RCIS Flashcards

During a right heart catheterization, the pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) is used to estimate which pressure?

Answer: Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure

PAWP approximates left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) when the mitral valve is normal, reflecting left heart filling pressures.

Which vascular access site is MOST associated with retroperitoneal hemorrhage as a complication?

Answer: Femoral artery above the inguinal ligament

High femoral puncture above the inguinal ligament can lacerate vessels in the retroperitoneal space, making hemorrhage difficult to detect and compress.

The Fick method for calculating cardiac output requires measurement of which values?

Answer: Oxygen consumption and arteriovenous oxygen difference

The Fick equation divides oxygen consumption (VO2) by the arteriovenous oxygen content difference to yield cardiac output.

A patient develops sudden hypotension and elevated jugular venous pressure immediately after a coronary intervention. The MOST likely diagnosis is:

Answer: Cardiac tamponade

Cardiac tamponade classically presents with hypotension, elevated venous pressure, and muffled heart sounds (Beck's triad) after perforation.

Which radiation protection principle states that dose decreases with the square of the distance from the source?

Answer: Inverse square law

The inverse square law means doubling your distance from the X-ray source reduces radiation exposure to one-quarter.

During coronary angiography, a 'damping' of the pressure waveform in the guide catheter most likely indicates:

Answer: Catheter tip occlusion of the coronary ostium

Damping occurs when the catheter tip obstructs coronary flow, reducing the pulsatile pressure signal and risking ischemia or dissection.

What is the normal resting systemic vascular resistance (SVR) range in dynes·sec·cm⁻⁵?

Answer: 800–1200

Normal SVR is approximately 800–1200 dynes·sec·cm⁻⁵, representing the afterload against which the left ventricle pumps.