Flashcards Cardiology 1-5 and 21-23 focused

A patient presents with chest pain and is later diagnosed with impaired blood flow to the heart muscle due to atherosclerosis. Using your understanding of cardiovascular conditions, explain the likely diagnosis and discuss the potential consequences if left untreated.

• Coronary Artery Disease; consequences include chest pain and heart attacks.

• Hypertension; consequences include only high blood pressure.

• Arrhythmias; consequences include only irregular heartbeats.

• Heart Failure; consequences include only fluid buildup.

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 involve abnormal heart rhythms leading to palpitations and fainting.

• 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 only affects the heart.

• Palpitations and fainting, because hypertension causes abnormal rhythms.

• Fatigue and shortness of breath, because hypertension causes fluid buildup.

A patient is diagnosed with a condition where the heart cannot pump effectively, resulting in fluid buildup, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Strategically reason which cardiovascular condition this describes and support your answer with evidence.

• Heart Failure, because it is characterized by ineffective pumping and fluid buildup.

• Arrhythmias, because they always cause fluid buildup.

• Hypertension, because it causes shortness of breath.

• Coronary Artery Disease, because it only causes 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 ACE inhibitors, as they reduce 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 antiarrhythmic drugs, as they are primarily used for hypertension.

• Use nitrates, as they are the first-line treatment for hypertension.

A patient with heart failure is already on diuretics and beta-blockers but continues to have symptoms. Strategically select an additional drug class from the list provided and explain your reasoning.

• Add an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), as it can further reduce afterload and improve symptoms.

• Add nitrates, as they are primarily used for arrhythmias.

• Add sodium channel blockers, as they are the mainstay for heart failure.

• Increase the dose of diuretics indefinitely.

A patient presents with arrhythmia and has a history of adverse reactions to beta-blockers. Using strategic reasoning, which alternative drug class would you consider and why?

• Sodium channel blockers, as they can help stabilize cardiac electrical activity.

• Nitrates, as they are the primary treatment for arrhythmias.

• Diuretics, as they directly affect cardiac rhythm.

• ACE inhibitors, as they are the first-line treatment for arrhythmias.

A patient with angina is already taking nitrates but continues to experience chest pain. Using your understanding of antianginal drug classes, recommend an additional therapy and justify your choice.

• Add a calcium channel blocker, as it can reduce cardiac workload and improve oxygen delivery.

• Add a diuretic, as it is the mainstay for angina.

• Increase the dose of nitrates indefinitely.

• Switch to sodium channel blockers, as they are primarily used for angina.

A patient with hypertension is not responding well to their current medication. Using your understanding of antihypertensive mechanisms, propose a strategy for adjusting their treatment and justify your reasoning.

• Increase the dose to raise systemic vascular resistance.

• Switch to a medication that decreases blood volume or cardiac output to further lower blood pressure.

• Add an antiarrhythmic to modify heart rhythm.

• Prescribe an antianginal to increase blood flow to the heart muscle.

A patient with heart failure is experiencing poor cardiac output and fluid overload. Based on the mechanisms of heart failure medications, design a treatment plan and explain how it addresses the patient’s symptoms.

• Use antihypertensives to increase systemic vascular resistance.

• Use heart failure medications to improve cardiac output, reduce preload and afterload, and modulate neurohormonal systems.

• Use antiarrhythmics to slow the heart rate only.

• Use antianginals to reduce myocardial oxygen demand exclusively.