Tell Me A Story
The major concern of the patient for seeing the healthcare provider.
What is the chief complaint (CC)?
A medical condition in which increased respiration elevates the blood pH beyond the normal range (7.35–7.45) with a concurrent reduction in arterial levels of carbon dioxide.
What is Respiratory Alkalosis?
Hospitals check this value on almost everyone! Patients can be normal, hypo- or hyper-.
What is blood sugar (or glucose)?
This picture will help identify any abnormal anatomical structures of the heart.
What is a chest X-ray (CXR)?
Probably the most important cardiac risk factor.
What is diabetes?
When prompted the patient discloses, "I've been having sharp pains in my right wrist and it's so bad I'm having trouble writing and typing. It's affecting my work. I think something happened when I slipped on the stairs and grabbed tightly to the handrail to catch myself."
What is the history of the present illness (HPI)?
A metabolic condition in which the pH of tissue is elevated beyond the normal range (7.35–7.45). This is the result of decreased hydrogen ion concentration, leading to increased bicarbonate.
What is Metabolic Alkalosis?
Serum biomarker of myocardial injury currently used to assess myocardial infarction.
What is Troponin?
Failing this exam may buy you a ticket to the Cath Lab. (You better study!)
What is a stress test (treadmill test, exercise stress test)?
Some might say this is a "gun" but this risk factor has well-know warnings right on the package!
What is smoking?
The patient said, "I'm divorced and have part-time custody of my twin sons. I work as a accountant and I like to drink two beers most nights."
What is the social history?
A disorder that occurs when the body produces excessive amounts of acid, such as ketoacids or lactic acid; the kidneys are unable to remove enough acid produced from normal metabolism.
What is Metabolic Acidosis?
Tests for clotting abnormalities and/or function for patients receiving anticoagulation therapy.
What is INR/PTT/PT?
Utilizing a radiopharmaceutical agent, images are taken at rest and during stress.
What is a Nuclear Med Scan?
What is family history of coronary heart disease?
An example might be, "I broke my arm when I was 12, I had surgery on my left ear when I was 30 and I was diagnosed with Diabetes when I turned 55."
What is the past medical history (PMH)?
Not an "o-sis" but an "drome" - this condition starts with excess adipose tissue around the gut, releasing free fatty acids and increasing chance of developing multiple cardiac risk factors.
What is Metabolic Syndrome?
Some of it's good, some of it's bad. These results will identify a cardiac risk factor.
What is a lipid profile (or panel)?
An exam designed to help differentiate the diagnosis of unexplained syncope.
What is a Tilt Table exam?
Almost everyone experiences this risk factor at one time or another - like final exam week!
What is stress?
The patient stated, "My mother died of breast cancer and my father is living but has had heart bypass surgery about 7 years ago."
What is Family Diseases/family medical history?
A medical emergency in which decreased ventilation (hypoventilation) increases the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood and decreases the blood's pH.
What is Respiratory Acidosis?
What is an arterial blood gas?
A highly reproducible, safe, and widely available noninvasive imaging technique integral to the practice of modern clinical cardiology.
What is an Echocardiogram (Echo)?
Known as the "silent killer" this cardiac risk factor is very common.
What is hypertension (high blood pressure)?