ESSENTIALS Some drugs, e.g. beta-blockers, anti-arrhythmics and anti-cholinergics in particular, are important causes of arrhythmias. Triggered activity – occurs as a result of membrane voltage instability. Ionic disturbances, specifically calcium…
17.3.2 Clinical features Key features Acute shortness of breath: this is the most common presenting symptom and is often severe Cough productive of pink, frothy sputum Patient appears acutely unwell:…
Figure 16.1 – Development of the heart and its chambers. // PRO-TIP // The atrial septum begins as the septum primum (ridge of tissue that grows downwards from the common…
Note the date and time the ECG was taken 3. Calculate the heart rate Rule of 300 (divide 300 by the number of large squares between two R waves) Ten…
gical therapy. Revascularisation is indicated if acute ischaemia, CLI and if symptomatic onthe above. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) refers to partial or complete obstruction of the arterial blood supply to…
At a heart rate of 70 beats per minute, a human heart will contract approximately 100800 times a day, more than 36 million times a year and nearly 3 billion…
Figure 12.1 – Areas of auscultation on examination. 12.1.1 Heart murmurs An appreciation of normal heart sounds is encouraged. One should familiarise oneself with the sounds of different murmurs, which…
Cardiovascular investigations In A Heartbeat Blood tests Troponin T and I are most sensitive and specific biomarkers for myocardial infarction (MI) CK-MB is primarily used in suspected re-infarction after MI…
Heart failure In A Heartbeat Epidemiology Prevalence and incidence increase with ageAffects approximately 900 000 people in the UK Aetiology Commonly caused by other cardiac diseasesIHD, hypertension and valvular heart disease…
Alcohol consumption – potentially reversible causeInfective – most commonly caused by Coxsackie A & B virusOthers – hypothyroidism, peripartum, chemotherapy, sarcoidosis Clinical features Heart failure is by far the most…
