Heart Failure
What is the most common cause of chest pain in the primary care office? - answer
Musculoskeletal/ chest wall pain
What are some common causes of chest pain the the primary care setting? - answer
Musculoskeletal.
GI: esophagus, hernia, GERD.
Anxiety/psychiatric disorders.
Respiratory: PNA, pleuritis or sharp chest pain.
Stable angina.
mitral valve prolapse.
inflammatory disorders/ infections.
Approximately ___-____% of patients presenting to the ER have non cardiac chest
pain: GI, MS, psychosomatic disorders. - answer50-60%
Risk factors are _________ ___________ ______________ that make a serious
cardiac event more likely. - answer Positive Predictive values
What % of chest pain the the U.S. is musculoskeletal related? - answer40%: Most
common cause of chest pain in the office setting. Most common causes are muscle
strain and costochondritis. could also be broken ribs, herpes zoster, fibromaylgia, sickle
cell, protracted vomiting.
A history of chicken pox can lead to chest pain how? - answerIf shingles develop on
torso- shingles are very painful. Zoster pain may occur before rash develops.
What percent of chest wall pain is GI related? - answer20 to 30%: includes GERD,
esophagitis, peptic ulcers, hiatal hernias, gallbladder disease.
What population has increased risk of GI ulcers? - answerSmokers
___ and ____________ may present as epigastric pain radiating to the back (around
the shoulder area). - answerPUD (peptic ulcer disease) and pancreatitis
___________ causes account for 10-20% of chest pain. - answerPsychogenic
Dizziness, irritability, rapid breathing, numb fingers, nausea related to chest pain are
indicative of what kind of chest pain? - answerPsychogenic or anxiety related.
,Panic disorder causes what kind of chest pain? - answerPrecordial: or sharp pains. (Not
due to the heart.)
Always ask about ____ ___ _______ medication use, as patients don't think of this as
medicine. - answerOver the Counter: ie. Goody Powders.
GERD presents as what kind of chest pain?
What other symptom may be present? - answerSubsternal and burning pain.
Esophageal spasm presented as substernal squeezing or pressure.
GERD is ________ by meals and ________ by ________, ___, and __ blockers. -
answerGERD is WORSENED by meals and relieved by ANTACIDS, PPI, and H2
BLOCKERS.
What 2 question assessment is used to identify panic disorder, and what identifies a
positive screen for PD? - answer1. In the past 6 months have you had a spell or an
attack when suddenly you felt anxious, frightened or uneasy?
2. In the past 6 months did you ever have a spell or attack where, for no reason, your
heart suddenly began to race and you felt faint or couldn't catch your breath?
YES to EITHER is a POSITIVE screen.
Which type of disorders account for 5-10% of chest pain patients and what does this
include? - answerRESPIRATORY DISORDERS account for 5-10% of C.P patients and
include: bronchitis, Pneumonia, asthma, COPD, pneumonitis, pleurisy, P.E.
Prolonged immobilization, pregnancy, pelvic or lower leg trauma, hypercoagulabiltiy,
estrogen use, smoking, and cancer are risk factors for _________ ________. -
answerPE: pulmonary embolism
What is the test used for predicting risk for P.E? - answerWells Score: the lower the
score the lower the probability of a PE.
<2=low risk 1-28%.
2 to 6=moderate 28-40%.
>6=high 38-91%.
Pneumonia presents with what kind of pain? - answerDull or no pain. Sometimes
pleuritic pain.
Pleuritic (PE, pleuritis) pain presents how? - answerSharp, stabbing, usually localized to
one side, worse with deep breathing or coughing.
CXR is used to rule out what? - answerPneumonia
D-dimer, helical CT, venous ultrasound are used to rule out what? - answerPulmonary
embolism. WELLS score would be first test.
, What is the treatment for:
a. pneumonia.
b. pulmonary embolism? - answera. antibiotics.
b. anticoagulation.
Cardiac chest pain can be both non-ischemic and ischemic. What are 3 examples of
non-ischemic cardiac chest pain? - answer1. mitral valve prolapse
2. pericarditis
3. aortic dissection
What are 3 examples of ischemic cardiac chest pain? - answer1. stable angina
2. unstable angina
3. acute coronary syndrome/AMI
PE pain is sudden and aggravated with breathing, coughing.
True or False - answerTrue: PE pain is sudden and may present with fever (infection),
egophony, rales, wheezes, friction rub (pericarditis), tachycardia.
Non-ischemic cardiac chest pain is usually asymptomatic and treatments include low
dose beta blockers, SSRIs and mitral valve repair if necessary. True or False? -
answerTrue. Low dose beta blockers for hyperadrenergic states or arrhythmias, and
mitral valve repair if mitral regurgitation is a problem.
Clinical signs and symptoms of DVT scores how many points on the Wells Model for
PE? - answer3.0 points (slide 16 in
PP or pg
313t)
What non-ischemic cardiac issue is usually asymptomatic, is found in up to 10% of
healthy females, is found in those with collagen disease such as Marfan's or Ehlers-
Danlos, presents with pansystolic murmur, mid-systolic click and possibly pectus
excavatum or scoliosis? - answerMitral Valve Prolapse
confirmed by echo and treated with Beta blockers, SSRI's and mitral valve repair if
regurg is a problem. Most with MVP don't know they have it because are asymptomatic.
May have pansystolic murmur.
Which non-ischemic cardiac issue is an emergency with patient presenting to ER c/o
abrupt onset of ripping, tearing, knife-like CP radiating to back: - answerAortic
aneurysm/dissection
**Requires emergent chest CT, Echo, & surgery.
What would the exam findings be of a patient suffering an aortic aneurysm/dissection? -
answeranxiety, dyspnea, differences in BP in Right and Left arms, absence of upper
extremity pulses, harsh holosystolic murmur.