Heart Questions
Practice Questions on the Heart
Page 1

  1. The space in the middle of the thoracic cavity where the heart resides is the:
    1. Pericardial cavity
    2. Pericardium
    3. Pleural Cavity
    4. Mediastinum
    5. Dorsal Cavity

  2. The foramen ovale in the fetal heart is located in the:
    1. Right atrium
    2. Left atrium
    3. Interventricular septum
    4. Interatrial septum
    5. Pulmonary trunk

  3. Which blood vessel does NOT bring deoxygenated blood directly to the heart?
    1. Pulmonary vein
    2. Coronary Sinus
    3. Inferior Vena cava
    4. Superior Vena Cava

  4. If communication between the SA node and the AV node became blocked, which will most likely occur?
    1. The rate of ventricular contraction will decrease
    2. Afterload will increase
    3. The rate of atrial contraction will decrease
    4. Stroke volume will increase to 5L/beat
    5. All of the above

  5. If there is a blockage between the AV node and the AV bundle, how will this affect the appearance of the EKG?
    1. PR interval would be smaller
    2. QRS interval would be shorter
    3. There would be more P waves than QRS complexes
    4. There would be more QRS complexes than P waves
    5. The T wave would be absent

  6. What effect would compressing the inferior vena cava just below the diaphragm have on cardiac function?
    1. Stroke volume would decrease
    2. Cardiac output would decrease
    3. Sympathetic stimulation of the heart would eventually increase
    4. Heart rate would eventually increase
    5. All of the above

  7. A valve damaged by rheumatic fever fails to open completely. This is known as:
    1. Stenosis
    2. Heart Block
    3. Ischemia
    4. MI
    5. Fibrillation

  8. Accodrding to the Frank-Starling Law of the heart, CO is directly related to:
    1. Ventricular muscle mass
    2. Heart Rate
    3. Amount of blood returning to the heart
    4. ESV
    5. Cardiac Reserve

  9. The T Wave on an EKG represents:
    1. Ventricular Depolarization
    2. Ventricular Repolarization
    3. Atrial Depolarization
    4. Atrial Repolarization
    5. Ventricular Systole

  10. Cardiac output is equal to:
    1. HR x SV
    2. HR/SV
    3. EDV - ESV
    4. (EDV-SV) x HR
    5. HR x BP

  11. During ventricular systole:
    1. The atria are contracting
    2. The AV valves are closed
    3. The intraventricular pressure is less than the intraatrial pressure
    4. The mitral valve is open
    5. Blood is forced into the ligamentum arteriosum

  12. Which of the following represents the outermost layer of the heart?
    1. Epicardium
    2. Parietal pericardium
    3. Myocardium
    4. Subendocardium
    5. Endocardium

  13. Increased sympathetic stimulation will cause HR to______________.
  14. Moderate increase in preload will cause SV to___________.
  15. Increased EDV will cause preload to ______________________.
  16. Decreased cardiac contractility will cause SV to _________________ and will cause CO to _________________.
  17. Decreased SV as with congestive heart failure will cause ESV to _________.
  18. Increased ESV will cause EDV to ___________________ and Preload to ____________.
  19. Excessively increased EDV will cause SV to _________________ and CO to __________________.
  20. Increased activation of Beta-1 receptors on the SA node will cause the number of QRS complexes per minute to ___________________.
  21. Excessively high HR will cause PR interval to _________________, ventricular fill time to ____________, EDV to ______________, preload to __________, and SV to _______________.
  22. Moderate to intense (but not maximal) exercise will cause HR to _________, SV to __________, and CO to ____________.
  23. Hypertension will cause afterload to _____________ and that in turn will cause ESV to _____________ and SV to _____________.
  24. As arterial BP increases, medullary cardioacceleratory area activity _______.
  25. As atrial EDV increases, plasma ANP levels _______.
  26. As HR decreases and VR remains constant, SV will _______.
  27. As parasympathetic stimulation increases, CO _______.
  28. As SV increases, PP _______.
  29. As SV decreases, VR _______.
  30. Name the pacemaker of the heart.
  31. What structure electrically isolates the atria from the ventricles?
  32. Which portion of the heart's intrinsic conduction system has the lowest conduction velocity? Why is it slower here?
  33. Are the AV valves open or closed during ventricular systole?
  34. Which heart structure has the greatest rate of spontaneous depolarization?
  35. Which great vessel delivers blood to the systemic circulation?
  36. Which great vessel delivers blood to the lungs?
  37. Shortly after (100ms to be precise) the QRS complex of the ECG:
    1. The mitral valve is __________
    2. The aortic valve is ___________
    3. The pressure in the right atrium is _______ than the pressure in the right ventricle.
    4. The ventricular volume is __________ and the atrial volume is _________
  38. Examine the following BP trace. A drug has been injected i.v. at the arrow.


    From this data, determine whether the following have Increased, Decreased, or Not changed:
    1. HR
    2. SV
    3. PR
    4. PP
    5. SP
    6. DP
    7. EDV
    8. ESV
    9. Which of the following neurotransmitters could have caused this response?
      1. Acetylcholine
      2. Epinephrine
      3. Dopamine
      4. Norepinephrine

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