Anatomy subcategory
Cardiac Physiology and Pharmacology
Mnemonics for cardiac cycle, action potentials and cardiovascular drugs.
Entries in Cardiac Physiology and Pharmacology
Chronotropy, inotropy, dromotropy and lusitropy
A mnemonic for the four autonomic actions on cardiac function.
Carotid sinus and aortic arch stretch receptors adjust autonomic outflow within seconds
A memory aid for the short-term regulation of blood pressure.
Cardioselective agents spare beta-2 receptors; non-selective agents do not
A memory aid for the differences between beta blockers.
Sympathetic from T1 to T5, parasympathetic from the vagus
A memory aid for the autonomic innervation of the heart.
Atrial systole, isovolumetric contraction, ejection, isovolumetric relaxation, then filling
A memory aid for the seven phases of the cardiac cycle.
Branching striated fibres with central nuclei and intercalated discs
A memory aid for identifying cardiac muscle microscopically.
Cardiac muscle is a functional syncytium with a long refractory period and cannot tetanise
A memory aid for the differences between cardiac and skeletal muscle.
Cardiac afferents enter the cord at T1 to T4 and are misattributed to those dermatomes
A memory aid for why cardiac pain is felt in the chest, arm and jaw.
Pressure work is far more costly in oxygen than volume work
A memory aid for the components of cardiac work.
Filling, isovolumetric contraction, ejection, isovolumetric relaxation, traced anticlockwise
A memory aid for the four sides of the ventricular pressure-volume loop.
About one-third systole and two-thirds diastole at rest
A memory aid for how the cardiac cycle divides between systole and diastole.
Intrinsic sinoatrial rate is about 100; resting vagal tone brings it down to about 70
A memory aid for the dominance of parasympathetic tone in the resting heart.
Pressure rise, reduced venous return, release, then overshoot
A memory aid for the four phases of the Valsalva manoeuvre.
Rapid filling, diastasis and atrial systole
A memory aid for the three phases of diastolic filling.
Elastic arteries store energy in systole and release it in diastole
A memory aid for the role of aortic elasticity.