Question | Answer |
arrhythias | problems with conduction/electrical system of heart; abnormal heart rhythms |
bradycardia & atrioventricular block | damage to AV node may cause its impulse to be too weak to activate AV node & impulses fail to reach ventricles, causing the heart to beat too slowly |
partial atrioventricular block | failure of impulses to reach ventricles occasionally causing heart to miss a beat in rhythm at regular intervals |
complete atrioventricular block | no impulses reach AV node from SA node, the ventricles contract slower than the atria & are not coordinated |
right bundle branch block | delay/ failure of impulses traveling through right bundle branches to ventricles |
left bundle branch block | delay/ failure of impulses traveling through left bundle branches to ventricles |
cardiac pacemakers are used to | overcome arrhythmias & keeps heart beating at proper rate |
power source for a cardiac pacemaker | is a generator containing a computer & lithium battery |
pacemakers are implanted | under the skin, just below collarbone, with wires/leads to both chambers of heart, usually on right side of heart |
biventricular pacemaker | newer version; treats delays/adnormalities in ventricular contractions & can improve symptoms of congestive heart failure |
atrial flutter | often symptomatic of heart disease |
medication, electrical cardioversion or catheter abalation are used to treat | atrial flutter |
atrial fibrillation | electrical impulses more randomly throughout atria, causing atria to quiver instead of contract in a coordinated rhythm |
most common type of cardiac arrhythmia | atrial fibrillation |
palpitations, fatigue, & shortness of breath are all syptoms of | atrial fibrillation |
patients are at risk for stroke becuase ineffective atrial contractions, leading to blood clot formation which may travel to brain | atrial fibrillation |
ventricular fibrillation | the rapid contraction of the ventricles reflects a complete lack of organized electrical activity |
sudden cardiac death or cardiac arrest will result unless help is provided immediately during | ventricular fibrillation |
cardioversion can interupt | ventricular fibrillation |
can be treat with a class of drugs called inotropes (digoxin is a common drug used in this class) that slow the heart rate. | atrial fibrillation |
candidates for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator include | those who have had/at high risk for ventricular tachycardia, fibrillation, & cardiac arrest |
automatic external defibrillators are used in emergency situations to reverse | ventricular fibrillation |
low-risk procedure that provides a permanent cure, in most situations, for | cardiac arrhythmias |
surgical treatment consists of removal of the constricted region & end-to-end anastomosis of aortic segments | coarctation of aorta |
usually occurs in premature infants, causing cyanosis, fatigue & rapid breathing | patent ductus arteriosus |
surgery via catheterization with coil embolization to "plug" the ductus | may be used to correct patent ductus arteriosus |
patent ductus arteriosus | use of the drug indomthacin to promote closure, or surgery to correct |
may be used to correct patent ductus arteriosus | ligation via a small incision between the ribs |
atrial septal defect | small holes in septa between atria |
ventricular septal defect | small holes in septa between ventricles lets venous blood pass from right to left ventricle & out aorta without oxygenation |
some close spontaneously, while other require open heart surgery to close the holes between the heart chambers | septal defects |
heart-lung machine | connected to patient's circulatory system, relieves heart & lungs of pumping & oxygenating blood during open heart surgery |
a heart-lung machine is used during open heart surgery to correct | septal defects |
congenital malformation of the heart involving four distinct defects | tetralogy of Fallot |
tetralogy of Fallot | pulmonary artery stenosis, ventricular septal defect, shift of aorta to right, hypertrophy of right ventricle |
pulmonary artery stenosis | artery is narrow/obstructed |
shift of aorta to right | overrides interventricular septum; oxygen-poor blood passes from right ventricle to aorta |
hypertrophy of right ventricle | myocardium works harder to pump blood through a narrowed pulmonary artery |
includes patch closure of septal defect & removing obstruction to outflow at pulmonary artery | surgery to correct tetralogy of Fallot |
transposition of the great arteries | pulmonary artery arises from left ventricle & aorta from right ventricle |
congenital condition that causes cyanosis & hypoxia | transposition of the great arteries |
surgical correction of transposition of the great arteries is | an artereal switch procedure |
artereal switch procedure | pulmonary artery & aorta reconnected in their proper positions |
congestive heart failure(left side) | blood accumulates in lungs causing fluid to seep out of capillaries into the tiny air sacs of the lungs |
congestive heart failure(right side) | damming back of blood results in accumulation of fluid in the abdominal organs (liver/spleen) & subcutaneous tissue of the legs |
symptoms include SOB, fatigue & exercise intolerance | congestive heart failure |
the most common causes, in the US, are high blood pressure & coronary artery disease | CHF |
CHF therapy includes | low dietary intake of sodium & diuretics |
the most common drugs used to treat CHF include | digoxin, ACE inhibitors & beta-blockers; they improve the performance of heart & its pumping activity |
ACE inhibtors, beta-blockers & newer angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) | decrease pressure inside blood vessels to treat hypertension |
if drug thearpy & lifestyle changes fail to control CHF then the only other treatment option is | heart transplantation |
coronary artery disease is the result of | artherosclerosis; deposit of fatty compounds on inner lining of coronary arteries smooth lining becomes rough as the plaque collects |
plaque causes plugging, then roughened lining of artery may rupture or cause clotting of blood; this may lead to | thrombotic occlusion and necrosis of a part of the myocardium |
the sequence of events included in CAD consitute | myocardial infarction |
acute coronary syndromes are conditions caused by | myocardial ischemia |
acute coronary syndromes include | unstable angina & myocardial infarction |
ACS patients benefit from | early angiography & angioplasty |
drugs used to treat ACS are | anticoagulants & antiplatelet agents |
antiplatelet agent | asprin & clopidogrel (Plavix) |
nitroglycerin is given sublingually for | acute attacks of angina |
drugs used to prevent CAD & ACS are | asprin, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, & statins |
cardiac surgeons use this type of surgery to treat CAD by replacing clogged vessels is | coronary artery bypass grafting |
interventional cardiologists perform this procedure to open clogged arteries | percutaneous coronary intervention |
bacterial endocarditis | inflammation of inner lining of heart caused by bacteria |
when vegetations break off into bloodstream as embolisms, they can lodge in other vessels causing | transient ischemic attack |
antibiotics can cure | bacterial endocarditis |
hypertensive heart disease | results from narrowing of arterioles, leading to increased pressure in arteries; heart is effected because it must pump more vigorously to overcome resistance in arteries |
mitral valve prolapse occurs because the mitral valve enlarged & prolapses into the left ____ during systole | atrium |
beacuse MVP patients are more disposed to infection of the prolapsed valves this medication is recomended at time of dental procedures | preventative antibiotics |
caused by valvular defect/disease disrupting the smooth flow of blood in the heart | murmur |
murmurs and interseptal defects can be heard with a(n) | stethoscope |
functional murmurs | are not caused by valve/septal defects & do not seriously endanger a patient's health |
a thrill often accompanies a(n) | murmur |
in most cases this is a result of disease elsewhere in the body, caused by bacteria/viruses, or etiology may be idiopathic | pericarditis |
pericarditis is marked by | malaise, fever, chest pain and during auscultation a pericardial friction rub may be revealed |
pericarditis can cause cardiac tamponade due to | compression of heart caused by collection of blood in the pericardial cavity |
treatment of cardiac tamponade include | anti-inflammatory drugs & agents to manage pain |
depending on microorganisms detected in specimens collected via pericardiocentesis, infective pericarditis is treated with | antibiotics/antifungals |
follows after a stretococcal infection & can damage heart valves due to inflammation; may also cause vegetations so valves don't open/close normally | rheumatic heart disease |
rheumatic heart disease can weaken the myocardium causing | atrial fibrillation, mitral stenosis and CHF |
treatment of rheumatic heart diease can include | reduced activity, drugs, surgery & anticoagulant therapy |
artificial & porcine valve implants have been used to replace deteriorated heart valves | due to rheumatic heart disease |
aneurysm comes from the Greek word aneurysma meaning | widening |
usually caused by artherosclerosis & hypertension, or congenital weakness in vessel wall | aneurysm |
aneurysms are common in the aorta but may also occur in | peripheral vessels |
treatment of aneurysms depends on | vessel involved, site & health of patient |
berry aneurysm | rupture of small vessels in brain |
treatment for berry aneurysm is | occlusion of small vessel with small clips |
aneurysms in larger vessels, as in the aorta, the aneurysm is | resected & a synthetic graft is sewn within affected vessel |
a less invasive procedure, as an alternate to surgery for an aneurysm is | stent grafts being placed |
anticoagulants such as heparin are used to prevent pulmonary | emobli |
most hypertension is | essential hypertension with no identifiable cause |
diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcuim channel blockers along with lifestyle/diet changes & stopping smoking can treat | HTN |
intermittent claudation | absence of pain/discomfort in a leg at rest, but pain, tension & weakness after walking has begun |
a sign of peripheral vascular disease is | intermittent claudation |
treatment for PVD includes | exercise, avoiding nicotine, & controlling hypertension, hyperlipidemia & diabetes |
surgical treatments for PVD include | endarterectomy & bypass grafting |
balloon angioplasty, atherectomy & stenting are | percutaneous treatments for PVD |
embolic protection devices | parachute-like filters used to capture embolic debris during stening, in patient's with PVD |
a condition characterized by intermittent attacks of ischemia that affects the arterioles in the skin | Raynaud disease |
Raynaud disease can be triggered by | cold temps, emotional stress or cigarettes smoking; protecting body from cold & use of vasodilators are effective treatments |
Raynaud's phenomenon | similar condition of aretial insufficiency but secondary to arterial narrowing from other conditions |
secondary conditions of Raynaud's phenomenon include | atherosclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma |
varicose veins are caused by | damaged valves that fail to prevent backflow of blood, then collecting in veins which distend to many times their normal size |
because of slow flow of blood in varicose veins & frequent injury to the vein, this may occur as well | thrombosis |
vericose veins near the anus | hemorrhoids (piles) |
sclerotherapy | injections with sclerosing solution |
sclerotherapy or lasar & pulsed-light treatments are used to seal off | vericose veins |
when treating vericose veins doctors use these methods less frequently | surgical inverventions of vein stripping and ligation |
supraventricular tachycardia | rapid heart beats arising from atria and causing palpitations, SOB & dizziness |
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome | an abnormal ECG pattern often associated with paroxsymal tachycardia |
heart block | antrioventricular (AV) block |
AV block | occurs when there is a delay/interruption in conduction of electrical impulses between atria & ventricles |
conduction delay or failure may happen | intermittently or with such frequency that virtually no impulses reach the ventricles |
atrial "flutter" | type of dysrhythmia characterized by rapid, but regular, contractions of the atria or ventricles |
In atrial flutter, the heart rate may average between | 250 to 350 beats per minute |
normally more than 100 beats per minute | tachycardia |
premature atrial contractions (PACs) | occur earlier than expected in the heart's conduction sequence |
originate outside of the sinoatrial node | PACs |
premature ventricular contraction (PVCs) | an electrical impulse, arising from a place other than the SA node, causes ventricles to contract before the normal time |
may cause uncomfortable chest sensations called palpitations | some dysrhythmias, including PACs & PVCs |
congenital heart disease | refers to structural/functional abnormalities of the heart that are present from birth |
coarctation of the aorta | type of congenital abnormality characterizues by a narrowing of that artery |
pulmonary edema is often a | pink frothy liquid |
aneurysms most commonly affect the | aorta |
a frequent cause of aortic aneuryms is | artherosclerosis |
mostly often x-ray detect this; however Electrocardiography, echocardiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging may also be used to diagnose and assess the severity of | aneurysms |
true fusifirm abdominal aneurysm | this type usually affects the entire circumference of an artery |
true saccular aortic aneurysm | a saclike aneurysm that affects just one side of the wall of an arter |
dissecting aneurysm | one caused by hemorrhage that makes a lengthwise split in the arterial wall, with a tear in the inner wall (intima) and an opening to the lumen of the vessel |
true aneurysm | one whose sac is formed by the arterial walls, at least one of which is unbroken, a spindle-shaped arterial aneurysm |
most common site is the aorta, but may be found in other large vessels | dissecting aneurysm |
aneurysmectomy | surgical excision of the aneurysm, often with application of a synthetic graft over the arterial defect |
to treat larger artery aneurysms will usually require a(n) | aneurysmectomy |
may treated by clamping off the blood flow to the weakened portion of the vessel | aneurysms in smaller arteries |
leading cause of PVD | artherosclerosis |
PVD most often effects the | femoral & popletial arteries |
This is especially useful for coronary artery occlusions, aneurysms, and varicose veins: | Duplex ultrasound diagnostic equipment |
also known as arteriospastic disease | Raynaud's phenomenon/disease |
Raynaud's phenomenon/disease | symptoms include episodes of alternating pallor and cyanosis, and numbness |
exact etiology of Raynaud's is not know but contributing factors include: | occupational related trauma & exposure to heavy metals |
Vericose veins can be caused by | pregnancy, obesity, heredity, illness & injury |
uncomplicated cases of vericose veins can often be treated with | elevation of legs & wearing elastic stockings |