RAAS activation and ADH secretion > increased sodium and water retention, increased plasma volume and increased capillary hydrostatic pressure > transudate and edema
What is an embolus?
Detached intravascular solid, liquid or gaseous mass carried by the blood to a site distant its point of origin
Types of embolism
Pulmonary embolism
Systemic thromboembolism
Air embolism
Fat embolism
Amniotic fluid embolism
Pulmonary embolism
Typically venous in origin (e.g. DVT)
May cause:
Sudden death - saddle embolism is lodged in the bifurcation of the pulmonary trunk
Pulmonary hypertension > strain right heart
Pulmonary infarction is uncommon because lungs have dual blood supply