CVS Physiology III
Cardiac Cycle
Faiz Baherin MBBS
Mmed (Emergency) Training Programme USM
Supervisor : A.Prof Nasir
Outline
•Introduction
•Relationship between pressure, volume,
heart sounds in the left atrium and
ventricle, aorta and jugular vein in one
cardiac cycle
•Applied physiology – changes during
arrhythmia
Cardiac Cycle
•One complete sequence of ventricular
systole and diastole
•Cycle of events that occurs as the heart
contracts and relaxes
•Both sides of heart
•Takes approximately 0.8 secs at a heart
rate of 72 beats per minute
1) Atrial Systole
-Mitral valve is already
open and blood passively
flows into the ventricle
(from previous cycle)
approx 80 %
-During this phase,
contraction of the atrium
tops up the ventricular
volume – remaining 20%
EDV - 120ml
-Ventricle relaxes
1) Atrial Systole
-The "a" wave occurs
when the atrium
contracts, increasing
atrial pressure.
-Blood arriving at the
heart flows back up the
jugular vein, causing the
first wave in the jugular
venous pulse.
-Ventricle pressure is not
raised
1) Atrial Systole – ECG & Heart sounds
-Preceded by p wave on ECG
-marks the depolarization of atria
-S4, heard in ventricular hypertrophy
-Atria contracts against a stiffened
ventricle
2) Isovolumetric Ventricular
Contraction
-Left ventricles begins to
contract
-Increase in LVP
-Mitral valve closes
-Ventricular volume
remains the same
(approximately 120ml)
2) Isovolumetric Contraction
-LV pressure builds
up
- LV volume remains
constant (both
valves are close)
-C wave – bulging
of mitral valve
back to atrium –
slight increase in
pressure
2) Isovolumetric Contraction – ECG
and heart sounds
-QRS Complex
-Represents the ventricular depolarization
-1
st
heart sound – S1
-Closure of the mitral valve
3) Rapid Ventricular Ejection
-Ventricular continues
contracting
-Pressure increased,
greater than the aortic
pressure (80mmhg)
-Opening of aortic valve
-Most of stroke volume
(almost 70ml) ejected
during this phase,
-reduce LV volume
3) Rapid Ventricular Ejection
-Increase in LVP
-Increase in Aortic
pressure due to
volume of blood
ejected
-Reduce in LV
Volume
4) Reduced ventricular Ejection
-Ventricular pressure
falls
-Aortic pressure falls
-Remaining of LV
volume still being
ejected, due to kinetic
energy, with reduced
rate
4) Reduced ventricular Ejection
-Reduced both aortic and
ventricular pressure
-Reduced LV volume
-Slight increase in LA
pressure
-T wave
-ventricles starts
repolarizing
5) Isovolumetric Ventricular Relaxation
– Heart Sound
-S2 due to aortic valve closure
-Splitting of heart sounds – during inspiration –
decrease in intrathoracic pressure – increase
in venous return to right side of hard, increase
in stroke volume, prolongs ejection time,
delays closure of pulmonary valve
6) Rapid Ventricular Filling
-LV relaxes
-LV pressure falls to its
lowest level and
constant
-Mitral valve opens
-LV volume increases
rapidly
6) Rapid Ventricular Filling – heart
sound
-S3 – normal in children but not adult
-Indicates volume overload as in CCF,
mitral regurge
-Occurs due to passive, rapid ventricular
filling
-No ECG deflection
7) Reduced Ventricular Filling
-Diastasis
-Longest phase in
cardiac cyle
-Final portion of
ventricular filling,
slower rate
-LV volume increases
-Increase in heart rate
alters this phase
Arrhythmia
•Tachycardia of atrial or ventricular origin
reduces stroke volume and cardiac output
particularly when the ventricular rate is
greater than 160 beats/min.
•The stroke volume becomes reduced because
of decreased ventricular filling time and
decreased ventricular filling at high rates of
contraction
Arrhythmia
•If the tachyarrhythmia is associated with
abnormal ventricular conduction, the synchrony
and effectiveness of ventricular contraction will
be impaired leading to reduced ejection
Hence 1) reduced filling time
2) reduced filling
3) reduced ejection
And all will contribute to less cardiac output
Arrhythmia – Atrial Fibrillation
•Concept of atrial kick – contribution of atrial
systole in ventricular filling – added 10-20% of
ventricular volume, during exercise, up to 40%
•Therefore, atrial fibrillation generally has
relatively minor hemodynamic consequence
at rest, but can significantly limit normal
increases in ventricular stroke volume and
cardiac output during exercise.
Arrhythmia – Atrial Fibrillation
•In hypertrophy – reduce compliance -
increased ventricular stiffness impairs passive
filling, atrial contraction contributes
significantly to ventricular filling even at rest.
•In AF, loss of atrial kick, reduced filling time,
reduced filling, ineffective ejection - CO is
significantly affected – hemodynamic
instability
Thank you
Reference
•Physiology, Linda S. Costanzo 4
th
Edition