Valvular Disease - Aortic Regurgitation Flashcards
What is Aortic regurgitation?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JorBOLNzfUY
Aortic regurgitation is reflux of blood from the aorta through the aortic valve into the left ventricle during diastole
How does the heart compensate for aortic regurgitation?
Net cardiac ouput is reduced - total volume of blood pumped into the aorta must increase, and consequently the left ventricular size must enlarge
What happens to diastolic BP in aortic regurgitation?
Decreases due to diastolic backflow
What happens to coronary perfusion in Aortic regurgitation?
Decreases
What are causes of acute aortic regurgitation?
- Acute rheumatic fever
- Infective endocarditis
- Aortic dissection
- Ruptured sinus of valsalva
- Prosthetic valve failure
- Chest trauma
What are causes of chronic aortic regurgitation?
- Rheumatic heart disease
- Syphilis
- Seronegative Arthitidies
- Hypertension
- Bicuspid Aortic valve
- Takayasu’s Arteritis
- Connective tissue disorders
- RA
- Osteogenesis imperfecta
What seronegative arthritidies can cause chornic aortic regurgitation?
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Reiter’s syndrome
- Psoriatic arthritis
What connective tissue disorders can cause Aortic regurgitation?
- Marfan’s syndrome
- Ehler’s danlos syndrome
When do symptoms begin to develop in aortic regurgitation?
When there is significant left ventricular failure
What are symptoms of aortic regurgitation?
- Exertional dyspnoea
- Orthopnoea
- Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea
- Palpitations
- Angina
- Syncope
- CCF
Why do those with Aortic regurgitation suffer from PND and orthopnoea?
Due to the development of CHF
Why does angina occur in Aortic regurgitation?
Due to a combination of decreased perfusion due to regurgitation and increased work from the heart to maintain cardiac output
What signs might you see in someone with Aortic Regurgitation?
- Collapsing pulse
- Wide pulse pressure
- Displaced, hyperdynamic apex beat
- High pitched, early diastolic murmur
- Eponymous Signs
Why would you get a collapsing pulse in AR?
As the ventricle finishes contracting, blood regurgitates back through the incompetent valve rather than being maintained
Why is pulse pressure widened?
The high pulse pressure can be attributed to the high-volume flow from the left ventricle into the ascending aorta during systole. The diastolic decay of the pulse is attributed to the backflow into the ventricle and to forward flow through peripheral arterioles