common cardiovascular medical procedures/conditions

arrhythmias (aka dysrhythmias)

a change in or loss of the regular rate and rhythm of the heartbeat

arrhythmias symptoms

syncopy, dizziness, fatigue, palpitations (4) (can be asymptomatic), can cause sudden cardiac death or a severe decrease in cardiac output that can damage the brain and heart

sinus arrythmias

typically asymptomatic, split into sinus tachycardia and sinus bradycardia

sinus tachycardia

beats faster than 100 BPM, a normal response to exercise but can also be caused by an infection, pain, anxiety, anemia, thyroid disease, or heart failure (6)

sinus bradycardia

heart rate less than 60 BPM, can be a normal resting state in athletes but in normal individuals this may indicate a problem with the SA node or a side effect of medication

Atrial fibrillation

• the most common chronic arrythmia,

• a condition where the electrical condution of the heart no longer begins in the SA node, but rather from multiple locations throughout the atria.

  • a fast arrythmia where they twitch irregularly

atrial fibrillation symptoms

• shortness of breath

• palpations

• asymptomatic is a possibility

• increased risk for stroke due to irregular blood movement

ventricular tachycardia

• contraction of the heart is initiated in the ventricles rather than in the atria

• over 100BPM

Ventricular tachycardia symptoms

• palpitations

• dyspnea

• lightheadedness

• eventually death

cardioinversion

medical procedure that is used to treat life-threatening arrhythmias, an electric shock is applied to the heart to reset the heart rate and rhythm

treatments for arrhythmias

for non-lifethreatening arrhythmias:

• medications for tachycardia or to reduce the risk of stroke

• surgical ablation

• pacemaker

surgical ablation

surgical destruction of the part of the atria that is sending irregular signals during atrial fibrillation

CAD

coronary artery disease

coronary artery disease

A build up of atherosclerosis in the arteries of the heart which lead to a higher risk of myocardial infarctions

Coronary artery disease prevention

all the things you would think would make you healthy

MI

myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction

the result of obstructed blood flow, also known as a heart attack. The lack of oxygen causes irreversible tissue death to the affected heart muscle

Myocardial infarction outward symptoms

chest pain at rest with sweating, weakness, and anxiety

MI assessment

an MI is assessed at a hospital with an ECG. They are looking for an NSTEMI or STEMI to decide how much tissue damage there is

PCI

percutaneous coronary intervention

percutaneous coronary intervention

a procedure where a catheter is inserted into a large artery either in the groin or the arm, then threaded to the heart to examine coronary arteries and assess blockage. The blockage can be removed or intervened with during a PCI

Who receives percutaneous coronary interventions

Myocardial infarction patients who present with STEMI on ECG

Angioplasty

a procedure where a balloon is inflated at the site of the blockage to compress the fatty plaques against the artery walls

stenting

an expandable, metal mesh is inserted into the artery to hold it open, can be performed during a PCI

If the blockage is too large for stenting or angioplasty what is the treatment course?

Coronary artery bypass graft

CABG

coronary bypass graft

coronary bypass graft

a surgical procedure where veins are removed from the patients legs and then inserted onto the heart to provide a new route for the blood to travel to the heart

hypertension

elevated blood pressure, specifically systolic blood pressure above 140 or diostolic blood pressure above 90 on two subsequent readings on two separate doctor’s office visits

essential hypertension

hypertention due to the interaction of a patient’s genetics and their environment

hypertension symptoms

patients are usually without symptoms although they may complain of fatigue and a headache

hypertension treatment

lifestyle modification or medications

heart failure

a chronic disease closely associated with aging, this is the failure of one or both sides of the heart to pump blood effectively, either to the body or the lungs or both

what other heart condition is common to see with heart failure

hypertension

what is the difference between left and right sided heart failure

left sided heart failure fails to move the blood from the lungs to the body tissues while right sided heart failure is failure of the heart to move it through the pulmonary circulation. the left’s symptoms include dyspnea and other poor cardiac output while right sided symptoms include more volume overload symptoms, such as edema of the lower extremities, liver enlargement, and distended neck veins

which side of the heart usually fails first

the left side

what usually causes right sided heart failure

left sided heart failure, because there is a build up of fluid in the heart which damages the right side.

systolic dysfunction

the left ventricle is unable to contract normally

diastolic dysfunction

the left ventricle walls are unable to relax and fill with blood

typical ejection fraction in a healthy patient

55-70%

ejection fraction

percentage of blood that is pumped out of the ventricles with each heartbeat

what percent ejection fraction is the line for high risk of life threatening conditions

35%

As heart failure progresses, what stat progresses with it and indicates danger

ejection fraction

heart failure treatment

aimed at reducing blood volume and increasing the heart’s ability to pump effectively
- medications such as diuretics or hypertension medications and arrhythmia medications

• implatable defibrilators for more at risk patients

• final option is heart transplantation

PAD

peripheral artery disease

peripheral artery disease

a condition that occurs when atherosclerotic plaques build up in the arteries outside the heart restricting blood flow

intermittent claudication

pain or cramping in the legs and buttocks while walking that resolves with rest

Peripheral artery disease symptoms

• intermittent claudication

• ischemia of limbs or kidneys

peripheral artery disease treatment

lifestyle modification, blood thinning medication, stenting and angioplasty

valvular disease

diseased or damaged vlaves in the heart resulting in regurgitation, stenosis, or prolapse

regurgitation

where blood leaks back through a vlavle the wrong direction either in a vein or in the heart

stenosis

narrowing of a valve that restricts blood flow

prolapse

a floppy or loose valve

aortic stenosis

stiffening of the aortic valve due to calcium deposits that develop, like atherosclerosis

aortic stenosis symptoms and complications

this can lead to left sided heart failure, dyspnea, and syncope as the valve becomes narrower

vlavular disease treatment

patients will likely require surgical repair or replacement of the vlavle

vlavuloplasty

surgical repair of a valve

valvotomy

incision into a stenosed valve