medical assistant questions
What are the parameters set on the monitor to alarm for an abnormal ST segment?
1-2 mm
How many leads are used during an electrocardiogram when measuring the ST segment?
12 (heart monitors use 3-6 leads)
The irreversible death of a section of heart muscle as a result of ischemia is called:
A heart attack
Which of the following is ultimately responsible for the death of a section of heart muscle during a heart attack?
A lack of oxygen
What is an infarct?
A local area of tissue death stemming from oxygen deprivation
What happens during a myocardial infarction
A section of heart muscle dies
Myocardial (heart) rupture is a potential consequence of an untreated heart attack. What is this?
A tear in the heart
What are the possible causes of pulse deficit?
AFib and atrial flutter
An acute heart attack is just the less technical term for a(n):
Acute myocardial infarction
An arrhythmia is:
An irregular heart rhythm
An untreated heart attack can cause irregular heartbeats, known as which one of the following?
Arrhythmias
If a sample of blood is deoxygenated, where is it likely to be found in the circulatory system of the human body?
At the beginning of the pulmonary circuit
The heart is a double-pump. If the left side of the heart weakens and does not efficiently pump blood out of the heart to the body, what could result?
Blood could backup into the lungs, making it hard to breathe.
How does Nitroglycerin help relieve angina
By causing vasodilation of the coronary arteries
What lifestyle changes are recommended for recovery?
Cessation of smoking
Name three indications that ST segment monitoring is recommended for.
Chest pain, acute coronary syndrome, and angioplasty
Gary's heart does not pump enough blood to support his body, making his heart work overtime in order for it to pump and work properly. Gary's condition will continue to worsen over time due to the weakening of his heart muscles. Gary has been diagnosed with:
Congestive Heart Failure
Which type of blood vessels are most often involved in causing a heart attack?
Coronary arteries
Sometimes the muscles controlling a coronary artery can suddenly tighten, blocking blood flow. This phenomenon is known as what?
Coronary artery spasm
What are three causes of ST segment elevation?
Coronary vasospasm, STEMI, and increased intracranial pressure
On a hot day in the African savannah, it would be advantageous for an elephant to lose more heat from its blood, so it should:
Dilate the blood vessels in its ears
An _____ uses sound waves to image the heart in order to find functional and/or structural defects of the heart that may have arisen as a result of the silent heart attack.
Echocardiogram
An _____ is a type of test that's used to reveal an abnormal rate and/or rhythm to the heart as a result of a silent heart attack.
Electrocardiogram ecg
clinics, hospital rooms, doctors office
Electrocardiograms are often done in
_____ is a blood clot in the bloodstream.
Embolus
What evolutionary step completely separated the ventricle into two distinct chambers?
Evolution of the four-chambered heart
silent heart attack most often:
Has few, if any, signs or symptoms
How does aspirin help a heart attack?
Helps prevent further blood clotting
How does nitroglycerin help in a heart attack?
Improves blood flow
Hemolymph is found:
In the sinuses of an open circulatory system
What is the basic issue that causes every heart attack?
Inadequate blood flow to the heart muscle
How to reduce further EKG artifact?
Inspect wires and cables for breaks. Replace them as needed Switch off all non-essential electronic devices Ensure that electronic devices are removed from the patient
A heart attack refers to which one of the following?
Irreversible damage to and death of a section of heart muscle
ELECTROCARDIOGRAM
Is the printed record of the electrical activity of the heart on what is called a rhythm strip or an ECG strip. records electrical activity from the muscular contractions that spreads throughout the body and can be detected on the surface on the skin. Defines the graphic representation of the electrical activity of the heart.
Which of the following is NOT true of a closed circulatory system?
It cannot serve all the cells in an organism
Which of the following people is most likely a victim of a silent heart attack? Jack is walking around one day, working in the yard, when he clutches his chest and falls over in massive pain. Bob is complaining of arm pain, chest pain, and a feeling of heartburn but nothing else. Catherine, a woman with a history of heart problems, all of a sudden develops shortness of breath, a cold sweat, and feels like vomiting. She is really tired and has some pain in her back, jaw, and arms. She doesn't have any chest pain, though. Janet is walking around one day and feels like she's got major indigestion. She takes medication for indigestion but it doesn't seem to help much. Then, for a month thereafter she notices she's always out of breath and always really tired.
Janet is walking around one day and feels like she's got major indigestion. She takes medication for indigestion but it doesn't seem to help much. Then, for a month thereafter she notices she's always out of breath and always really tired.
A heart attack is more properly called:
Myocardial infarction
Which type of heart attack cannot be diagnosed by an EKG?
NSTEMI
Considering all that you have learned, which treatment should you recommend for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)?
Something that slows the heart rate down.
Cocaine use, emotional stress, and sometimes no identifiable cause whatsoever may cause a temporary _____ involving the coronary artery, which may lead to a heart attack.
Spasm
The walls of coronary arteries have three layers. Sometimes a layer may unexpectedly rip, allowing blood to escape the artery and pool in places it shouldn't. This can cause bulges to form, which can put pressure on the vessel, blocking blood flow. What is this condition called?
Spontaneous coronary artery dissection
What's the name for a condition where the coronary artery's internal layer tears, blood enters between it and the next layer, and this pooling of blood may bulge into the artery thereby obstructing it and causing a heart attack
Spontaneous coronary artery dissection
What is the difference between a mild heart attack and a massive heart attack?
The amount of heart tissue affected
In an open circulatory system
The circulatory fluid surrounds the internal organs
Heart failure is a possible direct consequence of a heart attack, especially if untreated. What does heart failure really imply?
The heart is unable to pump adequate amounts of oxygenated blood.
A massive heart attack may result in shock, which in this instance is a word that refers to:
The inadequate supply of oxygenated blood to the body's organs and tissues
How could you BEST explain what is physically happening to a patient who has cardiac hypertrophy?
The muscle walls in your heart have thickened and can't relax well, leading to what we call poor diastolic filling.
What does the ST segment of a cardiac rhythm represent?
The polarization and repolarization of the ventricles
The circulation of blood from the right side of the human heart to the lungs and back to the heart completes which circuit?
The pulmonary circuit
How does the process of concentric hypertrophy directly affect ventricles?
Thick muscle growth decreases the size of the open space within ventricles.
What is the job of the human body's pulmonary circuit? Correct What is the job of the human body's pulmonary circuit?
To carry blood to the lungs so carbon dioxide can be released and oxygen can be picked up.
What is the purpose of the systemic circuit of the human body?
To supply blood rich in oxygen and nutrients to the body.
: How is a silent heart attack diagnosed By the severity of the chest pain By the location of the chest pain By recognizing the multitude of signs and symptoms the person has during the heart attack Usually after it has occurred, when the person goes to the doctor complaining of other, seemingly unrelated, problems.
Usually after it has occurred, when the person goes to the doctor complaining of other, seemingly unrelated, problems.
What signals a blood vessel to undergo angiogenesis?
VEGF and other growht factos
right foot and arm, left foot and arm
What are the basic four limb electrodes
semifowlers, supine
What position should you place your patient in to prepare for an ECG?
I, II, and III
Which leads create the classic "Einthoven's triangle"?
The blockage of a large artery supplying the heart muscle for a long period of time may lead toThe blockage of a large artery supplying the heart muscle for a long period of time may lead to
a massive heart attack, fatal arrhythmias, and shock
Which of the following are common symptoms of a heart attack Dizziness Shortness of breath All of the answers are correct. Pain radiating down the left arm
all answers are correct
The most common causes of a heart attack include: I. Plaque buildup II. A blood clot III. A blood clot with plaque buildup
all of the above . I, II, III
Sarah is comfortable when relaxing at home, but when exercising she experiences severe chest pain. What heart condition is she suffering from
angina
What is the term for a condition where the atria of the heart beat faster than the ventricles of the heart?
atrial flutter
arteries always trasport
blood away from the heart
Which of the following best describes the widow maker?
complete blockage of blood flow in the main branch of the coronary artery that supplies blood to the left side of the heart
lymph nodes
contain lots of immune cells
heart attack is a result of blockage in what kind of arteries?
coronary
What surgery is used to restore blood flow to the heart muscle?
coronary artery bypass grafting
The scars caused by muscle damage from a heart attack can lead to which of the following?
dangerous heart rhythms
What is a myocardial infarction?
death of heart tissue due to the lack of blood supply to the heart muscle
How does a healed heart attack look on an EKG?
depressed st segment
Which phase of the cardiac cycle is affected by the dysfunction caused by Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)?
diastole
During the acute phase of a heart attack, what is commonly shown on the EKG?
either a normal st segment or an elevated st segment
Pulse deficit occurs when there are _____.
fewer pulses than heartbeats
Diastole is the _____.
filling phase of the cardiac cycle when heart chambers relax
What is a pulse?
force of blood on the arterial walls
Jellyfish have:
gastrovascular cavity
look at notes for left ven hypertrophy
has ekg on HCM notes
Three-chambered hearts allow amphibians to:
have a double circulation scheme
What does the term cardio- refer to in myocardial?
heart
: A _____ occurs when a blood vessel becomes obstructed, blocking the flow of oxygenated blood to the heart
heart attack
What condition could result if the blood supply to the heart is stopped
heart attack
What's another name for a myocardial infarction?
heart attack
With which condition is fatigue usually associated?
heart attack
Which of the following symptoms is associated with indigestion and not heart attacks
heartburn
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of an acute heart attack?
long lasting
The blockage of a small artery supplying the heart muscle, for a very small amount of time, is most likely to result in:
mild heart attack
What is the formal term for 'heart attack'?
myocardial infarction
What is NSTEMI short for?
non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction
arteries- oxygenated. pulmonary a -- veins- deoxygenated. pulmonary v --
p.a. - deoxygenated away <3 p.v. - oxygenated toward <3
The substance that can accumulate on the insides of blood vessels like coronary arteries, causing them to narrow is called what?
plaque
The main function of a heart valve is to:
prevent backflow
The right ventricle pumps blood into:
pulmonary artery
Which of these blood vessels brings oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the heart?
pulmonary veins
What causes a pulse to occur?
the beating of the heart
What effect does excessive alcohol use have on blood pressure?
the blood pressure increases
two circuits that work together in a double circulation system are:
the pulmonary circuit and systemic circuit
NOT true of capillaries
they are completly watertight ( nope bc lymthatic system picks up fluid from cap to drain into circulatory system)
Excessive amounts of alcohol _____ the walls of the heart
thin
What is the first cardiac marker to become elevated during a heart attack?
troponin
