Page 102 - Critical Care Nursing Demystified

Chapter 3 CARE OF THE PATIENT WITH CRITICAL CARDIAC AND VASCULAR NEEDS 87

Aortic arch

Pulmonary artery

Superior Aortic valve
vena cava
Left pulmonary
veins
Right
pulmonary
veins Left atrium
Pulmonic Mitral valve
valve
Chordae
Right atrium tendinae
Papillary
muscles
Tricuspid
valve Left ventricle

Right
ventricle
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vena cava

Unoxygenated blood (gray)

Oxygenated blood (red) Parietal
pericardium
Endocardium
Pericardial
Myocardium space
Epicardium
Visceral
pericardium
FIGURE 3–1 • Structure of the heart.

The heart consists of four chambers, the left and right atria and the left and
right ventricles. The atria receive blood from the vena cava and pulmonary
arteries and pump this blood into the ventricles. The ventricles are the main
pumping forces of the heart. The right ventricle pumps blood into the pulmo-
nary circulation. The left ventricle forcefully ejects blood into the aorta and
arterial circulation.