Flashcards Cardiology 1-5 and 6-10 and 16-20 focused

Given a patient with abnormal heart rhythms who experiences fainting and palpitations, reason through which cardiovascular condition they are most likely experiencing and justify your answer based on the symptoms.

• Arrhythmias, because these symptoms are linked to irregular heart rhythms.

• Heart Failure, because it always causes palpitations.

• Hypertension, because it causes fainting.

• Coronary Artery Disease, because it causes only chest pain.

A patient with elevated blood pressure is at increased risk for several complications. Using evidence from your knowledge of cardiovascular conditions, analyze and explain which complications are most likely and why.

• Heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease, because hypertension increases the risk for these conditions.

• Only chest pain, because hypertension does not affect other organs.

• Palpitations and fainting, because hypertension causes arrhythmias.

• Fluid buildup and fatigue, because hypertension is the same as heart failure.

A patient is diagnosed with a condition where the heart cannot pump effectively, resulting in fluid buildup, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Strategically evaluate which cardiovascular condition this describes and discuss the importance of managing this condition.

• Heart Failure; it is important to manage to prevent worsening symptoms and complications.

• Arrhythmias; it is important to manage to prevent only palpitations.

• Hypertension; it is important to manage to prevent only high blood pressure.

• Coronary Artery Disease; it is important to manage to prevent only chest pain.

A patient with hypertension is not responding well to beta-blockers and diuretics. Using your knowledge of antihypertensive drug classes, propose an alternative pharmacological approach and justify your choice based on the mechanisms of action.

• Prescribe an ACE inhibitor, as it reduces blood pressure by inhibiting the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II.

• Increase the dose of beta-blockers, as higher doses always overcome resistance.

• Switch to antibiotics, as infections are a common cause of hypertension.

• Recommend only lifestyle changes, as medications are not effective for hypertension.

A patient with angina is intolerant to nitrates due to severe headaches. Using your understanding of antianginal drug classes, recommend an alternative and explain your reasoning.

• Calcium channel blockers, as they reduce cardiac workload and oxygen demand.

• Diuretics, as they are primarily used for fluid overload, not angina.

• Antibiotics, as they do not affect angina symptoms.

• Statins, as they only lower cholesterol, not acute angina.

A patient with angina is experiencing chest pain during physical activity. Using the mechanism of antianginal drugs, develop a rationale for their use in this scenario and predict the expected outcomes.

• Antianginals increase blood flow to the heart muscle and/or reduce myocardial oxygen demand, thereby relieving chest pain and preventing ischemia.

• Antianginals decrease blood volume to lower blood pressure.

• Antianginals modulate neurohormonal systems to improve heart function.

• Antianginals modify electrical impulses to restore normal rhythm.

A patient presents with symptoms of heart failure. As a clinician, which diagnostic tool would you strategically select to assess heart function, and what reasoning supports your choice over other available diagnostic methods?

• Echocardiography, because it directly assesses heart function and is specifically indicated for heart failure.

• Blood Pressure Measurement, because it detects hypertension but does not directly assess heart function.

• Electrocardiogram (ECG), because it detects arrhythmias but is not the primary tool for assessing heart function.

• Stress Tests, because they diagnose coronary artery disease severity but not heart failure specifically.

A patient with a history of arrhythmias is being considered for a procedure to prevent future episodes. Based on evidence and reasoning, which intervention is most appropriate, and why?

• Ablation, because it targets and eliminates the source of arrhythmias.

• Angioplasty, because it is used for opening blocked arteries, not for arrhythmias.

• Coronary angiography, because it is a diagnostic tool, not a treatment for arrhythmias.

• Lifestyle modifications, because they are supportive but not definitive for arrhythmia management.

When planning a comprehensive management strategy for a patient with cardiovascular disease, why is medication adherence considered critical, and what could be the consequences of poor adherence?

• Medication adherence is critical because it ensures effective management of cardiovascular conditions; poor adherence can lead to disease progression and complications.

• Medication adherence is only important for short-term symptom relief and has no impact on long-term outcomes.

• Medication adherence is less important than surgical interventions in all cases.

• Medication adherence is only necessary for patients with hypertension, not other cardiovascular diseases.

You are educating a patient with a history of heart failure about their medication regimen and lifestyle changes. How would you use reasoning and planning to ensure the patient understands the importance of adherence and knows when to seek medical help?

• Provide the patient with a list of medications and leave them to read it on their own.

• Explain the importance of medication adherence, discuss potential side effects, review lifestyle changes, and create a plan for recognizing symptoms that require medical attention.

• Only discuss the side effects of medications and ignore lifestyle changes.

• Advise the patient to call the clinic only if they feel extremely unwell, without further explanation.