Cardiac cycle and Vascular dynamics

Description

The cardiac cycle is a series of pressure changes that take place within the heart. These pressure changes result in movement of blood through different chambers of the heart and the body as a whole. These pressure changes originate as conductive electrochemical changes within the myocardium that result in contraction of cardiac muscle concentrically. Valves within the heart direct blood movement which leads to an organized propulsion of blood to the next chamber. This rhythmic sequence causes changes in pressure and volume that are often seen graphically in the form of a Wiggers diagram or venous pressure tracings. An understanding of this information is vital to the clinical understanding of cardiac auscultation, pathology, and interventions and this presentation helps us to understand the cardiac cycle.