Fetal Circulation Flashcards

1
Q

Describe postnatal circulation

A
  • separate pulmonary and systemic circulations
  • no mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood
  • oxygenation of blood occurs in the lungs
  • extensive hepatic blood supply
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2
Q

What limitations and special needs does a developing foetus have?

A
  • Lungs are not functioning as in adults
  • digestive system is not functioning as in adults
  • Foetus has restricted hepatic circulation
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3
Q

What are the 3 shunts/by-passes in foetal circulation to avoid the lungs and liver

A
  • By-pass of hepatic cirulation
  • By pass of the pulmonary circulation vua the foramen ovale
  • By-pass of the pulmonary circulation by ductus arteriosus
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4
Q

What travels across the placenta?

A

O2 and nutrients diffuse across the placental barrier from mother to foetus while CO2 and metabolic waste are removed via the placenta

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5
Q

What is the placenta?

A

Interface between the foetus and mother

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6
Q

Do maternal and foetal blood ever mix?

A

NO

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7
Q

Where is the placenta located?

A

at the fundus of the uterus

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8
Q

What surrounds the umbilical cord?

A
  • Fetal membrane
  • amnion
  • contains Wharton’s Jelly
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9
Q

What is embedded in Wharton’s jelly?

A

two umbilical arteries and a single umbilica vein

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10
Q

What is another name given to the umbilical vein?

A

Ductus Venous

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11
Q

What travels in the umblicial vein?

A

Oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood from the placenta

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12
Q

What 2 branches does the umbilical vein divide into? And where do the branches go?

A
  • Smaller branch, which goes to the liver
  • Larger branch, ductus venosus by-passes the liver and drains into the inferior vena cava
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13
Q

What occurs when the umbilical vein/ductus venosus merges with the IVC

A

arterial blood mixes with venous blood from the lower limbs

The amount of venous blood = insignficant

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14
Q

Where does most of the blood coming through the IVC passes through

A

Passes from the RA into the LA through foramen ovale then onto the LV and aorta

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15
Q

What is foramen ovale?

A

The shunt that connects the right atrium to the left atrium.

It means some oxygenated blood travels into the RA

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16
Q

How does the valve of the IVC influence blood flow?

A

Causes blood to travel through FO with the correct trajectory

17
Q

Where does blood carried by the superior vena cava (de-oxygenated) travel to?

A
  • RA
  • RV
  • Pulmonary Trunk
  • Ductus Arteriosus (90%)
  • Aorta
18
Q

What is the ductus arteriosus?

A

connection between the pulmonary trunk and aorta; 90% of the blood = shunted

19
Q

Where is one thrid of the blood carried in the descending aorta distributed to?

A

abdomen, pelvis and lower limbs

20
Q

Where does two thirds of the blood in the descending aorta travel to?

A

go to the placenta

Iliac artery ⇒ umbilical artery ⇒ placenta

21
Q

Draw a diagram of fetal circulation

A
22
Q

What occurs at birth that is vital to post natal circulation?

A

Shunts must be obliterated at birth when the pulmonary circulation comes on stream

23
Q

What occurs when the umbilical cord is tied and cut?

A
  • Loss of blood flow through the placenta
  • Increased systemic vascular resistance
  • Increased aorta, LV and LA pressures
24
Q

What occurs when a child takes their first breath?

A
  • Expansion of the lungs (alveoli)
  • Decreased pulmonary vascular resistance
  • Reduced pulmonary arterial, RV and RA pressures
25
Q

What occurs when pulmonary circulation is established?

A
  • blood from the lungs is returned to the LA
  • Pressure rises in the LA
  • Valve of the foramen ovale is pushed rightward and closes the foramen
  • This is the functional closure
26
Q

When does structural closure of the FO occur? And what does this form

A

4 months

Forms fossa ovalis and falx septi

27
Q

What is patent foramen ovale (PFO) and what can it cause?

A
  • Consequence of non-closure
  • usually asymptomatic
  • May cause paradoxical emboli
28
Q

When does the functional closure of ductus arteriosus occur? And how does it occur?

A

first hour

constriction of smooth mucle on all of ductus arteriosus. O2 stimulates the bradykinin which causes vessels to constrict. There is also a fall in prostaglandins which are usually repsonsible for vasodilation

29
Q

When does the structural obliteration of ductus arteriosus occur? And how?

A

Within 1 and 4 months

Anatomical closure by thickening of the tunica intima

30
Q

What does the obliterated ductus arteriosus become?

A

Ligamentus arterosium

31
Q

Patent Ductus Arteriosus

A
  • Postnatally the aortic pressure i greater than in the pulmonary trunk
  • Blood will flow back into the pulmonary circulation
    • left to right shunt
    • Increased pulmonary blood flow ⇒ pulmonary hypertension
    • Congetsive heart failure
32
Q

What occurs in the obliteration of the umbical vein?

A

forms the round ligament of the liver (ligament teres hepatis)

33
Q

What do the distal parts of the umblical arteries become?

A

Medical umbilical ligaments

34
Q

What occurs in obliteration of ductus venosus when blood flow through the umbilical vein ceases?

A
  • Muscle wall of ductus venosus contracts
  • Portal venous blood flows through hepatic sinuses
  • Closes within 1 to 3 hours of birth
  • becomes ligamentum venosum