Cardiovascular System Ch 5 Diagnostics Pathology Treatments Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular System (Ch 5) Diagnostics, Pathology, & Treatments

Cardiovascular Specialists • Cardiologist • Hematologist-specialist who treats diseases and disorders of the blood

DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES

Diagnostic procedures • Angiography – radiographic study of the blood vessels after the injection of a contrast medium • Angiocardiography – uses a contrast medium and chest x-rays to visualize the dimensions of the heart and large blood vessels

Diagnostic Procedures • History & Physical – Checking for symptoms of disease • Chest pain, shortness of breath, awareness of heartbeat (palpitation), fatigue, dizziness or loss of consciousness, edema, pain in the legs while walking (claudication)

Diagnostic Procedures • Cardiac catheterization – a procedure in which a catheter is passed into a vein or artery and is guided into the heart – X-rays taken during the procedure – Dye is also injected

Diagnostic procedures • Electrocardiography-tracing electricity – Electrocardiogram – ECG – EKG – Holter monitor – portable EKG that is worn by an ambulatory patient to continuously monitor the heart rates and rhythms over a 24 -hour period. – Stress tests – Thallium stress test – uses a radiopharmaceutical to test heart function

Diagnostic procedures • Ultrasonic diagnostic procedures • Ultra sound – Echocardiography – the use of sound waves to evaluate the structures and motion of the heart • Pulse ox

PATHOLOGY

Blood Vessel Pathology • Angiitis • Angionecrosis-tissue death of the walls of blood vessels • Angiostenosis – Abnormal narrowing of a blood vessel – Angiospasm – Angina pectoris – severe episodes of spasmodic, choking chest pain

Pathology • Arteries – Aneurysm – a localized weak spot or balloon-like enlargement of the wall of an artery that can rupture – Arteritis – Polyarteritis – Arteriosclerosis-hardening of the arteries – Raynaud’s phenomenon – intermittent attacks of pallor, cyanosis, and redness of the fingers and toes due to arterial contraction.

Pathology • Atherosclerosis – Hardening and narrowing of the arteries due to fatty deposits on the walls of the arteries – Causes • • Increased blood lipids High blood presssure Smoking Obesity Physical inactivity Tension http: //www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/ency/anatomyvid eos/000006. htm

Atherosclerosis can lead to; • Angina pectoris-coronary arteries are temporarily blocked-reduced blood supply to the heart – chest pain • ischemia – oxygen deprived heart muscle, injured muscle • Myocardial Infarction, heart attack– necrosis of the heart muscle due to severe, prolonged ischemia,

Pathology • Coronary artery disease (CAD) • Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) – Pumping action is diminished – Fluid accumulates and is retained in the tissues • Carditis

Congenital Heart Disease • Defects in the heart that occurred during fetal development • Involves defective communication between the chambers, malformation of the valves, and malformation of the septa • Cyanotic – inability of the individual to get adequate oxygen so they turn blue

Pathology • Arrhythmias-abnomality in rate, rhythm, or conduction of the heart beat – Fibrillation-rapid, irregular, ineffective contractions, quivering • Atrial fibrillation-irregular quivering action of the atria. Results in very rapid ventricular heartbeat • V fib – fatal unless reversed – Flutter – Bradycardia-abnormally slow heartbeat – Tachycardia

• Veins Pathology – Phlebitis – inflammation of a vein – Varicose veins-enlarged veins which can be inflammed • Hemorrhoids – varicose veins of the rectal & anal area – Valvulitis-inflammation of a heart valve – Phlebostenosis – narrowing of the lumen of a vein from any cause • Thrombus-blood clot circulating in the blood stream • Thrombosis-abnormal condition of clot formation • Embolisms – any foreign object circulating in the blood stream; clot, air, fat particle, plastic from IV catheters, etc. • Blood disorders – Dyscrasia – any abnormal or pathologic condition of the blood – Hemochromatosis – Septicemia – also known as blood poisoning, is the presence of pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins in the blood.

Pathology • Blood cells – Erythrocytosis – abnormal increase in the number of circulating red blood cells – Thrombocytopenia – also known as thrombopenia, is an abnormal decrease in the number of platelets – Leukopenia – an abnormal decrease in the number of white blood cells. May affect one or all types. – Leukemia

Pathology • Anemias – a disorder characterized by lower than normal levels of red blood cells in the blood – Aplastic – an absence of all formed blood elements – Hemolytic – red blood cells are destroyed faster than the bone marrow can replace them – Iron deficient – Megaloblastic – large abnormal red blood cells (megaloblasts) with a reduced capacity to carry oxygen are produced by the bone marrow

Pathology • Anemias continued – Sickle cell – Pernicious – Thalassemia – Cooley’s anemia, group of genetic disorders characterized by short-lived red blood cells that lack the normal ability to produce hemoglobin

Pathology • Hypertension (HTN) – Essential – primary – idiopathic – consistently elevated blood pressure of unknown origin 90% of cases – Secondary – caused by a different medical problem such as a kidney disorder or a tumor on the adrenal glands 10% of cases – Malignant – characterized by the sudden onset of severely elevated blood pressure

TREATMENTS

Treatments • Antihypertensive medications – ACE inhibitors – Beta-blockers – Calcium channel blockers – Diuretics

Treatments • Additional medications – Statins – Digoxin – Nitroglycerin – Anticoagulant – thrombolytic – Antiarrhythmic-controls irregularities of the heartbeat – Tissue plasminogen activator (TPA)-used to dissolve clots

Treatments • Coronary artery bypass graft – CABG – bypass surgery • Heart – Defibrillation – Cardioversion – Pacemaker – CPR

Treatments • Clearing blocked arteries – Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty – PTCA – balloon angioplasty, opens the blocked artery but doesn’t actually remove the plaque – http: //www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/ency/a natomyvideos/000096. htm – Atherectomy – surgical removal of plaque from the interior lining of an artery

Treatments – Endarterectomy – surgical removal of the lining of an artery that is clogged with plaque – Carotid endarterectomy – same as above for a carotid artery