General tests for diagnosing heart problems.

Question 1

Test to diagnose acute pericarditis? what will the test show?

Answer 1

ECG will show diffuse concave ST elevation, PR depression, and occasional flipped T waves.

Question 2

Patient with previous MI and LBBB is having signs of acute coronary syndrome and lifelong history of type 1 diabetes. Which test should be peformed 1st?

Answer 2

Echo to look for ventricular wall hypokinesis because the presence of ST elevation cannot be interpreted with these conditions.

Question 3

Patients who present with ACS and in whom ECG cannot be interpreted and should receive echo instead are…?

Answer 3

Pts with LBBB, previous MIs, pts with a pacemaker, those on digoxin.

Question 4

what is cardiac index?

normal is?

what does low mean?

Answer 4

haemodynamic parameter that relates the cardiac output (CO) from left ventricle in one minute to body surface area (BSA), thus relating heart performance to the size of the individual.

normal is 2.6-4.2

The CI is a useful marker of how well the heart is functioning as a pump by directly correlating the volume of blood pumped by the heart with an individual’s body surface area.

If the CI falls below 1.8 L/min/m2, the patient may be in cardiogenic shock.