Cardiology Facts 36

  • Abnormal desmosomes - ARVC 
  • Chronic ethanol use increases warfarin metabolism and binge ethanol drinking decreases warfarin metabolism 
  • s/p PCI, sudden pain in toes, cold foot, no pulses palpable below knee, gangrene on tips of toes, discoloration and skin breakdown between toes - contrast angiography
  • Dobutamine echocardiography could be used to differentiate infarction from hibernating myocardium
  • ASD prevents pulsus paradoxus despite large, hemodynamically significant pericardial effusion 
  • Chronic pulmonary embolism, worsening dyspnea and exercise intolerance, loud P2 - CTEPH, best test V/Q scan 
  • HTN, pulmonary edema, carotid bruit, rise in creatinine - diagnosis fibromuscular dysplasia, test duplex ultrasonography of renal arteries
  • Nitroglycerin should be avoided in inferior STEMI with ST elevation in lead V1 (RV infarction)  
  • During initial therapy, amiodarone increases TSH
  • For thoracic aortic aneurysm, TEVAR is associated with 30-day risk of endoleaks of 10%