THE HEART AND CLINICAL ASPECTS OF THE MEDIASTINUM Flashcards
What is pericarditis - causes, symptoms, treatment, diagnostic?
Inflammation of the peritoneum surrounding the heart. The layers rub against one another which can cause chest pain. This pain can get worse when breathing or lying down. It can be caused by a viral infection e.g respiratory or digestive. Can be treated with anti-inflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen. Look at cardiothoracic ratio on a scan to identify if the peritoneum is inflammaed.
What are the two measurements in cardiothoracic ratio and what is the normal value?
- Thoracic diameter
- Cardiac diameter
- Ratio = 0.5
What does the right atrium do?
Receives deoxygenated blood from the superior and inferior vena cava as well as the coronary sinus
What is the pulmonary trunk?
The left and right pulmonary arteries join together to form the pulmonary trunk
What does the right ventricle do?
Pumps blood into the pulmonary trunk
What do the left ventricle and left atria do?
Left atria receives oxygenated blood from the pulmonary vein
Left ventricle pumps blood into the aorta
What are the anterior, inferior and posterior surfaces of the heart?
- Anterior = Sternocostal - formed by left and right atria and left and right ventricle
- Inferior = Diaphragm - left and right ventricles
- Posterior = T5 - T8 of the thoracic vertebra formed by mainly the left atrium
What is the apex beat?
A cardiac impulse can be felt at the apex as the apex beat. This is around 1-2cm from the midclavicular line
What is angina?
Chest pain from reduced blood flow to the heart. This can be as a result of coronary vessels getting more narrow
What supplies the cardiac muscle with blood? (2)
- The right and left coronary arteries
- Coronary veins drain into the coronary sinus which drains into the right atria
What is mediastinitis?
Swelling and irritation (inflammation) of the chest area between the lungs (mediastinum)
What is mediastinal syndrome?
A group of disorders that are characterised by compression, infiltration or entrapment of the mediastinum.
Compression can happen as a result of an atypical cervical rib which can compress the brachial plexus
What is important when diagnosing a mediastinal mass?
Figure out which region the mass is in
What is cardiac tamponade?
This is when the pericardial sac around the heart fills in a different fluid or blood which results in increased pressure and compression on the heart. This can cause chest pain
