PC 615 Test 4 - Sheet1 Flashcards
(169 cards)
One of most common complaints presenting to ambulatory care settings
Chest pain
What to do when diagnosis is uncertain in ambulatory care settings
Err on the side of caution and listen carefully to the history.
Key to diagnosis in ambulatory care settings
Can be found in what the patient is telling you.
History-taking, physical exam, and the “working diagnosis”
Often they go on simultaneously and the diagnosis must be developed rapidly in an emergency situation.
Dyspnea in the elderly
Equivalent to angina and even if deny chest pain still need cardiac work up
Hypertensive emergency
Characterized by a severe elevation in BP (>180/120) complicated by evidence of pending or progressive target organ dysfunction
Target organ dysfunction
Heart - LVH, angina/prior MI, prior coronary revascularization, heart failure. Brain - stroke, dementia. Chronic kidney disease. Peripheral arterial disease. Retinopathy.
Examples of end target damage
Hypertensive encephalopathy. CVA. Acute MI. Acute L ventricular failure with pulmonary edema. Unstable angina. Dissecting aortic aneurysm.
Hypertensive urgency
Elevated BP but no evidence of end organ damage.
Treatment of hypertensive urgency
Oral agents and close follow-up be sure these patients have follow up appointments scheduled. There is no evidence to support aggressive use of IV or oral meds for rapid reduction of BP
Examples of hypertensive urgency without progressive organ damage
Upper stage 2 HTN with headache. SOA, epistaxis, anxiety
Treatment of hypertensive emergency
Requires immediate BP reduction (not to normal or goal) to prevent target organ damage. Need to be admitted to ICU for continuous monitoring and IV medication.
Initial goal of treatment for hypertensive emergency
Reduce BP by no more than 25% within minutes to one hr. If stable then to 160/100-110 within next 2-6 hrs. If stable, further gradual reduction of BP toward goal can be achieved over the next 24-48 hrs
Excessive falls in BP
Can precipitate renal, cerebral, or coronary ischemia and should be avoided.
Use of short acting nifedipine for hypertensive emergency or urgency
No longer acceptable in the initial treatment because of renal, cerebral, or coronary ischemia potential.
To determine target organ damage
Physical exam and diagnostic testing
Physical exam of pt presenting with hypertensive emergency or urgency
BP each arm sitting and standing. General appearance. Fundoscopy. Neck - palpation and auscultation of carotids, thyroid. Heart - size, rhythm, sounds. Lungs - rhonchi, rales. Abd - renal masses, bruits over aorta or renal arteries, femoral pulses. Extremities - peripheral pulses, edema. Neurologic assessment.
Routine lab tests for the investigation of all pts with HTN
Urinalysis. CBC. K+, Na+, and creatinine. Fasting glucose. Fasting total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides. Standard 12-lead ECG
If target organ damage is discovered
Transfer to to hospital to begin care
Hypertensive crisis
Demands fast action. Can occur when BP suddenly changes in a pt with primary, chronic HTN.
Development of secondary hypertensive crisis
With conditions such as pregnancy, surgery, drug interactions or withdrawal, or cardiac problems.
Management of hypertensive urgency
Can be managed in out-pt settings with close monitoring
Hypertensive encephalopathy
May present with HTN emergency. Is the result of cerebral edema or as a thoracic aortic dissection resulting from an expanding hematoma in the wall of the aorta
Management o hypertensive emergency in out-pt setting
Under no circumstances should this occur. Stablize and refer immediately.