Week 24 - Heart & Great vessels Flashcards
Under normal circumstances, which of the heart valves is typically comprised of two leaflets?
- a) Mitral valve
- b) Tricuspid valve
- c) Aortic valve
- d) Pulmonary valve
- e) None of the above
a) Mitral valve has 2 leaflets
State the normal location of the apex beat. During auscultation of the heart, what is this area referred to?
5th intercostal space, mid-clavicular line; this is the mitral area
Valve locations
- Mitral valve: 5th intercostal space in the midclavicular line.
- Tricuspid valve: 4th or 5th intercostal space at the lower left sternal edge.
- Pulmonary valve: 2nd intercostal space at the left sternal edge.
- Aortic valve: 2nd intercostal space at the right sternal edge.
Spontaneous plaque rupture that occludes the right coronary artery will cause ischaemia to which general region of the heart?
- a) Lateral
- b) Anterolateral
- c) Anteroseptal
- d) Inferior
- e) All of the above
= d) Inferior
What is the most likely underlying cause of a parasternal heave?
Parasternal heave = Right ventricular hypertrophy
Parasternal heave occurs during right ventricular hypertrophy (i.e. enlargement) or very rarely severe left atrial enlargement. This is due to the position of the heart within the chest: the right ventricle is most anterior (closest to the chest wall). Hypertrophy of the right side of the heart will occur when the right side of the heart chronically contracts against higher pressure. This occurs in the setting of valvular disease i.e. pulmonary valve, and in the setting of respiratory disease whereby the pressure in the pulmonary artery becomes elevated (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
Briefly explain the arterial supply of the interventricular septum.
- The anterior 2/3 of the septum is supplied by septal perforators from the left anterior descending artery.
- The posterior 1/3 of the septum is supplied by septal perforators from the posterior interventricular artery, which most commonly arises from the right coronary artery.
