Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Monday, November 1, 2021
Normal P wave ECG notes and mnemonic
Sinus P waves
Axis: 0 and +75 degrees
Upright: Leads I, II, V5, V6
Inverted: aVR
Duration: <120ms or 3 small squares
Amplitude:
Limb leads: < 2.5 mm (0.25mV)
Precordial leads: < 1.5 mm (0.15mV)
Determining pacemaker type from EKG (RV pacing vs biventricular pacing)
Hello, cardiowesomites!
Today we are going to learn how to determine pacemaker type from EKG (RV pacing vs biventricular pacing)
Saturday, October 23, 2021
Thursday, October 21, 2021
LV aneurysm: Difference between true LV aneurysm and LV pseudoaneurysm
LV aneurysms are most commonly caused by myocardial infarction. What's the difference between true aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm?
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Types of pulmonary hypertension mnemonic
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Tuesday, October 5, 2021
Saturday, October 2, 2021
Thursday, September 30, 2021
Monday, September 27, 2021
HVPG = Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient
HVPG = WHVP - Free Hepatic venous pressures
- WHVP = Wedged hepatic venous pressure
- gradient between pressures in the portal vein and the intra-abdominal portion of IVC
- When blood flow in a hepatic vein is stopped by a wedged catheter, the proximal static column of blood transmits the pressure from the preceding communicated vascular territory (hepatic sinusoids) to the catheter. Thus, WHVP reflects hepatic sinusoidal pressure.
- In the normal liver, due to pressure equilibration through interconnected sinusoids, wedged pressure is slightly lower than portal pressure, though this difference is clinically insignificant.
Measurement of the Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG)
Saturday, September 25, 2021
Cardiovascular drugs that can cause digoxin toxicity
A number of cardiovascular drugs predispose patients to digoxin toxicity, including verapamil, quinidine, and amiodarone. The dosage of digoxin must be reduced if given concomitantly with these drugs. The presumed mechanism underlying this interaction involves the ability of these drugs to inhibit the P-glycoprotein transporter.
Mnemonic: These drugs cause you to go whack! VAQ - Verapamil, Amiodarone, Quinidine
Other drugs to keep in mind are Diltiazem, Spironolactone, Flecainide.
Mnemonic by Huzefa Bhopalwala
References:
Waldorff S, Hansen PB, Egeblad H, Berning J, Buch J, Kjaergård H, Steiness E. Interactions between digoxin and potassium-sparing diuretics. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1983 Apr;33(4):418-23. doi: 10.1038/clpt.1983.56. PMID: 6831820.
Andrejak M, Hary L, Andrejak MT, Lesbre JP. Diltiazem increases steady state digoxin serum levels in patients with cardiac disease. J Clin Pharmacol. 1987 Dec;27(12):967-70. doi: 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1987.tb05598.x. PMID: 3437068.
Lewis GP, Holtzman JL. Interaction of flecainide with digoxin and propranolol. Am J Cardiol. 1984 Feb 27;53(5):52B-57B. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(84)90502-2. PMID: 6695818.
Koren, G., MacLeod, S. CHARACTERISTICS OF DIGOXIN INTERACTION WITH QUINIDINE, VERAPAMIL AND AMIODARONE: IN VIVO AND IN VITRO STUDIES. Pediatr Res 18, 154 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-00367
Saturday, September 18, 2021
SYNTAX score mnemonic
In the SYNTAX (Synergy between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) trial, patients with 3-vessel and left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) treated with coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) compared with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with first-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) had lower 5-year rates of death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, or unplanned revascularization.