Mehl. Cardio: pathologies confused with cardio 03-02 (1) Flashcards
M. Panic attack.
Psych forms love trying to make you think this is an MI.
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M. Panic attack.
They’ll give you a 17-yr-old male who feels doom / like he’s going to die.
M. Panic attack.
Sometimes they mention in stem Hx of MI in family as distraction.
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M. Panic attack.
They can say patient has mid-systolic click and then they ask for cause of patient’s symptoms-> Answer = ….
Student gets confused, but MVP is almost always asymptomatic, where panic attack is clearly cause of the patient effusively hyperventilating.
panic disorder, not MVP.
M. Panic attack. Tx?
benzodiazepines
M. Vasovagal syncope. CP?
Fainting in response to stressor (e.g., emotional trigger)
M. Vasovagal syncope. mechanism?
Stress triggers an initial sympathetic response, which in turn triggers a compensatory parasympathetic response. This latter response is excessive in some people, where the peripheral arterioles dilate and the heart slows too much -> decreased cerebral perfusion -> lightheadedness/fainting.
M. Vasovagal syncope. how to Dx?
2CK wants you to know a tilt-table test can be used to diagnose, where a reproduction of symptoms can occur.
M. Costochondritis. Definition?
Inflammation of cartilage at rib joints.
Not cardiac. This is MSK. But I’m putting this here real quick because students often confuse this for cardio.
M. Costochondritis. CP?
Will present as chest pain that worsens with palpation or when patient reaches over the head or behind the back. These two findings are clear indicators we have an MSK condition, not cardiac.
M. Costochondritis. Causes?
Can be idiopathic, caused by strain (e.g., at the gym), or even post-vira
M. Pleurodynia. MSK condition asked twice on 2CK material (once on FM form; also on Free 120) that has nothing to do with the lungs, despite the name.
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M. Pleurodynia. Cause?
Viral infection (Coxsackie B) causing sharp lateral chest pain due to intercostal muscle spasm.
Sometimes students choose pericarditis, etc., even though the presentations are completely disparate.
M. Pleurodynia. What might be elevated, why?
Creatine kinase can be elevated in stem due to incr. tone of muscle
M. Viral pleurisy. Cause? mechanism?
Viral infection causing inflammation of the pleura (layers covering the lungs), leading to sharp chest pain.
M. Viral pleurisy. CK levels?
If this is the answer, CK will be normal (unlike pleurodynia, because it’s not MSK)
M. Breath-holding spell. They’ll say 3-year-old was having a tantrum followed by falling on the floor + appearing blue.
M. Breath-holding spell. CP?
Child will involuntarily stop breathing following a trigger – e.g., being upset, frightened, or experiencing pain.
M. Breath-holding spell.
The child often cries or becomes upset, exhales forcefully, stops breathing, then develops cyanosis, which can sometimes be followed by brief loss of consciousness and jerking (can be mistaken for seizure).
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M. Breath-holding spell.
Shows up on Peds forms so you need to know it exists.
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