The Merck Manuals. (2008). The Merck Manuals. Retrieved from The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/ag/sec07/ch107/ch107b.html
The New England Journal of Medicine -- February 1, 1996 -- Vol. 334, No. 5
Philip Mortimer BMJ: British Medical Journal , Vol. 321, No. 7269 (Nov. 4, 2000) , p. 1123
The heart is situated in the thoracic cavity protected by a sac called the pericardium. The inner heart wall is made up of three layers the outside of the heart wall is called the epicardium this lubricates the heart and prevents friction. The middle and thickest layer of the heart, called the myocardium, is a thick muscular layer built up of cardiac muscle which is responsible for pumping blood. The thickness of the myocardium varies throughout the heart, the atria does not need as much myocardium as the ventricles as the atria only need enough pressure to pimp the blood to the ventricles whereas the ventricles need enough pressure to pump blood to the lungs and the body. The left ventricle has a thicker myocardium layer than the right as the le...
The aorta is the largest artery in the body, responsible for the transfer of oxygenated blood from the heart to every organ of the body. Understandably, any disruption in the integrity of the aorta could have catastrophic consequences. An aortic dissection occurs when a tear in the inner layer of the aorta develops. As the tear expands, blood will eventually begin to spill out of the tear and continue down the aorta in between the inner layer and outer layer. As the inner and outer layers begin to separate from each other, they develop into what is called a true and false lumen. An aorta can dissect in various ways. Those different types of dissection are then classified as Type A, B and Type I through III. Type A involves the ascending aorta. Type B does not involve the ascending aorta2. Type I involves the entire aorta, Type II involves only the ascending aorta, and Type III originates in the descending aorta and extends distally and does not involve the ascending aorta or arch.2 Dissections that originate in the descending aorta and then progressively dissect proximally are still considered Type III.
Williams, M. (1998). In C.M. Hudak, B.M. Gallo, and P. Gonce Morton. (Eds.) (1998). Critical Care Nursing. A Holistic Approach. 7th Edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven Publishers.
In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), patients are being monitored very closely while their vital signs, their neurological status, and their physical status are being managed with strong medications, lifesaving machines, and the clinical knowledge and skills of trained ICU nurses. Outside of the ICU, it is essential for staff nurses to identify the patient that is clinically deteriorating and in need of urgent intervention.
Anomalous systemic arterial supply to the lungs has been extensively described in association with other congenital abnormalities such as bronchopulmonary sequestration and hypogenetic lung syndrome (scimitar syndrome). In 1946, Pryce introduced the term ‘sequestration’ to describe congenital abnormalities characterised by an anomalous systemic arterial supply to the lung and atresia or hypoplasia of the pulmonary artery. Sequestration was defined by Pryce as a “disconnected (dislocated, ectopic) bronchopulmonary mass or cyst with an anomalous systemic blood supply”.
One important body system is the circulatory system. The systems job is to pump blood to all parts of the body. The blood circulates inside of many tubes and blood vessels which are found in your body. Blood vessels carry the blood to all parts of the body. Oxygen goes into the blood every time we take a breath. Carbon dioxide is a kind of gas. The blood carries carbon dioxide from the cells to the lungs. When a person breathes out, the body is getting rid of carbon dioxide. Your circulatory system works twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It even works when you are sleeping. The circulatory system delivers food, fluids and chemicals to cells throughout your body. It helps to clear your body of waste and carries cells that fight diseases. If your circulatory system would stop working, your cells would starve. Sometimes a doctor would give a patient a vaccine directly into the circulatory system so the medicine should travel to the parts of the body that need it. The circulatory system is made up of three main parts: the heart, the blood vessels, and the blood. The two main kinds of blood vessels are arteries and veins. There are also smaller vessels called capillaries. Arteries and veins are connected by capillaries. A heart of a human is a muscle. The heart has a left side and right side. On the right side, blood enters the heart from the body and then goes from the right side of the heart and to the lungs. In the lungs, it picks up oxygen and returns to the left side of the heart. The oxygen and the blood are then pumped to the body. The heart contains valves. The valves function is to keep the blood flowing in one direction. Each side of the heart is divided into two parts. The upper chamber is called an...
Washington, J.A. (1996) 'Chapter 10 :Principles of Diagnosis', in Samuel Baron (ed.) Medical Microbiology 4th Edn. Galveston, Texas: University of Texas Medical Branch.
Aorta: The largest artery in the body. Brings oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the tissues.
1)The circulatory system consists of the heart, blood, and blood vessels. There are three types of blood vessels: arteries, veins and capillaries. The heart is an organ made of cardiac muscle and it acts like a pump.
As defined by Baillie, Garrett, Garrett, and McGeehan, the health care formulation of the principle of autonomy states that “you shall not treat a patient without the informed consent of the patient or his or her lawful surrogate, except in narrowly defined emergencies” (Health Care Ethics: Principles and Problems, 2009, p.32). An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a very high-risk diagnosis, but is non-emergent unless the aortic wall ruptures. It may seem that the patient is assuming very illogical and risky behavior, but it is still her right as a patient to deny the surgery if she so chooses. Unfortunately, the physician’s actions cannot be justified in this case because although the diagnosis was an acute one, it was not yet emergent. The surgeon
aortic valve and into the aorta. Once in the aorta, the blood gets distributed throughout
The nursing discipline embodies a whole range of skills and abilities that are aimed at maximizing one’s wellness by minimizing harm. As one of the most trusted professions, we literally are some’s last hope and last chance to thrive in life; however, in some cases we may be the last person they see on earth. Many individuals dream of slipping away in a peaceful death, but many others leave this world abruptly at unexpected times. I feel that is a crucial part to pay attention to individuals during their most critical and even for some their last moments and that is why I have peaked an interest in the critical care field. It is hard to care for someone who many others have given up on and how critical care nurses go above and beyond the call