1 CVS Self Study Questions

Question 1

Why would a patient with a stab wound in the left ventricle wall be tachycardic?

Answer 1

The heart is beating rapidly to try and maintain BP

Question 2

Why would a patient with a stab wound in the left ventricle have a low blood pressure?

Answer 2

Cardiac output has dropped as the heart cannot fill properly during diastole

Question 3

Why would a patient with a stab wound in the left ventricle have distended neck veins?

Answer 3

The neck veins are distended because central venous pressure has increased. Blood is unable to flow freely into the heart raising central venous pressure

Question 4

What is pericardial collection (effusion)?

Answer 4

The abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pericardial cavity

Question 5

What can cause pericardial effusion?

Answer 5

Viral infection, bacterial infection can cause increased fluid
Blood can also leak into the pericardial sac if the heart wall ruptures because it has been weakened by a previous myocardial infarction

Question 6

In pericarditis, what sounds would the patient’s heart have shown?

Answer 6

Effusion would obscure the apex beat and the heart sounds would be soft and distant

Question 7

What is pericardiocentesis?

Answer 7

A procedure to remove blood or fluid from the pericardial sac

Question 8

What type of muscle is present in the tunica media?

Answer 8

Smooth muscle

Question 9

What happens to the lumen of the arteriole when muscle cells contract?

Answer 9

the lumen will get smaller

Question 10

What are end arteries?

Answer 10

Coronary arteries have very few arterial anastomoses.
Therefore a particular branch of a coronary artery will supply
a discrete region of the heart with little overlap from other
vessels.