Control Of Cardiac Output Flashcards
What are the two factors which determine arterial pressure?
Cardiac output and total peripheral resistance
What determines venous pressure?
This is a balance between the rate at which blood enters the venous system and the rate at which it is pumped out of the heart.
What can be said about changes to arterial and venous pressure and how the other responds?
When arterial pressure increases, venous pressure decreases and vice versa.
What is the relationship between TPR and the body’s need for blood?
Inversely proportional, as the body’s need for blood increases, there needs to be vasodilation and so a decrease in TPR.
How do changes in metabolism cause changes at the heart?
Changes in metabolism cause changes in TPR which affects both arterial and venous pressure. These generates signals which lead to changes at the heart.
How can we calculate stroke volume?
End diastolic volume - end systolic volume.
What effect does higher venous pressure have in the ventricles?
Higher venous pressure leads to increased ventricular filling as there is an increased pressure gradient.
What is starlings law of the heart about stretching cardiac tissue?
The more the heart muscle is stretched, the more it pumps.
What is the relationship between venous pressure and Stroke volume?
Increased venous pressure leads to increased stroke volume.
What are alterations in contractility called?
This is called positive and negative inotropy.
What two factors determine force of contraction?
End diastolic volume and contractility
On a graph of stroke volume against end diastolic volume, what is the effect of altered contractility?
This leads to shifting of the curve left to right.
What is aortic impedance?
This is where there is high aortic pressure and so this makes it harder to eject blood.
What is preload?
This is the volume of blood in the ventricles at the end of diastole
Name some factors which can lead to increased preload.
Hypervolemia, regurgitation of cardiac valves, heart failure
What is afterload?
The resistance the LV must overcome to circulate blood
Under what circumstances will afterload be increased?
Hypertension and increased total peripheral resistance.