Pacemakers
Pacemakers are devices that detect the electrical activity of the heart and stimulate it to contract at a faster rate.
Category Cardiology
Overdrive Pacing
Overdrive pacing = pacing the heart at a higher rate than the native heart rate; VT or VF can result -> always have DC cardioversion available
Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension (PHT) is present when mean pulmonary artery pressure exceeds 25 mm Hg at rest or 30 mm Hg with exercise. Primary PHT is a relatively rare idiopathic condition; Secondary PHT is usually due to cardiac or respiratory cause
STEMI Management
STEMI is a type of acute coronary syndrome that requires emergency reperfusion therapy. Definition and assessment of STEMI is described in Acute Coronary Syndromes
Narrow Complex Tachycardia
Narrow Complex Tachycardia: two main categories: 1. AV node independent; 2. AV node dependent
Myocarditis
Myocarditis: inflammation of heart muscle -> lymphocytic and fibroblast infiltration + myocyte necrosis
Myocardial Stunning
Myocardial Stunning = temporary cardiac muscle dysfunction secondary to an insult (ischaemia, hypoxia, very high afterload); can be focal or global
Murmurs and Valve Lesions
Description of auscultatory findings of heart murmurs and valve disease and valvular lesions
Lown-Ganong-Levine Syndrome
Lown–Ganong–Levine syndrome (LGL): Proposed pre-excitation syndrome. Accessory pathway composed of James fibres. Characteristic ECG findings of short PR interval (<120ms); normal P wave axis; normal/narrow QRS morphology in the presence of paroxysmal tachyarrhythmias
Long QT Syndrome
Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) produces prolonged ventricular repolarisation -> predisposes to malignant ventricular arrhythmias
Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction (LVOTO)
Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction (LVOTO) and systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve
Junctional Ectopic Tachycardia
Junctional Ectopic Tachycardia: rare; congenital or post surgery for congenital heart disease; abnormal automaticity within the His bundle; high mortality rate (35%)