Chapter 5 - The heart and Monitoring heart function

Question 1

What vein carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium?

Answer 1

Pulmonary vein

Question 2

What does the pulmonary vein do?

Answer 2

Carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium.

Question 3

What does the pulmonary artery do?

Answer 3

Carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs

Question 4

Which artery carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs?

Answer 4

The pulmonary artery

Question 5

What does the aorta do?

Answer 5

Carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the body.

Question 6

Which artery carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the body?

Answer 6

The aorta

Question 7

What creates the ‘lub-dub’ sounds?

Answer 7

Lub = atrioventricular valves closing as ventricles contract 
Dub = semilunar valves closing from backflow of blood as ventricles relax.

Question 8

How is the heart beat initiated and controlled?

Answer 8

1. Wave of excitation starts in SAN (in the wall of the right atrium)
2. SAN to atrial muscle
3. Atria contract.
4. Layer of non-conducting collagen fibers between atria and ventricles prevent wave of excitation passing directly to ventricles.
5. Wave of excitation picked up by AVN in the septum.
6. AVN to Bundle of His
7. Spreads down the 2 branches of the purkyne tissue in the septum until it arrives at the apex.
8. Spreads through both ventricle walls triggering simultaneous contraction of the ventricles starting at the apex.

Question 9

How to calculate cardiac output

Answer 9

Cardiac output = stroke volume x heart rate

Question 10

Natural factors affecting heart rate

Answer 10

Age
Genetics
Diseases

Question 11

Lifestyle factors affecting heart rate

Answer 11

Physical activity level
Smoking
Diet

Question 12

What does the P wave in an ECG show?

Answer 12

The wave of excitation passing over atria walls

Question 13

What does the QRS section of an ECG represent?

Answer 13

Wave of excitation passing over ventricle walls

Question 14

What does the T wave in an ECG show?

Answer 14

Repolarisation (recovery) of the ventricles

Question 15

What does the height of a wave on an ECG show?

Answer 15

How much electrical charge is passing through the heart.

Question 16

What would cause there to be no regular pattern on an ECG

Answer 16

Ventricular fibrillation

Question 17

What would cause there to be no identifiable P wave on an ECG

Answer 17

Atrial fibrillation

Question 18

Treatment for ventricular fibrillation

Answer 18

Immediate use of defibrillator, coronary bypass surgery

Question 19

Treatment for atrial fibrillation

Answer 19

Isn’t usually life threatening.

Medication to prevent a stroke, control the heart rate or rhythm.

Question 20

What would cause there to be a very slow resting heart rate?

Answer 20

Bradycardia

Question 21

What would cause there to be a very high resting heart rate?

Answer 21

Tachycardia

Question 22

What would cause there to be an ST elevation?

Answer 22

Myocardial infarction (heart attack)

Question 23

Symptoms of a heart attack

Answer 23

• chest pain
• lightheaded or dizzy
• profuse sweating
• shortness of breath
• blue lips
• nausea
• coughing or wheezing

Question 24

How to assist someone having a heart attack

Answer 24

1. Call 999
2. Sit person in a W position
3. 300mg of aspiring if over 16 and not allergic
4. Give angina meds if they have it
5. Monitor constantly

Question 25

Events during cardiac arrest

Answer 25

Supply of blood to the region of cardiac muscle is disrupted.
Area of cardiac muscle doesn’t receive sufficient oxygen.
Cardiac muscle contracts rapidly and irregularly.
Ventricles don’t fill fully.
Blood isn’t pumped out of ventricles.
Patient stops breathing.