Heart Flashcards
What is the Mediastinum?
Middle portion of the thorax that incases the heart
Contents of the Superior Mediastinum
Thymus
Great vessels
Nerves: Vagus, phrenic, cardiac plexus
Veins: Brachiocephalic, SVC
Arteries: Aortic arch Brachiocephalic trunk, Left common carotid, left subclavian
Cervical Viscera: Trachea, esophagus
Contents of the Posterior Mediastinum
Thoracic aorta
Thoracic duct
lymphatic trunks
Lymph nodes
Azygos & Hemi-Azygos veins
Esophagus
Contents of Middle Mediastium
Pericardium
Heart
Roots of great vessels: Ascending aorta, pulmonary trunk, SVC
List the contents of the Superior Mediastinum in order from anterior to posterior
Thymus
Veins: Brachiocephalic, SVC
Arteries: Aortic arch, Brachiocephalic trunk, left common carotid, left subclavian
Trachea
Alimentary tract: esophagus
Lymphatics: Lymphatic trunks & Thoracic duct
Branches (in-order) from the Aorta
Ascending->Arch->Descending (thoracic)
Ascending-> coronary arteries
Arch -> Brachiocephalic trunk (splits into RIght common carotid & Right subclavian arteries) -> Left common carotid artery -> Left subclavian
Descending (supplies in 3 separate planes) -> Anterior, midline plane -> Lateral plane -> Posterolateral plane
What do the right and left Brachiocephalic merge to become?
Superior Vena Cava
What does the Vagus nerve innervate?
R/L pulmonary plexuses
Esophageal plexuses
cardiac plexuses
What do the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerves innervate?
R/L intrinsic muscles of the larynx
What do the phrenic nerves innervate?
Most of the diaphragm
Mediastinal parietal pleura
pericardium
What are the 2 major lymph structures in the mediastinum?
Thoracic duct (drains from rest of the body) & right lymphatic duct (drains from upper right quadrant of the body)
What is the Pericardium?
fibrous membrane that covers the heart and the beginning of its great vessels
What are the parts of the pericardium?
Tough external layer (fibrous pericardium)
Serous pericardium (parietal & visceral)
Different between Parietal and visceral pericardium
Parietal: internal surface touching the fibrous pericardium
Visceral: layer touching the heart and its great vessels
Function of the pericaridum
protects the heart from overfilling because it is unyielding & allows for reduced friction between heart and surrounding structures
List the sequence of blood flow through the heart
Right atrium -> tricuspid valve -> right ventricle -> semilunar valve (pulmonary valve) -> pulmonary arteries -> lungs -> pulmonary veins -> left atrium -> mitral valve -> left ventricle -> semilunar valve (aortic valve) -> aorta -> Rest of the body
Diastole
ventricular filling (relaxation)
Systole
ventricular emptying (contraction)
What makes the “lub” sound?
The blood slamming on the shut atrioventricular valves (tricuspid & mitral)
What makes the “dub” sound?
The blood slamming on the semilunar valves (aortic & pulmonary)
Describe the endocardium
Thin internal layer
Lining membrane that covers valves
Epithelium & subendothelial connective tissue