Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular

These block or restrict the flow of blood that is carrying much needed oxygen and nutrients to the heart. These are irreversible and cause permanent death to a portion of the heart muscle. Therefore causing unstable angina (prolonged chest pain) and myocardial infarction (heart atttack). This is the most common cause of death. It's very important to know what type of cardiac compromise is happening to the patient. Every treatment is similar but one mistake can kill the patient.

• Fatty deposits (plaque)
• Blood clots
• Spasm

Coronary Artery

Coronary Artery

Acute Coronary Syndrome is a group of conditions that is from low or restricted blood flow to the heart. This is caused by:

Acute Coronary Syndrome

Plaque (fat deposits) rupture

Spasm

Blood clot

Coronary Artery Blocking

Can be mistaken for MI and most times fatal.

Aortic dissection is a tear in the inner lining of the aorta. This allows blood to flow internally causing severe pain and described as sharp or sometimes tearing or ripping, often felt in the thorax region in the back, flank or arm.

Aortic aneurysm, is when a portion of the aorta has enlarged or ballooned outward. This is caused from atherosclerosis (plaque build up) and weakens the aortic wall. This can then rupture suddenly and cause fatal internal bleeding. Most often pain is felt in the abdominal region.

Aortic Aneurism and Dissection

VS

After the clot has formed due to the constriction of the aortic vessel from the plaque. The clot breaks off and travels through the blood stream causing organ damage and tissue ischemia because it is cutting off oxygenated blood from the heart muscle. This can cause MI (myocardial ischemia causing chest discomfort. This plays a major role in cardiac emergencies.

Thromboembolism

creating a traffic jam because blood can't enter the left atrium. Then creating poor gas exchange leads to hypoxia and this condition is called pulmonary edema.

Is when the heart isn't able to adequately eject blood out of the ventricle. It could have resulted from a heart attack that affected a good amount of the heart muscle and with that heart muscle dead, it can no longer help. Other heart failures can be caused by valve disorder, hypertension, pulmonary embolism, cardiac rhythm disturbances, pregnancy, viral illnesses, and certain drugs. Heart failure can be from a left ventricular failure, a right ventricular failure or both. Left ventricular failure occurs when it can't pump blood to the rest of the body, reducing perfusion of bood to the cells. Therefore

Heart Failure

If the right side of the heart fails, the blood is not ejecting out to the lungs, causing a back up on the right side and then the lungs aren't able to reoxygenate the blood to go back to the heart. This causes hypoxia and respiratory distress. This back up will most likely cause JVD and peripheral edema. If the left side is affected it will be seen in the lower extremites with swelling. In the end, it could be right side, left side or both ventricles that fail.

Heart Failure Cont...

U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2024). Aortic dissection and aortic aneurysm: Medlineplus medical encyclopedia. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000181.htm https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000162.htm October 5, 2024

Cited Sources

Mistovich, Joseph J., and Keith J. Karren. Prehospital Emergency Care. 12th ed., Pearson, 2024. Book Pages 611 - 628