AACN CSC Review Course Session 1
Questions and Answers Updated 2026
70% - Answerat rest the myocardium extracts ___% of available oxygen
30-35% - Answernormal SvO2 in heart
60-80% - Answernormal SvO2 in body
coronary perfusion pressure - AnswerDBP - LVEDP
> 40 mmHg - Answernormal coronary perfusion pressure
auto-regulation - Answercoronary circulation is a constant due to
_______________________.
aortic - Answerthe coronary arteries originate behind the respective ________ valve
leaflets
left main coronary artery - Answerbifurcates into the LAD and Cx arteries; 2-5cm
long; not grafted directly
PA and aorta - Answerthe left main is inaccessible without dividing the _____ and
_____
left main, circumflex, RCA - Answerwhat are the 3 main segments of the coronary
circulation
circumflex artery - Answercoronary artery that courses AV groove beneath LAA; has
obtuse marginal branches
LAD - Answersupplies anterior wall, ant 2/3 septum, post/inf LBB, bundle of his;
RBB, LV apex
Cx artery - Answersupplies SA node (45%), AV node (10%), inferior LV, lateral LV
wall, LA, post/inf LBB
tertiary left main - Answer3 vessels of equal diameter between LAD and Cx; supplies
large area of LV b/t LAD and Cx arteries; usually subepicardial; may give pt a
perfusion advantage
RCA - Answersupplies SA node (55%), AV node (90%), bundle of his, RA and RV,
inferior LV, post. 1/3 of septum, post/inf division of left bundle
RCA - Answercoronary artery that arises from aorta and courses AV groove;
bifurcates at junction of RA and LA
lead I - Answerlead that looks at Cx artery from left arm to right arm
, lead II - Answerlead that looks at RCA from left leg to right arm
lead III - Answerlead that looks at RCA from left leg to left arm
V1 and V2 - AnswerEKG leads that look at LAD at the septum
V3 and V4 - Answerleads that look at LAD at the anterior wall
V5 and V6 - Answerleads that look at the Cx artery at LV lateral wall
Left main - Answer60% of patients with ____________ lesions also have lessons of
other coronary arteries, commonly triple vessel disease.
70% - Answerischemia-induced VT is caused by ___% stenosis of a major non-left
main coronary artery.
left main - Answeraka the Widowmaker
aortic - Answersevere _______ stenosis increases the risk for post-operative stroke
after a CABG.
ascending aorta - Answerlocation where aortic cross-clamping occurs
diastole - Answercardioplegia is induced in ______________
10 degrees celsius - Answerfor every ______ degrees Celsius you decrease body
temperature, oxygen consumption decreases by 50%.
28-34 degrees celsius - Answerpts are usually cooled to this temperature in the OR
depending on how long they're on CPB for.
retrograde - Answermethod in which a cannula is inserted into the coronary sinus
and delivers the cardioplegic solution from the "back door" to coronary circulation
antegrade - Answermethod in which the cannula is inserted into the proximal aorta to
infuse the cardioplegic agent into the coronaries more directly. may be limited by
coronary lesions
bivalirudin - Answerpreferred over argatroban in HIT patients d/t shorter half life
during CPB or even off-pump bypass
increased clotting in oxygenator of CPB circuit - Answerwhy is bivalirudin unsafe to
use in a low-flow/circulatory arrest state in HIT patients on CPB?
oxygenator - Answerpart of CPB circuit that serves to be similar to the alveolar
capillaries
25% - Answerelderly pts with a hematocrit of less than ____% have worse
neurologic outcomes from being on CPB.
Questions and Answers Updated 2026
70% - Answerat rest the myocardium extracts ___% of available oxygen
30-35% - Answernormal SvO2 in heart
60-80% - Answernormal SvO2 in body
coronary perfusion pressure - AnswerDBP - LVEDP
> 40 mmHg - Answernormal coronary perfusion pressure
auto-regulation - Answercoronary circulation is a constant due to
_______________________.
aortic - Answerthe coronary arteries originate behind the respective ________ valve
leaflets
left main coronary artery - Answerbifurcates into the LAD and Cx arteries; 2-5cm
long; not grafted directly
PA and aorta - Answerthe left main is inaccessible without dividing the _____ and
_____
left main, circumflex, RCA - Answerwhat are the 3 main segments of the coronary
circulation
circumflex artery - Answercoronary artery that courses AV groove beneath LAA; has
obtuse marginal branches
LAD - Answersupplies anterior wall, ant 2/3 septum, post/inf LBB, bundle of his;
RBB, LV apex
Cx artery - Answersupplies SA node (45%), AV node (10%), inferior LV, lateral LV
wall, LA, post/inf LBB
tertiary left main - Answer3 vessels of equal diameter between LAD and Cx; supplies
large area of LV b/t LAD and Cx arteries; usually subepicardial; may give pt a
perfusion advantage
RCA - Answersupplies SA node (55%), AV node (90%), bundle of his, RA and RV,
inferior LV, post. 1/3 of septum, post/inf division of left bundle
RCA - Answercoronary artery that arises from aorta and courses AV groove;
bifurcates at junction of RA and LA
lead I - Answerlead that looks at Cx artery from left arm to right arm
, lead II - Answerlead that looks at RCA from left leg to right arm
lead III - Answerlead that looks at RCA from left leg to left arm
V1 and V2 - AnswerEKG leads that look at LAD at the septum
V3 and V4 - Answerleads that look at LAD at the anterior wall
V5 and V6 - Answerleads that look at the Cx artery at LV lateral wall
Left main - Answer60% of patients with ____________ lesions also have lessons of
other coronary arteries, commonly triple vessel disease.
70% - Answerischemia-induced VT is caused by ___% stenosis of a major non-left
main coronary artery.
left main - Answeraka the Widowmaker
aortic - Answersevere _______ stenosis increases the risk for post-operative stroke
after a CABG.
ascending aorta - Answerlocation where aortic cross-clamping occurs
diastole - Answercardioplegia is induced in ______________
10 degrees celsius - Answerfor every ______ degrees Celsius you decrease body
temperature, oxygen consumption decreases by 50%.
28-34 degrees celsius - Answerpts are usually cooled to this temperature in the OR
depending on how long they're on CPB for.
retrograde - Answermethod in which a cannula is inserted into the coronary sinus
and delivers the cardioplegic solution from the "back door" to coronary circulation
antegrade - Answermethod in which the cannula is inserted into the proximal aorta to
infuse the cardioplegic agent into the coronaries more directly. may be limited by
coronary lesions
bivalirudin - Answerpreferred over argatroban in HIT patients d/t shorter half life
during CPB or even off-pump bypass
increased clotting in oxygenator of CPB circuit - Answerwhy is bivalirudin unsafe to
use in a low-flow/circulatory arrest state in HIT patients on CPB?
oxygenator - Answerpart of CPB circuit that serves to be similar to the alveolar
capillaries
25% - Answerelderly pts with a hematocrit of less than ____% have worse
neurologic outcomes from being on CPB.
