1. Perfusion Basics
The primary organ responsible for pumping oxygenated blood throughout the body
What is the heart?
General hardening and thickening of arterial walls often due to aging.
What is arteriosclerosis?
The natural pacemaker of the heart.
What is the sinoatrial (SA) node?
Tiny red or purple spots that do not blanch when pressed.
What are petechiae?
The most sensitive and specific blood test for myocardial tissue injury.
What is troponin?
When you press a fingernail and it takes more than 3 seconds to return to pink, it suggests this.
What is poor perfusion?
Specific buildup of fat and cholesterol plaque that narrows arteries.
What is atherosclerosis?
A rhythm with a heart rate less than 60 bpm.
The process by which the body breaks down a clot.
This chamber is most often damaged in an MI due to its high workload and oxygen demand.
What is the left ventricle?
The force the ventricles must pump against to eject blood.
What is afterload?
Predictable chest pain that occurs with activity and is relieved by rest and nitroglycerin.
What is stable (exertional) angina?
Atrial rhythm characterized by erratic electrical impulses and linked to stroke.
What is atrial fibrillation?
Condition in which the body cannot clot normally, leading to bleeding.
What is hypocoagulation?
MI is most commonly caused by this underlying disease.
What is coronary artery disease (CAD)?
The ability of the heart to increase cardiac output in response to increased demand.
What is cardiac reserve?
Chest pain caused by coronary artery vasospasm; often triggered by stimulants such as cocaine or methamphetamines.
What is variant (Prinzmetal) angina?
A life-threatening rhythm in which ventricles quiver instead of pump, requiring immediate defibrillation.
What is ventricular fibrillation?
A thrombus that breaks away and travels through the bloodstream.
What is an embolus?
Classic MI symptoms such as diaphoresis, chest pain, and radiating left arm pain may be vague in these three groups.
Who are women, older adults, and people with diabetes?
Prolonged ischemia results in this permanent tissue damage.
What is infarction?
Name two invasive interventions for severe CAD.
What are angioplasty and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)?
Brief bursts of rapid rhythm starting above the ventricles; involves overactive AV node.
What is supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)?
Name two risk factors for hypercoagulation.
What are (any two) immobility, smoking, surgery, infection, cancer, oral contraceptive use, inherited disorders.
Timely reperfusion therapy after an MI helps accomplish this.
What is preventing further damage to heart tissue?