Midterm Flashcards
(141 cards)
What are the symptoms that are considered alarm findings that increase clinical concern when paired with chest pain?
Productive cough, syncope, evidence of systemic inflammation (joint pain, night sweats, significant wt loss)
Alarm findings: what are the signs that increase clinical concern when paired with chest pain?
fever, hypotension, tachycardia/tachypnea, pleural/pericardial friction rubs, rales/crackles, asymmetric lung sounds, absent lung sounds
What is the chest pain called that is made worse by taking a deep breath?
respirophasic
Is there a relationship b/t typical angina and exertion?
Yes. Classically exercise induced
What is exercise-induced transient abdominal pain AKA?
side stitch
What is believed to cause a side stitch?
stretching of ligaments that extend from diaphragm to internal organs (esp. liver)
If your chest is sore upon palpation, what is the most likely origin of the pain?
muscle/ribs/cartilage
What are the three characteristics of pleuritic pain?
- localized to distribution of intercostal nerve 2. NOT made worse by palpation 3. may or may not be respirophasic
What is direct pleuritic pain?
inflammation of parietal pleura
What are the three main characteristics of direct pleuritic pain?
- NOT made worse by palpation 2. is made worse by taking a deep breath 3. usually made worse by lateral flexion away from the involved side
What is indirect pleuritic pain?
Inflammation in the vicinity of the parietal pleura
What is indirect pleuritic pain most often associated with?
lung diseases
Which type of pleuritic pain is more likely to have alarm findings?
indirect
How often does pleuritic chest pain accompany myocardial infarction?
About 14%
How do you DDx musculoskeletal “mimics” from pleuritic pain?
pain is localized or made worse by palpation
What is the first step in plaque progression?
endothelial activation
What occurs during endothelial activation?
Endothelium becomes more permeable, which allows leukocytes and macrophages to migrate into tunica intima
What can be used to conservatively intervene with pts between 45 and 79 suffering from endothelial activation?
aspirin (also some Rx ACE-inhibitors)
T/F: decreased arterial stress is a major pathophysiologic problem
TRUE (normal laminar flow through normal artery => high arterial wall stress)
Why is decreased arterial stress a bad thing?
endothelium will favor vasoconstriction and platelet aggregation
Test question:
Most people with a strong family Hx of heart dz also have one or more of the other risk factors for CV dz. Therefore it’s even more important to treat and control any other risk factors they have.
Can elevated BP be reversed?
Yes, partially but there is a residual risk.
What do sudden or abrupt increases in BP result in?
vasconstriction and inhibition of platelet reactivity
What is a healthy endothelium’s response to sudden increases in BP?
release of nitrous oxide and prostacyclin