L3.6 sudden cardiac death
L3.6 sudden cardiac death
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_juf6te
1. sudden cardiac 1) sudden cardiac arrest & death
arrest & death -arrest: reversible (can shock ppl back to rhythm)
-death: caused by sudden cardiac arrest
-causes vary based on pop
-incidence inc w: age, underlying CV disease, comorbidities (ex: DM), men
-SCA MC d/t electrolyte or tachyarrhythmia issue that causes heart to move into a
fatal disrrhythmia
-pts often present in asystole or pulseless electrical activity
2. causes of sudden 1) causes of sudden cardiac death
cardiac death a) ventricular tachyarrhythmias
-mechanisms r only partially understood
-ventricular ectopy alone doesn't cause cardiac arrest, however, ventricular ectopy
combined w myocardial ischemia, LV dysfunction, or cardiomegaly may trigger
vtach or vfib
-changes in heart size can inc/dec contractility, stretch the fibers
b) brady-asystole
-electrical system fails to generate adequate # of ventricular depolarizations per
min
-don't have the speed we need, not depolarizing effectively
c) pulselessness electrical activity (PEA)
-usually d/t marked reduction in CO d/t myocardial depression or mechanical
factors that reduce venous return or impede flow of blood thru CV system
-some sort of electrical flow but it's not coordinated & doesn't create a pulse (not
enough to create the squeeze/contractility that u need)
3. common causes -common causes of sudden cardiac death
of sudden cardiac 1) coronary heart disease
death -MI: if ischemia is proximal enough in a vessel that supplies the heart, & blood
flow to myocardium is sufficiently & dramatically dec (including nerves that r fed
by blood vessels), then the heart won't be able to conduct & squeeze, thus enters
some altered rhythm & impairs ability to squeeze LV & supply blood to body
1/5
Page 1 of 5
, L3.6 sudden cardiac death
L3.6 sudden cardiac death
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_juf6te
-stable CHD: stresses the heart so stress/congestion happens over time, thus
failure of heart to move blood effectively
2) structural heart disease
-cardiomyopathy: too much stretch, floppy
-valvular disease: failure of chordae tendinae, can get overwhelming overload of
pulmonary system which can cause extreme hypoxia & the heart to struggle
-congenital heart disease
-myocarditis
-aortic dissection
3) arrhythmias in the absence of structural heart disease
-brugada syndrome: inherited dysfunction of ion channels in heart muscle, thus
pts can't balance electrolytes in heart muscle & they r more prone to dysrhythmias
(including asystole or vtach)
-WPW: delta waves on EKG
-long QT syndrome
4) non-cardiac
-trauma
-bleeding
-drug intoxication
-intracranial hemorrhage
-PE
-central airway obstruction
4. reversible trig- 1) reversible triggers
gers -if something effects electrolytes, o2 conc, clearance of toxins & toxin levels, u will
get a dysrrhythmia if u let it go/don't monitor/treat
-cardiac ischemic & infarction: restore blood flow & give o2, maybe BB to slow
metabolic rate so they don't burn thru o2 quickly, maybe PCI
-med (including antiarrhythmics): too much/little of a med
-electrolyte abnormalities that cause fatal arrhythmias: hypokalemia (not enough
K, may not be able to put K into the cell to stabilize the membrane), hyperkalemia
(can imbalance natural exchange of K ions that r dependent on that gradient),
2/5
Page 2 of 5
L3.6 sudden cardiac death
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_juf6te
1. sudden cardiac 1) sudden cardiac arrest & death
arrest & death -arrest: reversible (can shock ppl back to rhythm)
-death: caused by sudden cardiac arrest
-causes vary based on pop
-incidence inc w: age, underlying CV disease, comorbidities (ex: DM), men
-SCA MC d/t electrolyte or tachyarrhythmia issue that causes heart to move into a
fatal disrrhythmia
-pts often present in asystole or pulseless electrical activity
2. causes of sudden 1) causes of sudden cardiac death
cardiac death a) ventricular tachyarrhythmias
-mechanisms r only partially understood
-ventricular ectopy alone doesn't cause cardiac arrest, however, ventricular ectopy
combined w myocardial ischemia, LV dysfunction, or cardiomegaly may trigger
vtach or vfib
-changes in heart size can inc/dec contractility, stretch the fibers
b) brady-asystole
-electrical system fails to generate adequate # of ventricular depolarizations per
min
-don't have the speed we need, not depolarizing effectively
c) pulselessness electrical activity (PEA)
-usually d/t marked reduction in CO d/t myocardial depression or mechanical
factors that reduce venous return or impede flow of blood thru CV system
-some sort of electrical flow but it's not coordinated & doesn't create a pulse (not
enough to create the squeeze/contractility that u need)
3. common causes -common causes of sudden cardiac death
of sudden cardiac 1) coronary heart disease
death -MI: if ischemia is proximal enough in a vessel that supplies the heart, & blood
flow to myocardium is sufficiently & dramatically dec (including nerves that r fed
by blood vessels), then the heart won't be able to conduct & squeeze, thus enters
some altered rhythm & impairs ability to squeeze LV & supply blood to body
1/5
Page 1 of 5
, L3.6 sudden cardiac death
L3.6 sudden cardiac death
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_juf6te
-stable CHD: stresses the heart so stress/congestion happens over time, thus
failure of heart to move blood effectively
2) structural heart disease
-cardiomyopathy: too much stretch, floppy
-valvular disease: failure of chordae tendinae, can get overwhelming overload of
pulmonary system which can cause extreme hypoxia & the heart to struggle
-congenital heart disease
-myocarditis
-aortic dissection
3) arrhythmias in the absence of structural heart disease
-brugada syndrome: inherited dysfunction of ion channels in heart muscle, thus
pts can't balance electrolytes in heart muscle & they r more prone to dysrhythmias
(including asystole or vtach)
-WPW: delta waves on EKG
-long QT syndrome
4) non-cardiac
-trauma
-bleeding
-drug intoxication
-intracranial hemorrhage
-PE
-central airway obstruction
4. reversible trig- 1) reversible triggers
gers -if something effects electrolytes, o2 conc, clearance of toxins & toxin levels, u will
get a dysrrhythmia if u let it go/don't monitor/treat
-cardiac ischemic & infarction: restore blood flow & give o2, maybe BB to slow
metabolic rate so they don't burn thru o2 quickly, maybe PCI
-med (including antiarrhythmics): too much/little of a med
-electrolyte abnormalities that cause fatal arrhythmias: hypokalemia (not enough
K, may not be able to put K into the cell to stabilize the membrane), hyperkalemia
(can imbalance natural exchange of K ions that r dependent on that gradient),
2/5
Page 2 of 5
