Valvular Disorders Flashcards
What disruption in the heart do valvular disorders cause in the heart?
Valvular disorders cause disruption of normal blood flow through the heart.
How are valvular disorders distinguished?
- based on the valve affected
- the type of alteration
- valvular disorders can be congenital or acquired
What valves can be affected in valvular disorders?
- mitral
- aortic
- tricuspid
- pulmonary
What type of alteration can occur in valvular disorders?
- Stenosis
- Regurgitation
Valvular disorders can be either?
- Congenital
- Acquired
Which are the most commonly affected valves (in valvular disorders)?
- mitral
- aortic
Why are the mitral and aortic valves the most commonly affected valves in valvular disorders?
because of the higher pressures and workload in the left side of the heart.
What is stenosis?
narrowing; less blood can flow through the valve
Stenosis causes?
Decreases cardiac output, increases workload, causes ventricular hypertrophy
What can accompany stenosis?
Atresia (failure to open valve)
Stenosis also causes and results in?
Pressures increase causing the chamber itself to enlarge leading to hypertrophy and increased oxygen demand, decreased CO, and eventually HF.
What happens when valves are stenosed?
blood moving through the valve is reduced, causing blood to back up in the chamber just before the valve.
Atresia refers to?
lack of the valve opening that would otherwise allow blood flow.
In stenosis, the heart chambers are working harder. What happens to the heart chambers?
hypertrophy of the chambers develops
Which arteries does the decreased cardiac output diminish blood delivery to?
Coronary arteries
What happens to the heart without adequate blood flow?
the heart deteriorates
As a result of (stenosis) and the deterioration of the heart, due to a lack of blood flow; what can develop?
- Cardiomyopathy
- Heart Failure
What is the most common valvular disorder in the US?
Aortic stenosis
What is Regurgitation?
insufficient closure; bidirectional blood flow
Regurgitation causes?
- Decreases cardiac output (LV decompensation)
- increases workload
- causes ventricular hypertrophy and dilation
- Increases amount of blood that must be pumped
- increases the demand and O2
What causes in the heart the amount of blood that must be pumped and therefore increases the demand and O2?
Regurgitation
Valvular disorders may have what causes?
- congenital defect
- infective endocarditis
- rheumatic fever
- myocardial infarction
- cardiomyopathy
- heart failure
- Hypertension
- aortic aneurysms
- Connective tissue disorders ( Marfan syndrome)
The manifestations of valvular disorders are?
Manifestations vary depending on valve but reflect changed cardiac flow
Diagnosis of valvular disorders?
history
exam
cardiac catheterization
EKG and other imaging
Treatment of valvular disorders?
- diuretic
- antidysrhythmic
- vasodilator
- angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (stop the aldosterone, stops reabsorption of sodium)
- beta-adrenergic blocker
- anticoagulant
- O2 therapy
- low-Na diet
- valve repair/prosthetic
What does angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor do?
- stop the aldosterone
- stops reabsorption of sodium
When does Regurgitation occur?
occurs when the valve leaflets do not completely close, so blood continuously leaks through them.
In what direction do valves normal allow blood to flow?
in one direction
Incompetent valves allow blood to flow in what direction?
allow blood to flow in both directions
During regurgitation, the increased blood volume in the heart causes the chambers to?
- to dilate to accommodate the larger volume.
The increased workload contributes to hypertrophy and it develops in?
The affected chambers
An example of both stenosis and regurgitation present simultaneously is called?
mitral valve annulus
When both stenosis and regurgitation develop simultaneously, which one develops first?
Stenosis and is generally severe
As the pressure builds in the chamber pumping blood through the valve, what becomes damaged?
The leaflets become damaged
What happens to the damaged valve leaflets?
cannot close properly, leading to regurgitation.
