NURS 115 Exam 3

Pericardial Effusion - accumulation of fluid in the pericardial cavity Cardiac Tamponade - slow or rapid compression of the heart due to the accumulation of fluid, pus, or blood in the pericardial sac Pericarditis - an acute inflammatory process of the pericardium, can be acute, chronic, or constructive Pericardium - membranous sac enclosing the heart Coronary Heart Disease - impaired coronary blood flow Impaired coronary blood flow can cause: - -angina -myocardial infarction or heart attack -cardiac arrhythmias -conduction defects -heart failure -sudden death ECG - electrocardiogram Echocardiogram - ultrasound of the heart (HR, blood flow, etc.) Exercise stress testing - assess cardiac function under stressNuclear cardiovascular imaging methods - -myocardial perfusion imaging -infarct imaging -radionuclide angiocardiography -positron emission tmography Fixed or stable plaque - -obstructs blood flow -implicated in stable angina Unstable or vulnerable plaque - -can rupture and cause platelet adhesion and thrombus formation -implicated in unstable angina and myocardial infarction Major Determinants of Plaque Vulnerability to Rupture - -the size of the lipid-rich core and the stability and thickness of its fibrous cap -the presence of inflammation with plaque degradation -the lack of smooth muscle cells with impaired healing and plaque stabilization -plaques with a thin fibrous cap overlaying a large lipid core are at high risk for a rupture Aspirin - -the preferred antiplatelet agent for preventing platelet aggregation in persons with CHD -inhibits synthesis of prostaglandin: thromboxane A2 Ticlopidine and Clopidogrel - -may be used when aspirin is contraindicated -irreversibly inhibits the binding of ADP to its receptor on the platelets; no effect on prostaglandin synthesisChronic ischemic heart disease - -chronic stable angina -silent myocardial ischemia -variant or vasospastic angina