Heart valve disease

Question 1

What causes valve disease?

Answer 1

Congenital abnormality, myocardial infarction causing papillary muscle rupture, rheumatic fever due to immunological reaction to streptococci, dilatation of the aortic root due to syphilis and aneurysm formation

Question 2

What is the congenital abnormality that causes valve disease?

Answer 2

The normal tricuspid aortic valve is a bicuspid aortic valve

Question 3

What are the 4 heart valves?

Answer 3

Left- aortic and mitral valve
Right- pulmonary and tricuspid valve

Question 4

Which valves most commonly fail and how?

Answer 4

Left side valves- aortic/mitral stenosis and incompetence

Question 5

How do you treat valve failure problems?

Answer 5

Prosthetic valves

Question 6

What is a valve stenosis?

Answer 6

Narrowing of the valve opening

Question 7

How to investigate valve disease?

Answer 7

Normal or doppler ultrasound scan

Question 8

How to achieve highest long term success rate of valve replacement?

Answer 8

When the valve replacement is done before there is evidence of heart failure.

Question 9

What medication do you administer to those with a mechanical valve replacement?

Answer 9

Anticoagulants

Question 10

How to minimise endocarditis risk for a patient with a heart valve replacement?

Answer 10

Maximise oral health, be sensitive to patient and surgeon needs, be aware of international disagreement in this area and sometimes give antibiotics

Question 11

Which type of prosthetic valve has a longer clinical life? Metal or tissue?

Answer 11

Metal valve- up to 30 years (tissue valve usually less than 10 years)

Question 12

Which valve makes a ticking noise?

Answer 12

Metal valve

Question 13

Which type of valve replacement requires warfarin anticoagulants?

Answer 13

Metal valve