AORTIC INSUFFICIENCY

Course overview

A NORMAL AORTIC VALVE IS COMPRISED OF THREE SEMILUNAR CUSPS THAT ATTACH TO THE AORTIC WALL. AORTIC REGURGITATION (AR), ALSO KNOWN AS AORTIC INSUFFICIENCY, IS A FORM OF VALVULAR HEART DISEASE THAT ALLOWS FOR THE RETROGRADE FLOW OF BLOOD BACK INTO THE LEFT VENTRICLE. CHRONIC AR WAS INITIALLY DESCRIBED BY CORRIGAN IN THE 19TH CENTURY BY OBSERVING SYPHILITIC PATIENTS. IN AR, RETROGRADE BLOOD FLOW FROM THE AORTA INTO THE LEFT VENTRICLE OCCURS IN VENTRICULAR DIASTOLE AND, WITH TIME, WILL RESULT IN STRESS OF THE LEFT VENTRICLE. THE CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND MANAGEMENT OF AR DEPEND ON THE ACUITY OF THE REGURGITANT FLOW. THIS ACTIVITY WILL REVIEW THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF AORTIC REGURGITATION AND EXPLAINS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.