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NR507 ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED VERIFIED
ANSWERS
How does blood flow through the heart? Ans: Deoxygenated venous
blood → Sup. Vena Cava → Right Atrium →Tricuspid (AV) →Empties into
R. Ventricle (& it contracts) → Blood ejected through Pulmonary Valve →
Pulmonary Artery → Lungs to be Oxygenated → Pulmonary Veins → L.
Atrium → Mitral (AV) → L. Ventricle (pumps with each contraction) →
Aortic Valve → Aorta → Body
What is systole? Ans: Contraction of the heart which pumps blood
Diastole Ans: Relaxation of the heart
What produces S1 and S2 sound? Ans: closing of the heart valves
What produces S1? Ans: The mitral and tricuspid valves which close in
systole
What produces S2 sound? Ans: The closing of the aortic and pulmonic
valves in diastole
What is cardiac output? Ans: the volume of blood pumped out by each
ventricle per minute
What is stroke volume? Ans: amount of blood pumped out by each
ventricle with contraction
What determines cardiac output? Ans: stroke volume and heart rate
What is preload? Ans: the degree of stretch on the heart before it
contracts, related to ventricular filling, end diastolic pressure, amount of
blood entering the ventricle during diastole
What is afterload? Ans: resistance left ventricle must overcome to
circulate blood
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What is contractility? Ans: Normal ability of muscle to contract at a
given force for a given stretch. It is independent of preload/afterload
Will sustained tachycardia result in increased or decreased stroke
volume? Ans: Decreased
What conditions can result in decreased contractility? Ans: Ischemia,
acidosis, cardiomyopathy
What can cause increase afterload? Ans: HTN, pulmonary disease,
damage to the aortic valve
What has the most immediate effect on afterload? Ans: HTN
Why would hemorrhaging cause decreased afterload? Ans: Decreased
volume of blood creates less resistance
What does increased preload do to stroke volume? Ans: Increases
stroke volume, over time the body will be unable to compensate however
What can cause a decreased preload? Ans: Hemorrhage,
dehydration...anything that causes reduced blood volume
What side of the heart is affected by cor-pulmonale? Ans: Right (AKA
Right sided HF)
What is cor-pulmonale? Ans: is defined as right ventricular hypertrophy
with eventual RV failure resulting from pulmonary HTN, secondary to
pulmonary disease. Causes dilation (stretching) of the right ventricle
causes a back up of blood flow, and hypertrophy of cardiac cells
What conditions could cause cor pulmonale? Ans: COPD, PE, Pulmonary
fibrosis, sleep apnea, myasthenia gravis, polio
What are causes of heart failure? Ans: CAD, HTN, Cardiomyopathy,
faulty heart valves
Explain how systemic HTN can lead to heart failure? Ans: HTN causes
increased LV preload which increases LA preload causing pulmonary
edema
NR507 ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED VERIFIED
ANSWERS
How does blood flow through the heart? Ans: Deoxygenated venous
blood → Sup. Vena Cava → Right Atrium →Tricuspid (AV) →Empties into
R. Ventricle (& it contracts) → Blood ejected through Pulmonary Valve →
Pulmonary Artery → Lungs to be Oxygenated → Pulmonary Veins → L.
Atrium → Mitral (AV) → L. Ventricle (pumps with each contraction) →
Aortic Valve → Aorta → Body
What is systole? Ans: Contraction of the heart which pumps blood
Diastole Ans: Relaxation of the heart
What produces S1 and S2 sound? Ans: closing of the heart valves
What produces S1? Ans: The mitral and tricuspid valves which close in
systole
What produces S2 sound? Ans: The closing of the aortic and pulmonic
valves in diastole
What is cardiac output? Ans: the volume of blood pumped out by each
ventricle per minute
What is stroke volume? Ans: amount of blood pumped out by each
ventricle with contraction
What determines cardiac output? Ans: stroke volume and heart rate
What is preload? Ans: the degree of stretch on the heart before it
contracts, related to ventricular filling, end diastolic pressure, amount of
blood entering the ventricle during diastole
What is afterload? Ans: resistance left ventricle must overcome to
circulate blood
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What is contractility? Ans: Normal ability of muscle to contract at a
given force for a given stretch. It is independent of preload/afterload
Will sustained tachycardia result in increased or decreased stroke
volume? Ans: Decreased
What conditions can result in decreased contractility? Ans: Ischemia,
acidosis, cardiomyopathy
What can cause increase afterload? Ans: HTN, pulmonary disease,
damage to the aortic valve
What has the most immediate effect on afterload? Ans: HTN
Why would hemorrhaging cause decreased afterload? Ans: Decreased
volume of blood creates less resistance
What does increased preload do to stroke volume? Ans: Increases
stroke volume, over time the body will be unable to compensate however
What can cause a decreased preload? Ans: Hemorrhage,
dehydration...anything that causes reduced blood volume
What side of the heart is affected by cor-pulmonale? Ans: Right (AKA
Right sided HF)
What is cor-pulmonale? Ans: is defined as right ventricular hypertrophy
with eventual RV failure resulting from pulmonary HTN, secondary to
pulmonary disease. Causes dilation (stretching) of the right ventricle
causes a back up of blood flow, and hypertrophy of cardiac cells
What conditions could cause cor pulmonale? Ans: COPD, PE, Pulmonary
fibrosis, sleep apnea, myasthenia gravis, polio
What are causes of heart failure? Ans: CAD, HTN, Cardiomyopathy,
faulty heart valves
Explain how systemic HTN can lead to heart failure? Ans: HTN causes
increased LV preload which increases LA preload causing pulmonary
edema
