Cardiovascular System
Cardiovascular content is the largest single organ-system block on the PANCE blueprint. It spans cardiomyopathy, dysrhythmias, congenital and coronary disease, heart failure, hypertension, shock, inflammatory heart disease, valve disease and vascular disease, tested across history, diagnosis, studies and treatment.
Recognizing the emergency presentations
Several cardiovascular diagnoses are made at the bedside from a short list of findings, and the next step matters more than the name. Instability changes the algorithm: a rhythm that is managed with drugs in a stable patient is shocked in an unstable one. Classic triads and positional clues separate look-alike chest pain syndromes.
Murmurs and structural disease
The blueprint lists valvular, congenital and cardiomyopathy topics, and exam items usually hinge on where a murmur is heard, what it radiates to, and how it changes with maneuvers. Echocardiography is the standard confirmatory test for structural disease. Congenital lesions often present with a pulse or pressure clue rather than a murmur alone.
Chronic disease management
Hypertension, coronary disease and heart failure account for much of the pharmacotherapy content. Know which drug classes change outcomes and which only relieve symptoms, and which are contraindicated in specific populations such as pregnancy. Distinguish hypertensive urgency from emergency by the presence of acute organ damage.
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