Chapter 7: Cardiovascular Drugs Flashcards
What is afterload?
The arterial resistance that the ventricle must pump against
What is Preload?
The amount of blood that fills the ventricle during diastole
What is an arrhythmia?
Spontaneous depolarization of cardiac muscle or abnormalities of the conduction system
What is automaticity?
An abnormality of impulse generation
What is cardiac output?
The amount of blood that the heart is capable of pumping per minute
What are chronotropic effects on the heart? Positive vs negative chronotropic effects?
Effects that change the heart rate. Positive chronotropic effects increase the heart rate, while negative chronotropic effects decrease the heart rate.
What is depolarization?
The rapid influx of sodium ions into the cell, a slower influx of calcium ions, and the outflow of potassium ions.
What is diastole?
The relaxation phase when the heart chambers are filling with blood.
What are inotropic effects on the heart? Positive vs negative?
Alters the force or energy of the heart muscle. Positive inotropic effects increase the strength of muscular contraction, whereas negative inotropes weaken it.
What is premature ventricular contraction (PVCs)?
Extra heartbeats that begin in the heart’s two lower pumping chambers (ventricles)
What is repolarization?
The return of the ions to their original positions. Sodium channels close and potassium gates open
What is stroke volume?
The amount of blood pumped from the left ventricle during each systolic contraction
What is systole?
The period of contraction of the chambers.
