ICU 2

Question 1

Haemo

Answer 1

blood

Question 2

Dynamic

Answer 2

changing movement

Question 3

Haemodynamics

Answer 3

refers to the forces that affect the circulating blood throughout the body.

Question 4

By using various catheters and transducers, we can .

continuously monitor

Answer 4

• Arterial Blood Pressure (via an Arterial Catheter)
• Central Venous Pressure (via a Central Venous Catheter)
• Pulmonary Artery Pressures (via a Pulmonary Artery
Catheter)

Question 5

4 things that influence haemodynamics

Answer 5

Intravascular volume
Inotropy
Vasoactivity
Chronotropy

Question 6

Intravascular volume

Answer 6

the amount of fluid circulating in the 
vasculature. This can be affected by 
• dehydration 
• diuresis 
• volume overload due to heart or kidney failure

Question 7

Inotropy

Answer 7

The strength of myocardial contractions. Myocytes are
the only muscle cells which are able to vary the strength of
contraction.

Question 8

Inotropy This can be affected positively by:

Answer 8

• exercise
• stress
• pharmaceutical agents, which increase the strength of myocardial
contractions
or negatively by :
• cardiac diseases such as heart failure, which decrease the strength
of contractions.

Question 9

Vasoactivity

Answer 9

the expanding and contracting of blood vessels.

Question 10

Vasoactivity This can be affected positively by:

Answer 10

certain hormones; eg: angiotensin II, epinephrine (adrenaline),
norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and vasopressin.
• vasodilators and vasoconstricting drugs

Question 11

Chronotropy

Answer 11

involves the timing, or rate of heart contraction.
This can be affected by:
• Stress, activity (eg: flight or flight response,
• Certain medications (eg: +’ve accelerates the rate of impulse
formation in the SA node, -’ve slows down). These medications
are referred to as ‘inotropes’.

Question 12

Inotropes alter the

Answer 12

the force and strength of
myocardial contractility & are used to regulate a patient’s heart
rate, blood pressure and the force of contraction of the heart.

Question 13

Positive inotropes increase

Answer 13

the force of contraction of the heart,

whereas negative inotropes weaken it

Question 14

inotropes can increase

Answer 14

increase cardiac output (CO), thereby increasing MAP and

maintaining perfusion to vital organs and tissues

Question 15

Vasopressors

Answer 15

These are sympathomimetic drugs that mimic the effects of the
sympathetic nervous system. They cause vascular smooth muscle
vasoconstriction. They __________BP

Question 16

Vasodilators

Answer 16

hese relax the smooth muscle in blood vessels, which causes the
vessels to dilate. Dilation of vessels __________ blood pressure.