Cardiac illnesses/ Hypertension Flashcards
Hypertension (26 cards)
- Explain the immediate care of the patient with cardiac chest pain according to the EBM guideline (Käypä Hoito):
KäypäHoitoEBMguideline(English)
Immediate care includes:
- Use ABCDE approach (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure).
- Fast-acting nitrate spray to relieve chest pain, may be repeated twice at intervals of 5 minutes if necessary, provided that systolic blood pressure is over 100–110 mmHg.
- Assess pain: location, radiation, intensity, and characteristics.
- Check vital signs: BP, HR, O₂ saturation, temp.
- Monitor intravenous line space
-Perform ECG within 10 minutes.
- Draw troponin levels.
- Administer oxygen if SpO₂ < 90%.
- Give 250 mg of aspirin to chew 150mg iv unless contraindicated.
- Administer sublingual nitroglycerin unless hypotensive.
- Give morphine a dose of 4-8 mg if pain is severe. Followed by repeated intravenous bolus doses of 2–4 mg.
- Establish IV access and initiate continuous ECG monitoring.
- Consider beta-blockers if no contraindications.
2.What is hypertension?
High blood pressure is a common condition that affects the body’s arteries. It’s also called hypertension.
If you have high blood pressure, the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls is consistently too high. The heart has to work harder to pump blood.
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). In general, hypertension is a blood pressure reading of 130/80 mm Hg or higher.
What is the optimal blood pressure reading?
120/80
What is considered normal blood pressure?
Systolic 120-129 / Diastolic 80-84
Life-style guidance, check every 2 years.
What is elevated but satisfactory blood pressure?
Systolic 130-139 / Diastolic 85-89
Life-style guidance, home-monitoring, new evaluation within 4 months.
What defines Grade 1 hypertension?
140–159 and/or 90–99
What defines Grade 2 hypertension?
160–179 and/or 100–109
What defines Grade 3 hypertension?
≥ 180 and/or ≥ 110
What is a hypertensive crisis?
≥ 200 and/or ≥ 130
Immediate hospital admission.
What are the targets for elderly patients over 80 years old?
≤ 150/90 mmHg
What are the targets for patients with diabetes mellitus?
≤ 140/80 mmHg
What are the two types of hypertension?
Primary hypertension and secondary hypertension.
What is primary hypertension?
High blood pressure with no identifiable cause, tends to develop gradually over many years.
What factors contribute to primary hypertension?
Hereditary factors and lifestyle.
What is secondary hypertension?
High blood pressure caused by an underlying condition or medications, tends to appear suddenly.
What are some causes of secondary hypertension?
Kidney disease, thyroid problems, congenital heart defects, illegal drugs (e.g., cocaine, amphetamines).
Why is high blood pressure dangerous?
It is often asymptomatic until complications develop in target organs (brain, kidneys, cardiovascular system).
What lifestyle advice would you give to a patient with hypertension?
Reduce salt intake to <5g/day, lose weight esp abdominal fat, exercise at least 30 minutes 5x/week, limit alcohol, quit smoking, adopt a heart-healthy diet, avoid liquorice, adhere to medication and monitor BP at home.
What is the recommended sodium intake for a patient?
The safe minimum amount of sodium needed is 1.5g/day. TARGET <5g/day.
What are the risk factors of hypertension?
Age, race, family history, obesity, lack of exercise, tobacco use, vaping, too much salt, low potassium levels, drinking too much alcohol, stress, certain chronic conditions(e.g. kidney disease, sleep apnea), pregnancy.
What are hypertension complications?
Complications include heart issues (MI, heart failure, LV hypertrophy, CAD), brain issues (stroke, TIA), kidney issues (chronic kidney disease, proteinuria), eye issues (hypertensive retinopathy), and vascular issues (aneurysms, atherosclerosis).
High BP often remain asymptomatic until these complications arise
What organs does hypertension target and how?
Hypertension causes left ventricle hypertrophy, kidney injury, hypertensive retinopathy, and vascular changes.
What are the symptoms and underlying cause of AMI (Acute Myocardial Infarction)?
Symptoms include chest pain(often radiating to arm/jaw), sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, and dizziness. The cause is plaque rupture in the coronary artery leading to a blood clot and then blocked blood flow to heart muscles.
What are life-threatening arrhythmias that nurses need to recognize?
Ventricular fibrillation (VF) - Requires immediate defibrillation, ventricular tachycardia (VT)- May be pulseless, asystole - flatline no electrical activity, and pulseless electrical activity (PEA) - Electrical activity without a pulse.
