Cardiac Basics
This chamber receives deoxygenated blood from the body and sends it to the right ventricle.
What is the right atrium?
This is when the heart muscle is not getting enough oxygen, and damage occurs.
What is a myocardial infarction?
This painful symptom occurs when the heart muscle is not getting enough oxygen
What is angina?
This diagnostic test should be obtained within minutes of hospital arrival for suspected MI.
What is a 12-lead EKG?
This occurs when decreased cardiac output leads to inadequate tissue perfusion.
What is organ damage?
Blood goes here to be oxygenated after it leaves the right side of the heart.
What are the lungs?
This disease process involves plaque buildup in coronary arteries.
What is coronary artery disease?
This symptoms, also known as swelling, occurs when blood cannot get out of the right side of the heart and it backs up into the body.
What is edema?
These are the expected heart sounds when auscultating.
What are S1 & S2?
When concerned about cardiac arrest, you check these two vital signs FIRST.
What are pulse and respirations?
Failure of this side of the heart leads to fluid backing up in the lungs.
What is the left side of the heart?
This is the immediate cause of most MIs following plaque rupture.
What is clotting/clot formation?
When the left side of the heart fails to pump, you may hear these sounds in the lungs on auscultation.
What are crackles?
The nurse is checking this when she pinches nailbed to assess when they return to normal color
What is capillary refill?
Absence of pulse and respirations requires immediate initiation of this intervention.
What is CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)?
This is occurring when the heart beats out of its normal rhythm.
What is an arrhythmia?
Poor perfusion of the kidneys can lead to these problems.
What are fluid and electrolyte imbalances?
Women are more likely to present with these atypical symptoms instead of chest pain (name 2).
What are fatigue, indigestion, abdominal/back pain, or fainting?
This finding on an EKG indicates that cell damage is happening in the heart, but no cell death.
What is a non-STEMI?
When concerned about cardiac arrest, this is the best place to check the pulse.
What is the carotid artery?
These vessels provide oxygenated blood to the heart muscle.
An MI can lead to this condition due to loss of contractility and pump function.
What is heart failure?
These early signs can warn someone that and MI may be coming. (name 2)
What are shortness of breath, angina, fatigue?
These two biomarkers rise to indicate that there is damage to the heart.
What are troponin and CK-MB?
ST-elevation on an EKG indicates that this is occurring.
What is cardiac cell death?