Week 4: CTB Flashcards
Define Haemorrhage
Extravasation of blood into the extravascular space
Define Ischaemia
Inadequate flow of blood to a part of the body resulting in lack of oxygen and nutrient delivery and build up of toxins
Infarction
Tissue death due to inadequate blood supply (ischaemic necrosis)
Define Thrombus
Solid mass of blood products in a vessel lumen
Define Embolus
A detached intravascular sold, liquid or gas that is carried by the blood to a site distant from its point of origin
List the Features of Virchow’s Triad
- Represents group of factors that predispose to thrombosis:
- Endothelial injury
- Abnormal blood flow (turbulence or stasis)
- Hypercoagulability
- Can act independently or interact - Endothelial integrity is the single most important factor
Describe Venous Thrombi
- Commonly associated with stasis of blood flow
- Hypercoagulability can also be an important precipitating factor
- Venous thromboembolism (VTE) includes
o Deep vein thrombosis – DVT
o Pulmonary embolism – PE
Describe Arterial Thrombi
- Associated with endothelial injury and/or abnormal flow
- Most common cause of arterial thrombosis is atherosclerosis
o Causes endothelial injury and turbulent blood flow around the plaque
Describe Mural Thrombi
- Thrombi that are attached to the wall of a blood vessel (commonly aorta) or a cardiac chamber
o Aortic mural thrombi – Due to Ulcerated atherosclerotic plaques or aneurysmal (abnormal) dilations
o Cardiac mural thrombi – Due to
abnormal Myocardial contraction E.g. Following a myocardial infarction
Endomyocardial injury (e.g. Catheter trauma)
What changes occur as a result of endothelial dysfunction in vascular pathologies
Procoagulant + Anti-fibrinolytic
Why is laminar flow important in preventing thrombosis?
- Laminar flow means platelets + other cellular components of blood are confined to the centre of the flow and separated from endothelium by slower of slower moving acellular plasma
- Reduces chance of unwanted platelet-endothelial interactions and binding
- Also ensures dilation and removal of clotting factors near endothelial cells, reducing chance of unwanted coagulation and clot formation
What are the consequences of Stasis in Abnormal Blood flow
- Results in endothelial dysfunction - Flow-induced changes in endothelial gene expression
- loss of laminar flow - Contact of platelets with endothelium, limits dilution and washout of activated clotting factors
- Contributing factor in venous thrombosis
What are the consequences of Turbulence in Abnormal Blood Flow
- Direct endothelial injury and endothelial dysfunction, secondary to chaotic blood flow
- Formation of pockets of stasis
- Allows platelets to come into contact w/endothelium
- Limits diffusion and washout of activated clotting factors, limited inflow of clotting factor inhibitors.
- Occurs in arterial vessels - Contribute to arterial thrombosis
What Pathologies can result in Abnormal Venous Blood Flow
- Venous Compression (stasis and venous thromboembolism)
- Varicose Veins
- Increased blood viscosity e.g. dehydration
- Immobilisation (e.g. bedridden - stasis and venous thromboembolism)
What Pathologies can result in Abnormal Venous Blood Flow
- Aneurysm
- Atrial Fibrillation (Stasis of blood in left atrium and thrombosis and embolism)
- Myocardial infarction and non-contractile wall segment (result in local blood stasis, predisposing to mural thrombi)
- Atherosclerotic stenosis or plaque ulceration
What is the result of Hypercoagulability in Vascular Pathologies
- Increased Increased tendency for the blood to clot, usually due to alteration in coagulation factors
o Important contributing factor in venous thrombosis
o Hypercoagulability states can be due to:
Primary (inherited) disorder
Secondary (acquired) disorder
Why do fibrinolytic agents need to be administered within the first few hours of an acute thrombotic event?
- Fibrinolytic dissolution is most effective in newly formed thrombi before extensive fibrin polymerisation has occurred which makes plasmin-mediated breakdown less effective
- Fibrinolytic agents generally not effective unless administered within a few hours of thrombus formaiton
what is an embolus?
- An embolus is a detached intravascular solid, liquid, or gas that is carried by the blood to a site distant from its point of origin
What is the term used to describe an embolism arising form a thrombus?
Thromboembolism
What causes Fat Embolisms
- Caused by fractures, orthopaedic procedures, massive soft tissue injury or severe burns
What is Fat Embolism Syndrome
- Mechanical obstruction, platelet platelet activation and aggregation, and toxic endothelial injury
- Results in Pulmonary insufficiency, neurologic symptoms, anaemia, thrombocytopaenia, and diffuse petechial rash, (10% cases) death
What is Deep Vein Thrombosis
Venous thrombus forming in the major deep vein in the leg, thigh, pelvis, or abdomen
What components from Virchow’s Triad are related to DVT?
- Stasis and Hypercoagulability
- Endothelial injury - May also be related, resulting in endothelial dysfunction
Why is Bed rest/Immobilisation a RF for DVT?
- Reduced muscle action and slow venous return - Stasis
What are Potential Signs and Symptoms of DVT?
- Swelling
- Pain
- Tenderness
- Erythema
- Increased temperature
- 50% cases asymptomatic
Why can a patient present with a swollen leg in DVT?
- Venous thrombi can cause congestion and oedema distal to the obstruction
What is Well’s score for DVT?
- Often used for non-hospitalised patients to assess risk for DVT
- Uses measures including: Active cancer, bedridden recently, calf swelling >3cm, collateral superficial veins present, entire leg swollen, tenderness, pitting oedema, paralysis , previous DVT
In some patients with suspected DVT a D-dimer is performed. What is a D-dimer and how can it be useful in the diagnosis of DVT?
- D-dimer is a fibrin degradation product and is formed after a clot has formed and is in the process of being broken down
- Negative D-dimer test can be helpful in excluding a DVT in pt who are lower risk of DVT according to Well’s score
- High risk pt should have imaging
- D-dimer is non-specific and low positive predictive value
Where would an embolus from a deep vein thrombosis embolise to?
- Pulmonary circulation
- Right side of heart
- = Pulmonary embolism (PE)
What is a Paradoxical Embolism?
Presence of an atrial septal defect allows the embolus to lodge in the systemic arterial circulation
What is Pulmonary Embolism?
- A life-threatening condition resulting from dislodged thrombi occluding the pulmonary vasculature
What is a saddle embolus?
- Pulmonary embolism which lodges and occludes major pulmonary arteries at a point of bifurcation
What are Clinical Features of PE?
- Dyspnoea
- Pleuritic chest pain (Pain on inspiration)
- Cough and Haemoptysis
- Tachycardia
- Tachypnoea
- Hypoxia
- Hypotension, Syncope, Cardiogenic shock
- Signs and Symptoms of DVT
What is syncope?
Temporary loss of consciousness caused by a fall in blood pressure
A common symptom of PE is pleuritic chest pain. What is pleuritic chest pain and why does it occur?
A sharp localised pain on deep breathing. Caused by irritation or inflammation of the parietal pleura
Pulmonary infarction is a potential complication of PE. However, it does not always occur. Why might pulmonary infarction not occur in the context of a pulmonary embolus?
- Lungs supplied by two vascular systems with many anastomoses
- Pulmonary vascular system + Bronchial Vascular system
- So Emboli affecting Pulmonary vascular system, lungs will use alternative blood supply
- Has ability to increase flow + tissue receives oxygen directly from inspired air
How can PE lead to local Pulmonary capillary haemorrhage?
- Due to higher pressure of the bronchial arteries (alternative lung blood supply)
- Locally increased vascular permeability, and capillary endothelial injury
- Usually resolves as tissue regenerates
What components of Virchow’s Triad are involved in Thrombosis in patient with AF?
- Stasis - Due to AF blood flow, atrial dilation and loss of coordinated systole
- Hypercoagulability
- Endothelial dysfunction
Cardiac mural thrombi are prone to embolisation. What are the consequences of an embolism in the systemic arterial circulation? What factors do you think will affect the significance of those consequences?
- Embolisation in systemic arterial circulation results in Ischaemia and Infarction of Downstream Tissues
- Consequences depend on the side of the occluded vessel, the collateral supply and vulnerability of the affected tissue to anoxia
What is the mechanism of action of LMWH?
Low molecular weight heparin binds and activates antithrombin III by inducing a conformational change that ‘opens up’ antithrombin III. Heparin-activated antithrombin III binds FXa directly via the ‘open’ active site and this inactivates FXa
What are the three components of Virchow’s triad?
- Hypercoagulability
- Abnormal blood flow
- Endothelial injury
List three stimuli or exposures that can lead to endothelial dysfunction?
- Inflammation
- Bacterial endotoxins
- Toxins from cigarette smoke
- Hypercholesterolaemia
- Chronic Hyperglycaemia
- Abnormal blood flow
- Hypertension
What type of embolism is associated with decompression sickness?
- Air embolism
- Due to formation of bubbles of nitrogen gas in the blood and tissues
What term is used to describe both DVT and PE?
- Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)
What is the most common condition underlying thrombosis in arteries?
Atherosclerosis
What is the term used to describe thrombi that develop on heart valves?
Vegetations
Define ARTERIOSCLEROSIS
- General term: Hardening or loss of elasticity of the arteries of any cause
- Three patterns of Arteriosclerosis:
- Atherosclerosis
- Arteriolosclerosis
- Mönckeberg medial calcific sclerosis
Define ATHEROSCLEROSIS
- Progressive arteriosclerosis of medium/large arteries due to atheroma formation
Define Arteriosclerosis
- Thickening of small artery and arteriole vessel walls and reduction in vessel lumen size.
- Associated with systemic hypertension and DM.
- Particularly affects vessels in kidney, pancreas, gallbladder, small intestine, adrenals, and retina.
- May result in distal ischaemia
Define Mönckeberg medial calcific sclerosis
Calcific deposits in muscular arteries in older individuals. Do not reduce the size of the vessel lumen
Describe Atherosclerosis
- Progressive disease affecting large-medium arteries
- Focal accumulation of lipid-rich material in tunica intima and development of atheromas (atheromatous plaques)
- Areas of turbulent flow particularly vulnerable - Branch points
What can Atherosclerosis lead to? (diseases)
- Leading cause of morbidity and mortality in western world
- Underlies pathogenesis of:
- Coronary artery disease (angina, MI)
- Cerebral vascular disease
- Aortic Aneurysm
- Peripheral arterial disease
specifically hypercholesterolaemia – Major risk factor for development of atherosclerosis
Which is the main cholesterol component associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis?
LDL Cholesterol - Delivers cholesterol to peripheral tissues
What are Risk Factors for Atherosclerosis
- Male gender
- Genetic - familial hypercholesterolaemia
- Age
- Family hx
- Inflammation
- Hyperlipidaemia
- Cigarette smoking
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
What is Atherogenesis
Development of an atherosclerotic plaque
Describe the Response-to-Injury Hypothesis
- Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory response of arterial wall to chronic endothelial injury
- Chronic endothelial injury/Turbulent blood flow
- Leads to endothelial dysfunction/activation = Upregulation of inflammatory adhesion molecules –> Promotes monocyte, T cell, and platelet adhesion + Increased permeability to lipids + LDL –> Accumulates in tunica intima
- Fatty Streak Formation = Monocytes migrate into intima –> Macrophages, take up LDL oxidised by ROS, T lymphocytes inflammation, Smooth muscle cells recruited and migrate into intima. Lipid filled macrophages = Form fatty streaks
- Atherosclerotic plaque formation = lipid-rich core and fibrous cap
Outline the Progression of Atherosclerosis
- Fatty streak - Intracellular lipid accumulation
- Intermediate lesion - Beginning of extracellular lipid accumulation
- Atheroma - Obvious extracellular lipid accumulation
- Advanced plaque - Multiple extracellular lipid with fibrosis and calcification
- Complicated plaque - Thrombosis, haemorrhage, surface defects
What are the 3 Principle Components of atherosclerotic plaques
- Cells - Smooth muscle cells, T cells, Macrophages
- Extracellular matrix
- Intracellular and Extracellular lipid
Explain Clinical Consequences of Atheroma Formation
- Mural thrombosis, Embolisation, Wall weakening -> Aneurysm and Rupture
- Plaque rupture, erosion, haemorrhage, Mural thrombosis, embolisation -> Occlusion by thrombosis
- Progressive plaque growth -> Critical stenosis
Explain Pathological Consequences of Atheroma Formation
What is an Aneurysm
Abnormal dilation of a blood vessel
what is intermittent claudication?
Leg pain on exercise and walking due to atherosclerosis and critical stenosis in lower limb arteries (peripheral arterial disease)
What is stable angina
chest pain on exertion due to atherosclerosis and critical stenosis in coronary arteries
What is the consequence of thrombosis on plaques?
- Partial / Total vessel occlusion -> Ischaemia +/- Infarction
- Non-occlusive thrombi can result in healing and remodelling -> Enlargement of atherosclerotic plaque
What components of Virchow’s triad are involved in thrombus formation associated with rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque?
- Endothelial Injury - Atherosclerotic plaque ulcerates and ruptures exposes subendothelial matrix and thrombogenic contents of plaque, leading to platelet adherence, activation and formation of thrombus
- Turbulence - Ulcerated plaques
- Hypercoagulability - Pt will have predisposing factors e.g hypercholesterolaemia, smoking etc. Unlikely to be major factor
What are potential consequences of atherosclerotic plaque rupture?
- Aneurysm
- Thrombus formation
- Haemorrhage
- Microemboli of plaque debris = Cholesterol embolus/atheroembolus
What term is used to describe the deposition of calcium in the tunica media of medium and small muscular arteries in older adults, and which is not associated with luminal narrowing?
Mönckeberg medial calcific sclerosis
What is meant by the term ‘critical stenosis’ in the context of atherosclerotic plaque growth?
Point at which blood flow is limited to a degree that demand exceeds supply, and ischaemia occurs
What features are associated with a vulnerable/unstable atherosclerotic plaque?
- Thin fibrous cap
- Large numbers of foam cells
- Large amount of extracellular lipid
- Dense inflammatory lipid
- Stability depends on strength and thickness of fibrous cap, dependent on balance between inflammation (driven by leukocytes) and repair (driven by smooth muscle cells)
- If inflammation predominates then cap may become thinner and less stable - more likely to rupture
How do the P wave and the QRS complex relate to phases of the cardiac cycle?
- P wave - Represents atrial depolarisation, appears right before atrial systole
- QRS complex - Represents ventricular depolarisation and occurs right before and during isoventricular contraction
What causes the 1st and 2nd heart sounds?
- 1st atrioventricular valves shutting
- 2nd Semilunar valves shutting
What happens during Isovolumetric Relaxation?
(Diastole)
- Atrioventricular valves closed
- Semilunar valves closed
- Ventricular pressure Rapid Fall
- Ventricular volume Constant
Define stroke volume
- Volume of blood that is ejected from each ventricle during one ventricular contraction
- SV = EDV - ESV
- Usually referring to left ventriclev
What does a raised JVP indicate?
An increase in pressure in the right side of the heart. One of most common causes is heart failure
During which two phases of the cardiac cycle is the ventricle a close chamber with no change in volume?
- During Isovolumetric Relaxation - After aortic valve closes until bicuspid valve opens during ventricular diastole
- During Isovolumetric Contraction - After bicuspid valve closes until aortic valve opens during ventricular systole
What causes the mitral valve to close and at what point does this happen in the cardiac cycle?
- Closes as the ventricles contract and the pressure within the ventricles exceeds that of the atria
- Happens at beginning of isovolumetric contraction
Why does the ventricular pressure fall initially during ventricular filling?
- Initially ventricles still relaxing so ventricular pressure falls despite filling and increase in ventricular volume
Which component of the JVP waveform corresponds to atrial systole?
a wave - Contraction of right atrium causes transient backpressure into vena cava and internal jugular vein
Describe the JVP waveform
- A wave - Atrial systole - Transient back pressure into vena cava + IJP
- C wave - Bulging of tricuspid valve - Into atrium during isovolumetric contraction
- X descent - Atria relax –> Pressure reduced during ventricular systole
- V wave - Atrial filling during ventricular systole against closed tricuspid valve
- Y descent - Passive ventricular filling during diastole as tricuspid opens
Define End-Diastolic Volume (EDV)
The volume of blood in the ventricle at the end of diastole i.e. just before contraction
Define End-Systolic Volume (ESV)
The volume of blood in the ventricle after contraction
What is ejection fraction?
- The proportion of end-diastolic volume that is ejected during systole
- EF (%) = SV /EDV x100