Alterations of Cardiovascular Function

Alterations of Cardiovascular Function

Question One

Mr. Bennington has coronary atherosclerosis. An unstable atherosclerotic plaque has ruptured, leading to the development of clot formation. The clot blocks the coronary artery obstructing oxygen supply. Insufficient supply of oxygen leads to ischemia (American Heart Association, 2020). Possibly, there is infarction in the myocardium area (Aroesty & Kannam, 2018)

Question Two

Mr. Bennington has low blood pressure, which causes decreased contractility of his left ventricle. Reduced contraction of the left ventricle causes low cardiac output. Tachycardia shows that his heartbeat is out of proportion based on his age. Low cardiac output will stimulate the arterial baroreceptor reflexes and upsurge the Sympathetic nervous system (SNS) stimulation of the heart. Crackles of the lungs show impaired contractility. In other words, his heart on the left side is not emptying fully due to impaired contractility. This impairment causes blood to collect in the pulmonary circulation leading to pulmonary congestion.

Question Three

Unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction. Unstable angina is where the body dissolves the clot restoring the blood flow before the heart muscle dies due to lack of oxygen (American Heart Association, 2020). Acute myocardial infarction is synonymous to a heart attack.

Question Four

Mr. Bennington prolonged chest pains indicate ischemia (American Heart Association, 2020). Nevertheless, it is not clear yet the degree of ischemia. Thus, the Electrocardiogram (ECG) will help reveal ST elevation or the possibility of acute ischemia (Aroesty & Kannam, 2018). Also, ECG might show inverted T waves or unusually deep or wide Q waves, indicating the occurrence of infarction (Aroesty & Kannam, 2018).

Question Five

Blood must be taken to measure the extent of biochemical markers. As indicated by Cleveland clinic (2020), elevations in cardiac biomarkers, for example, troponin I and CK-MB, might reveal the diagnosis of myocyte necrosis and infarction (“rule in MI”). In case of negative results for serial blood tests, then there could be a possibility of unstable angina (American Heart Association, 2020).

Question Six

    Mr. Bennington prolonged chest pains indicate he has coronary atherosclerosis. An unsteady atherosclerotic plaque has ruptured, leading to the development of clot formation, which hinders adequate supply of oxygen to the heart (American Heart Association, 2020). Examining him for diminished pedal pulses and bruits might reveal atherosclerosis in other vascular beds adding to his coronary arteries.

Question Seven

Mr. Bennington has low blood pressure, which causes decreased contractility of his left ventricle. Thus, his left ventricle has impaired contractility leading to increased workload than in the right ventricle. Therefore, the left ventricle requires a high supply of oxygen that the right ventricles.

Question Eight

Your dizziness is related to your heart. It has nothing to do with your head. Your chest pain was an indication that your heart had insufficient oxygen to pump blood as vigorously as it should (Aroesty & Kannam, 2018). While the heart was pumping blood weakly, blood getting to your brain was insufficient (Aroesty & Kannam, 2018). That is why you felt dizzy. Now that your heart is pumping blood efficiently, your brain is receiving adequate oxygen, and you feel fine.

Question Nine

The blood vessels called coronary arteries that supply blood to your heart muscles have atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis causes the buildup of plaques (immune cells, cholesterol, and scar tissue) in the coronary arteries. In case a plaque ruptures, a clot forms obstructing the blood flow causing the chest pain and the other symptom you experienced (American Heart Association, 2020). Conversely, in a heart attack, the clot stays for a more extended period, obstructing the flow of blood for a more extended period causing some heart muscles to die for lack of oxygen (Aroesty & Kannam, 2018). In unstable angina, similar to yours, the body dissolves the clot restoring the blood flow before the heart muscle dies due to lack of oxygen.

Question Ten

Coronary atherosclerosis is the underlying problem that gives rise to both unstable angina and myocardial infarction (American Heart Association, 2020). People who have unstable angina have a high risk of myocardial infarction.