Mnemonics for heart pathway

[navneetdh]

Anyone have a good mnemonic to memorize the heart pathway?

any simple explanations for diastole and systole. I am always confused with questions relating to these when they ask something happening right before or right after.

ANything will help.

Thanks a Ton

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[FutureInternist]

The only mnemonics I know of are

1. Tricuspid valve in the R heart - you always "tri" to do the "right" thing
2. In systole, the blood is going into the "System" i.e. cardiac contraction

As for what happens before & after, a little bit of anatomy comes in handy.
So in diastole, the heart is filling therefore you have to figure out which valves are open & which are closed...so the blood has to go through the atria into the ventricle, hence the tri & bi valves will be open while the others are closed.
Now when contraction starts, the pressure builds up inside the ventricles, & this causes the tri- & bi- valves to close (to prevent backflow - the "lub"), & after a little bit of time the pressure inside the ventricles becomes high enough to cause the opening of the aortic & pulmonic v.
Right after systole, the heart goes into diastole & at this time (again to prevent backflow) the aortic & pulmonic valve close (the "dub")

Maybe not detailed enough, hope it helps though, Post here if you have more Qs.

Good Luck.

 

[nze82]

Anyone have a good mnemonic to memorize the heart pathway?

any simple explanations for diastole and systole. I am always confused with questions relating to these when they ask something happening right before or right after.

ANything will help.

Thanks a Ton

The best way to learn this is to draw a heart, and follow the blood as it enters the heart, passes through the lungs, comes back to the heart, and finally leaves the heart for the organs.
One easy way to think of this is to know that the right side of the heart is always associated with deoxygenated blood, while the left side is always associated with oxygenated blood. The two atria are the chambers, where the blood entering the heart first pours into, and the two ventricles are the two chambers that pump the blood out of the heart. So let's see what really happens:
Blue = Deoxygenated Blood
Red = Oxygenated Blood

1-The two Vena Cava (Inferior and Posterior) collect deoxygenated blood from lower and upper portions of the body respectively.
2-The deoxygenated blood pours into the Right Atrium.
3-Right atrium contracts and pumps the blood through the Tricuspid Valve (Right Atrioventricular Valve), and into the Right Ventricle.
4-Right ventricle contracts and pumps the blood through the Pulmonary Semilunar Valve, and into the Pulmonary Circuit. Keep in mind that deoxygenated blood leaves the heart through the Pulmonary Artery.
5-Blood passes through the lungs in order to obtain oxygen and release CO2.
6-Oxygenated blood returns the heart through the Pulmonary Vein, and pours into the Left Atrium.
7-The left atrium contracts and pumps the oxygenated blood through the Bicuspid Valve (Left Atrioventriuclar Valve/AKA Mitral Valve), and into the Left Ventricle.
8-The left ventricle contracts and pumps the oxygenated blood through the Aortic Semilunar Valve, and into the Systemic Circuit. Keep in mind that the oxygenated blood leaves the heart through the Aorta.

Try to follow this in the following figure:

Systolic Phase = The time when ventricles (Both left and right) contract and pump the blood out of the heart (Right one pumps the blood into the pulmonary circuit, while left one pumps the blood into the systemic circuit). When ventricles contract during the systolic phase, both Tricuspid and Bicuspid valves shut in order to prevent the backflow of the blood into the atria (Generates the Lub sound of the heart). At this time, both Pulmonary and Aortic valves are open, directing blood out of the heart.

Diastolic Phase = The time when the heart fills with blood. During this time, the ventricles relax. This generates a suction force, which causes the blood to flow into the two ventricles. When ventricles relax, the Pulmonary and Aortic valve shut (Generates the Dub sound of the heart). At this time, both Tricuspid and Bicuspid valves are open, directing blood from the atria into the ventricles.

Hope this helps!!

 

[FutureInternist]

Diastolic Phase = The time when the heart fills with blood. During this time, the ventricles relax. This generates a suction force, which causes the blood to flow into the two ventricles. When ventricles relax, the Pulmonary and Aortic valve shut (Generates the Dub sound of the heart). At this time, both Tricuspid and Bicuspid valves are open, directing blood from the aorta into the ventricles.

Hope this helps!!

That should say "Atria" not aorta.....otherwsie...Awesome stuff

 

[nze82]

That should say "Atria" not aorta.....otherwsie...Awesome stuff

Tnx for the correction.

 

[navneetdh]

both your posts were great. Thank You so much. I did end up drawing my own weird heart diagram and it totally helps. Thanks

 

[Dental Mom]

I was just studying this last night. Thanks for the good review guys Is really helping to put it all together.

 

[ribbitribbit710]

"The two Vena Cava (Inferior and Posterior)..."

-good post, except it should be Inferior and Superior, not Posterior

 

[DesertSonata]

This is good stuff! Thanks for posting guys!!

 

[wizi]

For me, I just draw the the pathway on a piece of paper a few times (start from Vena Cava) and yell out all the valves and ventricles... while I am at it lol.
Work great if you are a visual learner.