PassMedicine Top 100 Concepts
CARDIOLOGY
Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: management
ACE-inhibitors should be avoided in patients with HOCM
Myocardial infarction: complications
Persistent ST elevation following recent MI, no chest pain - left ventricular aneurysm
Diabetes mellitus: hypertension management
Hypertension in diabetics - ACE inhibitors/A2RBs are first-line regardless of age
ACE inhibitors: side-effects
ACE inhibitors can cause first dose hypotension
Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor inhibitors
Dyspnoea in ticagrelor-treated patients is due to the impaired clearance of adenosine
Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: prognostic factors
HOCM - poor prognostic factor on echo = septal wall thickness of > 3cm
B-type natriuretic peptide
Renal dysfunction (eGFR
Long QT syndrome
Erythromycin can cause a prolonged QT interval
JVP: cannon waves
Irregular cannon 'a' waves points towards complete heart block
Pacemakers: temporary
Complete heart block following an inferior MI is NOT an indication for pacing, unlike with an anterior MI
Jugular venous pulse
JVP: x descent = fall in atrial pressure during ventricular systole
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, B-type natriuretic peptide
B-type natriuretic peptide is mainly secreted by the ventricular myocardium
Chest pain: assessment of patients with suspected cardiac chest pain
Contrast-enhanced CT coronary angiogram is the first line investigation for stable chest pain of suspected coronary
artery disease aetiology
Dabigatran
Bleeding on dabigatran? Can use idarucizumab to reverse
Myocardial infarction: complications
Rupture of the papillary muscle due to a myocardial infarction --> acute mitral regurgitation --> widespread systolic
murmur, hypotension, pulmonary oedema
Atrial fibrillation: a very basic introduction
A stable patient presenting in AF with an obvious precipitating cause may revert to sinus rhythm without specific
antiarrhythmic treatment
Angina pectoris: drug management
Prinzmetal angina - treatment = dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker
Murmurs
Atrial septal defect - ejection systolic murmur louder on inspiration
DVLA: cardiovascular disorders
ICD means loss of HGV licence, regardless of the circumstances
Ebstein's anomaly
Ebstein's anomaly --> tricuspid regurgitation --> pansystolic murmur, worse on inspiration
Atrial fibrillation: anticoagulation
Anticoagulation should be considered for the following: - Men: CHA2DS2-VASC >= 1 - Women CHA2DS2-VASC >=
2
Prosthetic heart valves
Mechanical valves - target INR: - aortic: 3.0 - mitral: 3.5
Atrial myxoma
Page 2/7 © PassMedicine 2025
CARDIOLOGY
Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: management
ACE-inhibitors should be avoided in patients with HOCM
Myocardial infarction: complications
Persistent ST elevation following recent MI, no chest pain - left ventricular aneurysm
Diabetes mellitus: hypertension management
Hypertension in diabetics - ACE inhibitors/A2RBs are first-line regardless of age
ACE inhibitors: side-effects
ACE inhibitors can cause first dose hypotension
Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor inhibitors
Dyspnoea in ticagrelor-treated patients is due to the impaired clearance of adenosine
Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: prognostic factors
HOCM - poor prognostic factor on echo = septal wall thickness of > 3cm
B-type natriuretic peptide
Renal dysfunction (eGFR
Long QT syndrome
Erythromycin can cause a prolonged QT interval
JVP: cannon waves
Irregular cannon 'a' waves points towards complete heart block
Pacemakers: temporary
Complete heart block following an inferior MI is NOT an indication for pacing, unlike with an anterior MI
Jugular venous pulse
JVP: x descent = fall in atrial pressure during ventricular systole
Page 1/7 © PassMedicine 2025
, B-type natriuretic peptide
B-type natriuretic peptide is mainly secreted by the ventricular myocardium
Chest pain: assessment of patients with suspected cardiac chest pain
Contrast-enhanced CT coronary angiogram is the first line investigation for stable chest pain of suspected coronary
artery disease aetiology
Dabigatran
Bleeding on dabigatran? Can use idarucizumab to reverse
Myocardial infarction: complications
Rupture of the papillary muscle due to a myocardial infarction --> acute mitral regurgitation --> widespread systolic
murmur, hypotension, pulmonary oedema
Atrial fibrillation: a very basic introduction
A stable patient presenting in AF with an obvious precipitating cause may revert to sinus rhythm without specific
antiarrhythmic treatment
Angina pectoris: drug management
Prinzmetal angina - treatment = dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker
Murmurs
Atrial septal defect - ejection systolic murmur louder on inspiration
DVLA: cardiovascular disorders
ICD means loss of HGV licence, regardless of the circumstances
Ebstein's anomaly
Ebstein's anomaly --> tricuspid regurgitation --> pansystolic murmur, worse on inspiration
Atrial fibrillation: anticoagulation
Anticoagulation should be considered for the following: - Men: CHA2DS2-VASC >= 1 - Women CHA2DS2-VASC >=
2
Prosthetic heart valves
Mechanical valves - target INR: - aortic: 3.0 - mitral: 3.5
Atrial myxoma
Page 2/7 © PassMedicine 2025
