Cardiac Cycle

Learning Objectives

·         Introduction
·         Definition
·         Events
o   Electrical
o   Mechanical
§  Atrial Systole
§  Atrial Diastole
§  Ventricular Systole
§  Ventricular Diastole
o   Hemodynamic
§  Pressure changes
§  Volume changes
o   Acoustic events
§  Heart sounds

Introduction

·         Heart
o   is a double pump, i.e. it consists of 2 separate pumps connected in series
o   Right heart pumps blood through lungs
o   Left heart pumps blood through peripheral organs
·         Right heart
o   Right atrium
o   Right ventricle
·         Left heart
o   Left atrium
o   Left ventricle

·         Atrium – Primary pumps for ventricles
·         Ventricles  - Pumps blood through pulmonary and systemic circulation
·         Systole – contraction phase
·         Diastole – relaxation phase
·         Autorhythmicity – Pacemaker – SA Node

Definition

·         The sequential cardiac events that occur from the beginning of one heart beat to the beginning of the next
·         Duration – 0.8 sec  (HR = 75)

Events

·         Electrical
·         Mechanical
·         Hemodynamic
·         Acoustic

Phases of Cardiac cycle

·         Two cycles
o   Atrial Cycle
§  Atrial contraction / systole (0.1 s)
§  Atrial relaxation /diastole (0.7 s)
o   Ventricular Cycle
§  Venticular contraction / systole (0.3 s)
§  Ventricular relaxation / diastole (0.5 s)

Pressure and Volume changes

Significant changes during events of cardiac cycle are
      Pressure changes
     Atrial pressure changes
     Ventricular pressure changes
     Aortic pressure changes
      Volume changes
     Ventricular volume changes

Atrial systole
Atrial depolarization
Atrial contraction
Atrial pressure rises

Blood flows across AV valves

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