Cardiovascular System Disorders Flashcards
7 cards from real Physician Assistant 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 Disorders flashcards as text
Which finding is MOST characteristic of constrictive pericarditis on physical exam?
Answer: Kussmaul's sign (JVD increasing with inspiration)
Kussmaul's sign — paradoxical rise in JVP during inspiration — is a classic finding in constrictive pericarditis.
A 30-year-old athlete collapses during a basketball game. ECG shows asymmetric septal hypertrophy. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Answer: Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
HOCM is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes and presents with asymmetric septal hypertrophy.
Which statement about the management of STEMI is correct?
Answer: Primary PCI is preferred when door-to-balloon time is under 120 minutes
Primary PCI is the preferred reperfusion strategy for STEMI when it can be performed within 90-120 minutes of first medical contact.
A patient's ECG shows a prolonged PR interval, but all P waves are conducted. What rhythm is this?
Answer: First-degree AV block
First-degree AV block is defined by a PR interval >200 ms with all P waves conducted to the ventricles.
A patient with peripheral artery disease has an ABI of 0.55. What does this indicate?
Answer: Moderate-to-severe PAD
An ABI of 0.41–0.70 indicates moderate-to-severe peripheral arterial disease with significant hemodynamic compromise.
Which medication class is first-line for long-term rate control in atrial fibrillation in a patient with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction?
Answer: Beta-blockers
Beta-blockers (e.g., carvedilol, metoprolol succinate) are first-line for rate control in AF with HFrEF and provide mortality benefit.
A 50-year-old woman presents with dyspnea and a loud S2 with fixed splitting. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Answer: Atrial septal defect
Fixed wide splitting of S2 that does not vary with respiration is pathognomonic for an atrial septal defect.