Cardiology: Hypertension and Post-MI Complications Vocabulary

A vocabulary-style flashcard deck reviewing critical terms, diagnostic markers, and clinical concepts from the cardiology lecture notes.

Papillary Muscle Dysfunction

An early post-MI complication characterized by a new systolic murmur due to mitral regurgitation with normal or minimally decreased ejection fraction.

Papillary Muscle Rupture

A severe post-MI complication causing acute mitral regurgitation, cardiogenic shock, and a significant drop in ejection fraction, most commonly affecting the posteromedial muscle.

Left Ventricular Aneurysm

A late post-MI complication developing over several months, presenting with persistent ST elevation, deep Q waves, and a thinned, dyskinetic myocardial wall on echocardiography.

Dressler Syndrome

A late, immune-mediated pericarditis accompanied by pericardial effusion that occurs weeks to months following a myocardial infarction.

Peri-Infarction Pericarditis

An early inflammatory pericarditis occurring within $4\,\text{days}$ following a myocardial infarction.

Acute Pericarditis

An inflammation of the pericardium characterized clinically by pleuritic chest pain that decreases when sitting up, a pericardial friction rub, and diffuse ST-segment elevation with PR-segment depression on ECG.

Refractory Hypertension

Persistent blood pressure $>140/90\,\text{mmHg}$ despite maximum tolerated dosages of two antihypertensive drugs for $3\text{--}4\,\text{months}$.

Malignant Hypertension

A severe form of hypertension characterized by a diastolic blood pressure $>120\,\text{mmHg}$ and acute target organ damage.

Renovascular Disease

The most common cause of secondary hypertension, frequently presenting with an abdominal bruit and best investigated initially using Doppler ultrasound.

White Coat Hypertension

A condition in which office blood pressure readings are elevated ($\ge 140/90\,\text{mmHg}$), but 24-hour ambulatory or home blood pressure monitoring demonstrates normal levels.

Masked Hypertension

A condition in which office blood pressure measurements are normal, but ambulatory blood pressure is elevated; often suspected when evidence of target organ damage is found.

Isolated Systolic Hypertension

A form of hypertension common in elderly patients, defined by a systolic blood pressure $>140\,\text{mmHg}$ with a normal diastolic blood pressure ($<90\,\text{mmHg}$).

DASH Diet

A dietary pattern high in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated and total fats that can reduce systolic blood pressure by approximately $11\,\text{mmHg}$.

Hypertensive Emergency

Severely elevated blood pressure with acute end-organ damage, managed by gradual blood pressure reduction (no more than $25\%$ in the first $2\,\text{hours}$) using intravenous agents such as sodium nitroprusside.

Prohypertensive Agents

Substances or medications that can elevate blood pressure, including NSAIDs, corticosteroids, oral contraceptives, liquorice, nasal decongestants, and MAO inhibitors like phenelzine and selegiline.

Indapamide

A thiazide-like diuretic used as a first-line treatment for hypertension in elderly patients, requiring electrolyte monitoring after $2\text{--}3\,\text{weeks}$ of initiation.