Cardiology Dissertation Exam Practice

This set of vocabulary flashcards is based on the Cardiology chapter of the dissertation exam grid, covering venous thromboembolism, heart failure, valvular diseases, infective endocarditis, acute coronary syndromes, and hypertension.

White thrombi

Arterial clots primarily composed of platelets and fibrin.

Red thrombi

Venous clots primarily composed of fibrin and red blood cells.

Proximal venous thrombosis

A thrombus located in the popliteal vein or higher (above the calf).

Distal venous thrombosis

A thrombus limited to the deep veins of the calf.

$S_1 Q_3 T_3$ pattern

An ECG pattern that may be seen in cases of acute pulmonary embolism.

D-dimers

Degradation products of cross-linked fibrin; elevated levels indicate activation of the coagulation system.

PESI Class II

A Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index score between $66$ and $85$ points, associated with low mortality risk.

Dabigatran

A direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) that acts as a direct thrombin inhibitor.

Apixaban

A direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) that acts as a direct factor Xa inhibitor.

Post-thrombotic syndrome

A complication resulting from venous hypertension and proximal venous occlusion with blockage of return circulation.

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction ($HFrEF$)

A clinical diagnosis of heart failure where the left ventricular ejection fraction falls below $40\%$.

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)

A peptide predominantly secreted by the ventricles in response to increased stress in the myocardial wall.

NYHA Class III

A heart failure classification indicating marked limitation of physical activity; the patient is comfortable at rest, but less than ordinary physical activity causes fatigue, dyspnea, or palpitations.

NYHA Class IV

A heart failure classification where symptoms occur at rest and are exacerbated by any physical activity.

Shockable rhythms

Cardiac arrest rhythms that respond to defibrillation, including ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT).

Severe mitral stenosis

Characterized by a mitral valve area less than $1\,cm^2$ and a mean transvalvular gradient greater than $10\,mmHg$.

Severe aortic stenosis

Defined by a peak transaortic velocity greater than $4\,m/s$ and a mean transvalvular pressure gradient greater than $40\,mmHg$.

Osler’s nodes

Painful, red, raised nodules usually found on the pads of the fingers or toes, specific to infective endocarditis.

Janeway lesions

Small, painless, erythematous or hemorrhagic macular lesions on the palms or soles, characteristic of infective endocarditis.

Killip Class IV

The most severe clinical class of heart failure post-myocardial infarction, characterized by cardiogenic shock.

Type 2 myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction secondary to myocardial ischemia caused by an increase in oxygen demand or decreased supply (e.g., severe anemia), rather than primary plaque rupture.

Brugada syndrome

A genetic sodium channelopathy (often SCN5A mutation) that can cause ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death in structurally normal hearts.

Orthostatic hypotension

A sustained drop in blood pressure of more than $20\,mmHg$ systolic or more than $10\,mmHg$ diastolic within 3 minutes of standing up.

Grade I arterial hypertension

A clinical diagnosis based on office measurements of systolic blood pressure between $140$-$159\,mmHg$ and/or diastolic blood pressure between $90$-$99\,mmHg$.

Malignant arterial hypertension

A hypertensive emergency characterized by very high blood pressure and severe retinopathy (e.g., papilledema).

Tako-tsubo syndrome

Also known as stress cardiomyopathy; a condition caused by transient catecholamine excess that mimics a myocardial infarction.