Cardiac Imbalances
Sidney received a small, but deep cut from broken glass in the exact midline of the anterior side of his distal forearm. He worried throughout the two-mile drive to the hospital that he would bleed to death because he had heard stories about people committing suicide by slashing their wrist. Judge if Sid’s fear of death is justified and explain your reasoning.
Mrs. Johnson is brought to the emergency room after being involved in an auto accident. She is hemorrhaging and has a rapid, thready pulse, but her blood pressure is still within normal limits. Describe what is happening and what mechanisms are acting to maintain her blood pressure in the face of blood loss.
A 60 year old man is unable to walk more than 100 yards without experiencing severe pain in his left leg; the pain is relieved by resting for 5-10 minutes. He is told that the arteries of his leg are becoming occluded with fatty material and is advised to have the sympathetic nerves serving that body region severed. Explain how such surgery might help to relieve this man’s problem.
Stan was admitted to the hospital with a heart rate of 45 beats per minute. After the following EKG was produced, the recommendation was made to implant an artificial pacemaker. What is wrong with Stan and why will the pacemaker alleviate the problem?
Christopher, a 2 month old infant, is experiencing a bluish tinge to his skin. Upon listening to the infant’s chest, the pediatrician was concerned with a leakage of blood between the right and left atria. What might have caused this problem and what is the treatment?