Cardiac cycle Flashcards
What are the 4 major stages of the cardiac cycle?
When does each stage occur?
1) INFLOW phase (into the ventricles)
2) ISOVOLUMETRIC CONTRACTION
3) OUTFLOW phase (out of the ventricles)
4) ISOVOLUMETRIC RELAXATION
Stages 1 and 4 - during DIASTOLE
Stages 2 and 3 - during SYSTOLE
What happens in the inflow phase of the cardiac cycle?
Blood ENTERS the heart
What happens in the isovolumetric contraction of the cardiac cycle?
Contraction where the VOLUME of the heart stays the SAME
What happens in the outflow phase of the cardiac cycle?
Blood from the heart to the lungs or systemic system
What happens in the isovolumetric relaxation of the cardiac cycle?
Relaxation of the heart where the VOLUME of the ventricles stays the SAME
What is diastole?
What happens during diastole?
Heart RELAXING
Ventricles FILL with blood
What is systole?
Heart CONTRACTING
Describe the movements through the valves of the heart
Passive
What is LVDEV?
Left ventricular diastolic end volume
Volume in the left ventricle at the end of diastole
What is LVSEV?
Left ventricular systolic end volume
Volume in the left ventricle at the end of systole
What initiates the cardiac cycle?
P wave
How do both atria contract simultaneously?
Fast conduction velocity in the BRACHMNN’S BRANCH - takes the electrical signal to the left atria
What does atrial contraction cause?
- Increase in blood pressure in both atria
- Forcing the valves open
- Squeezing the blood into the ventricles
How does 80% of blood flow into the ventricles occur?
How does the rest occur?
PASSIVELY
Rest occurs through ATRIAL KICK
How does blood flow into the ventricles occur passively?
- Gravity
- Elastic recoil
What can reduce/extinguish atrial kick?
Atrial fibrillation - struggle during exercise
What happens after atrial contraction is complete?
What does this cause?
Atrial pressure falls:
Causes a pressure gradient REVERSAL across AV valves
What does the pressure gradient reversal across the AV valves cause?
- Small backflow of blood
- Valves float upwards before closure (pre-position)
- Valves close
What are the ventricular volumes in phase 1 (inflow phase)?
Why?
MAXIMAL (EDV)
Blood has just been pushed into the ventricles from the atria
What is the LEDV value?
What does this represent?
120ml
Represents the VENTRICULAR PRELOAD (stretching of the cells in the ventricles)
What happens to the ventricular preload during exercise?
It INCREASES:
Ventricles can contract harder to push the blood out QUICKER
What are the end-diastolic pressures?
LV - 8-12mmHg
RV - 3-6mmHg
Why is the end-diastolic pressure in the RV lower than in the LV?
1) RV walls are THINNER
2) Pulmonary circuit:
- Alveoli cell walls are one cell thick, with fenesta in between the cells
- Low pressure so that the plasma doesn’t get pushed out of the vessels and fill the alveoli with fluid –> pulmonary oedema
What happens in phase 2 of the cardiac cycle (isovolumetric contraction)?
- ALL valves are CLOSED
- Begins with the appearance of QRS complex in the ECG
- Depolarisation of the ventricles
- Rate of pressure development in the ventricles becomes maximal rapidly
- AV valves close when the ventricular pressure is more than the atrial pressure
What does the QRS complex in the ECG represent?
Ventricular DEPOLARISATION