OnlineMedEd: Cardiology - "Cardiomyopathy"

Question 1

List the categories of causes of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Answer 1

• Ischemic
• Drug-induced (dauxirubicin)
• Idiopathic
• Wet beriberi
• Alcohol

Question 2

How do patients with dilated cardiomyopathy present?

Answer 2

Because of the decreased contractility, those with DCM typically have symptoms similar to CHF: orthopnea, PND, JVD, DOE, pulmonary edema.

Question 3

Dilated cardiomyopathy should be treated with what?

Answer 3

• CHF treatment: diuretics, oxygen, positioning, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, spironolactone
• Alcohol avoidance
• No chemotherapy
• Heart transplant

Question 4

Why are beta-blockers part of the treatment for HOCM?

Answer 4

The aortic outlet gets obstructed in HOCM when the preload drops (because the ventricle is smaller and more likely to pinch off the aorta). Giving beta-blockers slows the heart rate and increases filling.

Question 5

Other than beta-blockers, list the treatment protocol for HOCM.

Answer 5

• Diltiazem and verapamil (if they can’t tolerate BBs)
• Cardiac defibrillator
• Alcohol oblation (for poor surgical candidates)
• Myomectomy

Question 6

_____________ should be screened for HOCM with an echocardiogram.

Answer 6

Relatives of someone with documented HOCM

Question 7

Concentric hypertrophy is usually caused by _______________.

Answer 7

longstanding HTN

Question 8

The three main causes of restrictive cardiomyopathy are _________________.

Answer 8

amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, and hemochromatosis

Question 9

If the test wants you to diagnose amyloidosis, they’ll likely tell you the patient has what other symptom?

Answer 9

Neuropathy

Question 10

How do the treatments of restrictive and diastolic cardiomyopathies differ from systolic cardiomyopathy?

Answer 10

• In systolic cardiomyopathy, you diurese to avoid volume overload.
• In diastolic cardiomyopathy and restrictive cardiomyopathy, you do not diurese (or you diurese only to the minimum amount necessary to relieve pulmonary edema).