1 A DESIGN SPECIFICATION FOR THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM

  Oxygen consumption

  Carriage of oxygen in blood

  Cyanosis

  The battle against the hydrogen ion: acid-base

  balance

  Cell injury and cell death

  Overall functional structure of the cardiovascular

  system

  Circulation time

  Structure and function of blood vessels

  Angiogenesis

  From cradle to grave--the presentation of heart

  disease.

2 CARDIAC MUSCLE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION

  Cardiac muscle

  Structure of cardiac muscle

  Contractile mechanism in cardiac muscle

  Cardiac electrical activity

  Drugs which act on the heart

3 THE HEART AS A PUMP: VALVE FUNCTION AND VALVE DISEASE

  Functional anatomy of the heart

  The cardiac cycle

  Valve pathology

  History taking for cardiac disease

  Clinical examination of the cardiovascular system

  Investigations of heart disease: imaging the heart

  Sudden cardiac death

4 REGULATION OF CARDIAC FUNCTION

  Introduction

  Venous return

  Control of cardiac output

  Regulation of heart rate

  Regulation of stroke volume

  Preload effects on the heart

  Contractility effects on the heart

  Afterload effects on the heart

  Summary

5 BLOOD SUPPLY TO THE HEART

  Anatomy of the arterial supply and venous drainage

  of the heart

  Regulation of coronary blood flow

  Ischaemic heart disease

  Thrombosis

  Angina

  Myocardial infarction

  Coronary angioplasty and stenting

  Coronary artery bypass grafting

6 HEART FAILURE

  Systolic vs diastolic failure

  Haemodynamic events

  Metabolic events in heart failure

  Neurohormonal aspects of heart failure

  Drug therapy for heart failure

7 THE ELECTROCARDIOGRAM (ECG)

  Introduction

  Producing a -lead ECG

  The components of the ECG trace

  Practical use of the ECG

  The ECG and rhythm disturbances

  Cardiac structure and the ECG

  Ischaemia and the ECG

  Potassium and the ECG

  Drugs and the ECG

8 LARGE BLOOD VESSELS

  Introduction

  Haemorheology: the physical characteristics

  of blood flow

  Pathology of arteries and veins

  Atherosclerosis

  Vasculitis

  Varicose veins

  Vascular pathology of diabetes mellitus

  Aneurysms

  Non-invasive techniques for the assessment of

  arteries and veins

9 RESISTANCE BLOOD VESSELS

  Introduction

  Resistance to blood flow

  Vascular smooth muscle

  Local control of vascular smooth muscle

  Hormonal control of blood vessel diameter

  Autonomic nervous system and peripheral circulation

  control

  Special circulations

10 ARTERIAL BLOOD PRESSURE

  Introduction

  Arterial baroreceptors

  Cardiopulmonary reflexes

  Chemoreceptor reflexes

  Measurement of arterial blood pressure

  Pathological consequences of.raised arterial

  pressure

  Treatment of hypertension

  Hydrostatic pressure in the circulation

11 CAPILLARY FUNCTION AND THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM

  Structure of capillaries

  Movement of substances across capillary walls

  Water movement across capillary walls

  The lymphatic system

  Oedema

12 FETAL CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM AND CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE

  Intoduction

  How does the transition from fetal to adult circulation

  occur?

  The normal ECG in childhood

  Congenital heart disease

  Early and late management of congenital heart

  disease

13 EXERCISE AND THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM

  Physiological responses to exercise

  Dynamic (isotonic) exercise

  Oxygen debt and the recovery from exercise

  Cardiovascular responses to static exercise

  Training effects of exercise

  Cardiovascular health benefits of exercise

  Clinical uses of exercise testing

14 HAEMORRHAGE AND CIRCULATORY SHOCK

  Introduction

  Arterial blood pressure changes in response to

  haemorrhage

  Short-term responses which help to restore lost blood

  volume

  Longer term responses which help to restore lost

  blood volume and electrolytes

  Decompensated or irreversible shock following

  haemorrhage

  Causes of shock

  Fluid replacement therapy

Glossary

Ind