Cardiovascular System Flashcards
Describe the excitation-contraction coupling of the heart including specific receptors.
Depolarisation causes the opening of L-type calcium channels. This leads to influx of calcium into the myocyte. The calcium then binds to the Ryanodine receptor and leads to the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
SERCA then takes the calcium from the cytoplasm back into the SR. The Na/Ca exchanger pumps out as much calcium as entered the cell in the first place.
Compare the length-tension relationship in skeletal and cardiac muscle
Cardiac muscle is much more resistant to stretch. Cardiac muscle exerts a lot more passive force.
What are the two types of cardiac contraction? What are the differences between the two?
Isometric and isotonic
Isometric contraction is when the muscle length does not shorten and contract.
Isotonic contraction the muscle fibres shorten.
What is preload?
The weight that stretches the muscle before it is stimulated to contract
What is afterload?
The weight that is not apparent to the muscle in the resting state and is only encountered once the muscle has started to contract
What is the effect of increasing preload? What is the in vivo implications of preload?
Increasing preload increases the force exerted by the muscle fibres. In the heart this increases the stroke volume.
End diastolic volume. This is when venous returns stretches the muscle fibres before contraction.
What is the effect of increasing afterload? What is the in Vivo implications of afterload?
Increasing afterload decreases the amount of shortening of muscle fibres and decreases the velocity of shortening fibres.
Blood pressure in the vessels leaving the ventricles
State starlings law. What are the 2 factors leading to the law?
Increase in diastolic fibre length increases ventricular contraction.
- Changes in the number of myofilament cross-bridges
2 changes in the calcium sensitivity of the myofilaments
What is stroke work and the equation for stroke work? What are impacts the factors of the equation?
Stroke work is work done by the heart to eject blood under pressure into the aorta and pulmonary artery.
Stroke work = stroke volume x pressure
SV is greatly affected by preload, afterload and contractility
Pressure is influenced by structure
State the law of Laplace.
When the pressure within a cylinder is kept constant, tension increases with increasing radius.
T= PxR Tension = pressure x radius
What is the physiological relevance of the law of Laplace with regard to the structure of the right and left ventricles? What is the clinical significance?
The left ventricle has a smaller radius of curvature than the right ventricle meaning that the left ventricle is able to generate higher pressures with similar wall tension.
In dilated cardiomyopathy, the radius of curvature increases and hence the pressure generated decreases
State the different phases of the cardiac cycle in order
Atrial systole ➡️ isovolumic contraction ➡️ rapid ejection ➡️ reduced ejection ➡️ isovolumic relaxation ➡️ rapid ventricular filling ➡️ reduced ventricular filling
What is end systolic volume?
Volume left in ventricle at the end of contraction
What is end diastolic volume?
Volume in ventricle at the end of the filling phase.
- made up of end systolic volume + amount passively added to ventricle during atrial diastole + amount added by atrial systole
What is stroke volume? What’s the equations for it?
Volume of blood ejected by ventricular contraction
Stroke volume = end diastolic volume - end systolic volume
What is the ejection fraction and what is the equation?
The ejection fraction is the percentage of the end diastolic volume ejected
Ejection fraction = stroke volume/end diastolic volume
It is dependent on physical state and should normally be around 65% but in heart failure patients may be closer to 35%
What is the cardiac output and what is the equation?
Cardiac output is the amount of blood ejected by each ventricle in one minute
Cardiac output = heart rate x stroke volume
Unit = ml/min
What happens during atrial systole? What changes can be seen on an ECG? What abnormal heart sound may be heard and what could the underlying cause be?
During atrial systole the blood flows possible throughout open atrio-ventricular valves into the ventricle. Atrial systole (contraction) tops off blood volume. Atrial depolarisation is triggered by SA node.
ECG: P wave indicating atrial depolarisation
Abnormal heart sound: sound S4 may be heard indicating valve incompetency. Causes: pulmonary embolism, congestive heart failure and tricuspid incompetence
- jugular pulse may be felt as atrial contraction pushes some venous blood into jugular vein
What happens in isovolumic contraction? What changes can be seen on the ECG? What heart sounds can be heard? What are pressure and volume changes occur?
The atrioventricular valves are closing and the semi-lunar valves are opening. When valves are closed isometric contraction of ventricles starts (no shortening of muscle fibre lengths) - in this stage known as isovolumic contraction.
There is a rapid increase in pressure heading to aortic pressure, no volume change.
ECG: QRS complex indicates ventricular depolarisation
Heart sounds: S1 is heard due to valves closing - Lub sound
When pressure exceeds aortic pressure (afterload) the aortic valves opens and ejection starts
What is angiogenesis? What is the general process?
This is the formation of new blood vessels by sprouting from pre-existing vessels
Hypoxia ➡️ release of chemicals ➡️ EC receptor binding (intracellular signalling) ➡️ EC activation ➡️ EC proliferation ➡️ directional migration ➡️ ECM remodelling ➡️ tube formation ➡️ loop formation ➡️ vascular stabilisation
What happens during rapid ejection? What changes can be seen on an ECG and heart sounds heard?
The aortic and pulmonary valves (semi-lunar) open as pressure in ventricles exceeds pressure in vessels. Ventricular contraction leads to a decrease in ventricular volume.
Nothing seen on ECG and no heart sound.
c wave is seen in arterial pressure caused by RV contraction pushing against tricuspid valve leading to small wave in jugular vein.
What happens during reduced ejection? What changes can be seen on an ECG and heart sounds heard?
This is the end of SYSTOLE
blood leaves ventricles slowly and ventricular pressure falls till vessel pressure>ventricular pressure and valves begin to close.
T wave seen on ECG as ventricular repolarisation occurs
no heart sounds as valves haven’t closed in this phase
What happens during isovolumic relaxation? What ECG changes and heart sounds can be detected?
Beginning of diastole. the pulmonary and aortic valves have shut and AV valves are also shut. The atria are filling with blood increasing in volume and pressure.
v wave in atrial pressure caused by blood pushing on tricuspid valve giving a second jugular pulse.
DICHROTIC NOTCH: small sharp increase in aortic pressure due to rebound of pressure against aortic valve as aorta relaxes
S2 heart sounds heart at valves closing “dub”
no ECG changes
What happens in rapid ventricular filling? What changes on an ECG or heart sounds can be detected during this phase?
AV valves open and blood flows rapidly from atria to ventricle. Ventricular volume increases and atrial pressure decreases. PASSIVE FILLING no atrial systole.
ECG: nothing seen
ABNORMAL HEART SOUND: S3 and is a sign of turbulent ventricular filling which may be due to hypertension or mitral incompetance
What happens in reduced ventricular filling? What changes on an ECG or heart sounds can be detected during this phase?
Slow filling of ventricle known as diastasis where ventricular volume increases slowly. There are no changes on an ECG and no heart sounds
What is the normal blood pressure in the systemic and pulmonary system?
Systemic: 120/80 mmHG
Pulmonary: 25/5 mmHG
What do the points on a pressure-volume loop represent?
Point 1 (bottom right) = end diastolic volume Point 2 (top right) = aortic valve opening Point 3 (top left) = end systolic volume Point 4 (bottom left) = mitral valve opening
on a pressure volume loop, how is the stroke volume represented?
The stroke volume is the difference between point 2 and 3
What are the four parts/groups of the heart that enable conduction through the heart?
SA node Inter-nodal fibre bundles AV node Ventricular bundles - bundle branches -purkinje fibres
How do these things effect an ECG? Depolarisation towards +ve electrode Depolarisation away from +ve electrode Re-polarization towards +ve electrode Re-polarization away from +ve electrode
Depolarisation towards +ve electrode = upward inflection
Depolarisation away from +ve electrode = downward
Re-polarization towards +ve electrode = downward
Re-polarization away from +ve electrode = upward
Where do the 4 Limb leads of an ECG go?
Where do the Chest leads go?
Limb leads: right foot (zero reference point), right foot, left arm, left foot
Chest leads:
V1: 4th intercostal space right of sternum
V2: above but on the left
V3: between V2 and V4
V4: 5th intercostal space at midclavicular line
V5: left anterior axillary line (V4 level)
V6: (V5 level) mid-axillary line left (under armpit line)
How are the augmented limb leads created?
aV-R: right arm is positive, negative is halfway between left arm and left foot
aV-L: left arm is positive, negative is halfway between right arm and left foot
av-F: left foot is positive, negative is halfway between right and left arm
What is a normal QRS axis?
-30 degrees - +90 degrees
What can the QRS tell you?
orientation of the heart, thickness of ventricular muscle and abnormalities in the direction of ventricular depolarisation
What does an increased P wave amplitude and duration indicate?
atrial hypertrophy
long with 2 waveforms = left
large amplitude = right
What does ST depression look like on an ECG and what may it signify?
ST waveform is below the isoelectric line and may signify drugs, MI, ventricular hypertrophy
development during exercise is due to myocardial ischaemia
What is sinus tachycardia?
heart rate over 100. common and is an abnormally fast resting heart rate and is often physiological response to insult e.g. infection
What is atrial fibrillation?
220-430 atrial bpm and ventricular rhythm
What is the equation for blood flow?
blood flow = difference in pressure/resistance
units = L/min