Cardiovascular

• Arrythmias

  • Irregular heartbeats
  • Tachycardia
  • Bradycardia
  • Decrease in effectiveness of heart contractions
  • Deficient or altered blood flow and tissue perfusion
  • Various types of arrythmia
• Valvular Disease


  • Damage or disease of any valve of the heart
  • Several causes
• Heart Failure

  • Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs for blood and oxygen
  • Compensation mechanisms: heart size enlargement, heart muscle mass enlargement, increase in heart rate
• Coronary Artery Disease

  • Atherosclerotic plaque buildup in the wall of the arteries that supply blood to the heart (called coronary arteries)
  • Plaque is made up of cholesterol deposits
  • Plaque buildup causes the inside of the arteries to narrow over time
• Pericardial Disease

  • Pericardial effusion is the buildup of too much fluid in the double-layered pericardium
  • The space between these layers typically contains a thin layer of fluid
  • Fluid can also build up around the heart without inflammation, such as from bleeding, related to a cancer or after chest trauma
  • Pericardial effusion can put pressure on the heart, affecting how the heart works
  • If untreated, it may lead to heart failure or death in extreme cases
• Symptoms of arrhythmia

  • Lightheadedness
  • fainting
  • palpitations
  • Cardiac arrest
• Symptoms of atrial fibrillation

  • Lightheadedness
  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Palpitations
  • Chest discomfort
• Signs of heart valve disease

  • Shortness of breath and the ability to work or exercise decreases
  • Fatigue
  • Chest tightness and difficulty breathing
  • Unable to lie down or having to get up to breath at night
  • Lightheadedness and fainting
  • Palpitations
  • Swollen eyes, legs or flatulence
  • Heart failure or pulmonary oedema
• What is vascular valve stenosis?

  Valve doesn’t open properly
• What is vascular valve regurgitation?

  Valve doesn’t close properly and allows back flow of blood
• Symptoms of coronary artery disease

  • Dizziness/lightheadedness
  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest discomfort
  • Chest pain
• What is rheumatic fever?

  A very rare complication that can develop after a bacterial throat infection. Can cause painful joints and heart problems. Most people. Make a full recovery, but it can come back
• symptoms of rheumatic fever

  • High temperature
  • Redness, pain and swelling of joints (usually ankles, knees, wrists or elbows)
  • Pain in chest, breathlessness and a fast heart rate
  • Jerky, uncontrollable movements in hands, feet and face
  • Tiny bumps under the skin
  • pale-red patches on arms and abdomen
• What is stable angina?

  If artheromatous plaque is stable: the plaque serves as a fixed luminal obstruction to blood flow. If vessel stenosis is significant myocardial oxygen demand start to exceed supply, especially with exertion. Leads to predictable, transient myocardial ischaemia.
• what is a myocardial infarction?

  when a thrombus forms over already partially occlusive plaque -> occludes lumen -> decreases perfusion of myocardium. This leads to infarction (death) of cardiomyocytes. Decreases cardiac contractility due to death of cardiomyocytes.
• what is unstable angina?

  when a thrombus forms over already partially occlusive plaque -> occludes lumen -> decreases perfusion of myocardium. transient ischaemia of cardiomyocytes = unstable angina
• Symptoms of pericardial effusion

  Sharp pain increases while supine

  Dull chest pain

  Dysphagia/dyspnea/hoarse voice
• Causes of pericardial effusion

  Nephrotic Syndrome

  Congestive Heart Failure/pulmonary hypertension

  Drugs/toxins/uremia/radiation/trauma

  Aortic dissection

  Systemic inflammatory disease/infection
• what is pericarditis?

  Inflammation of the pericardium, the sac-like membrane surrounding the heart.
• complications of pericarditis

  Constrictive pericarditis

  Pericardial effusion

  Tamponade
• Atherosclerosis risk factors

  Diabetes mellitus

  Hypertension

  Smoking

  Dyslipidemia

  Family history
• What is atherosclerosis?

  Atherosclerosis is a condition where plaque builds up inside the arteries, leading to narrowing and hardening of the arteries. Due to low levels of HDL allows more rapid accumulation of LDL in vessel walls.
• complications of atherosclerosis

  stable angina

  acute coronary syndromes

  unstable angina

  myocardial infarction

  Stroke

  TIA

  Aortic aneurysms

  Peripheral vascular disease

  Bowel infarction
• What is hypertension 


  Long term high blood pressure over 135/85
• Complications of hypertension

  Artherosclerosis

  Ischemic stroke

  Coronary artery disease

  Intracerebral hemorrhage

  hypertensive retinopathy

  Hypertension nephrosclerosis

  Congestive heart failure
• what is cardiogenic shock?

  Cardiogenic shock is a life-threatening condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs.
• Symptoms of cardiogenic shock

  Distended neck veins

  Peripheral oedema |

  Tachycardia

  Dyspnea, tachypnea

  decreased blood pressure

  Cold, pale or mottled extremities

  progressive decrease in level of consciousness - if oxygen to the brain is impaired
• causes of cardiogenic shock

  Cardiac arrhythmia

  cardiac valve dysfunction

  Cardiomyopathy

  Myocardial infarction

  Low cardiac output
• What is hypovolemic shock?

  Decrease in oxygen delivery due to severe blood loss/low blood volume
• Causes of hypovolemic shock


  Inflammation - e.g. Pancreatitis, cirrhosis, post-operative

  trauma

  haemorrhagic loses - e.g. postpartum, stab wound

  non-haemorrhagic losses - e.g. dehydration, burns, GI Losses