Cardiology
Physiology
-------------------> vasoconstriction of "non essential" aa/ inc thirst and salt intake/ reduce sweating/ reduce water/salt loss --> BP inc
Source
Tally & O' Connor 2009
- Atrial flutter is a common complication of HTN, is non symptomatic (no palpitations)
- SVT = narrow QRS due re-entry circuits
- Mitral stenosis causes problems in pregnancy due req for inc CO --> inc risk AF + inc HR
- Silent MI: diabetes
- Most impt RF of stroke = HTN
- Most impt RF of coronary a disease = hypercholesterolnaemia
- NSTEMI = partial block of coronary a (check troponin. if inc = MI, if not = unstable angina
- STEMI = complete blockage of coronary a
- Most common cause of sudden cardiac death = VF
- Orthopnoea Causes
- HF
- Massive pulmonary effusion
- Severe pneumonia
- Pregnancy
- Massive ascites
- B/L diaphragmatic paralysis
- Peripheral oedema: cardiac associated tends to be worse in evening and b/l
- Basal crackles: early/ mid insp = cardiac; late = resp
- Arrhythmia = rapid onset; sinus tachy = gradual
- VT = rapid onset --> severe dizziness --> syncope (usually with pre-existing HF)
- SVT (VT) = Fast, regular, instant (goes off with vagal manoeuvres)
- >10mmHg SBP change = pulsus paradoxus = coarctation/ constrictive pericarditis
- Causes of postural hypo (BP drop 15/10)
- H ypovol/ hypopituitarism
- A ddision's disease
- N europathy
- D rugs (particularly alpha blocking anti hypertensives)
- I diopathic
Physiology
- Low BP --> carotid and cardiac baroreceptors sense dec stretch --> triggers:
- SNS
- RAA
- Vasopressin release
-------------------> vasoconstriction of "non essential" aa/ inc thirst and salt intake/ reduce sweating/ reduce water/salt loss --> BP inc
Source
Tally & O' Connor 2009