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Cardiovascular System Flashcards

7 cards from real PANCE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Cardiovascular System flashcards as text
  1. A 70-year-old man with history of MI 10 years ago presents with a pulsatile abdominal mass. Ultrasound shows infrarenal aortic diameter of 6 cm. What is the recommended management?

    Answer: Elective surgical or endovascular repair

    Abdominal aortic aneurysms ≥5.5 cm in men warrant elective repair due to high rupture risk; endovascular repair (EVAR) is preferred if anatomy allows.

  2. A neonate is diagnosed with transposition of the great arteries. Which immediate intervention maintains cardiac output prior to surgical correction?

    Answer: Prostaglandin E1 infusion

    Prostaglandin E1 keeps the ductus arteriosus patent, allowing mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood until definitive arterial switch operation.

  3. A 48-year-old man is found to have a total cholesterol of 280, LDL 190, HDL 38, and triglycerides 250. He has no cardiovascular disease. What is the primary treatment target?

    Answer: Lower LDL with high-intensity statin

    High-intensity statin therapy targeting LDL reduction is the primary intervention for primary prevention in patients with LDL ≥190 mg/dL per ACC/AHA guidelines.

  4. A 63-year-old woman with known CAD presents 30 minutes after onset of crushing chest pain. EKG shows 3 mm ST elevation in leads II, III, aVF. Door-to-balloon time capability is 45 minutes. Best treatment?

    Answer: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)

    Primary PCI is the preferred reperfusion strategy for STEMI when door-to-balloon time is ≤90 minutes, offering superior outcomes over thrombolytics.

  5. A patient with chronic atrial flutter is found to have a ventricular rate of 150 bpm with a sawtooth pattern at 300 bpm. Which medication would most reliably convert this to sinus rhythm?

    Answer: Ibutilide

    Ibutilide, a class III antiarrhythmic, is highly effective for chemical cardioversion of atrial flutter, with conversion rates of approximately 60-70%.

  6. A 55-year-old man presents with claudication. Doppler shows ABI of 0.72 at rest, dropping to 0.45 post-exercise. What is the first-line treatment?

    Answer: Supervised exercise therapy and cilostazol

    Supervised exercise rehabilitation plus cilostazol (a phosphodiesterase inhibitor) is first-line for claudication from PAD, improving walking distance and quality of life.

  7. A patient with end-stage renal disease on dialysis develops hypotension with distended neck veins and muffled heart sounds. CXR shows enlarged cardiac silhouette. Immediate management is:

    Answer: Pericardiocentesis

    Beck's triad (hypotension, JVD, muffled heart sounds) indicates cardiac tamponade, which requires immediate pericardiocentesis to relieve life-threatening pericardial pressure.