HELP! Know Any Tricks to Remember Cardiac Blood Flow?

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I have a big cardiac exam coming up and even though most of the anatomy is review, I'm still having a hard time remembering blood flow through the heart and various structures. Any one have any nifty tricks for this or sayings?

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The st. joseph's baby ASA commercial?

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hangnon said:
I have a big cardiac exam coming up and even though most of the anatomy is review, I'm still having a hard time remembering blood flow through the heart and various structures. Any one have any nifty tricks for this or sayings?

Don't know if this is close but it at least helps me remember the valves... Ape to Man..... Aortic, Pulmonic, Erb's point, Tricuspid, Mitral!

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How funny, I just had an exam on the heart, arteries and veins this morning!

I remembered the tricuspid v. bicuspid by telling myself - Tricuspid is on the RIGHT side ~ same side as the lung that has three lobes... Bicuspid is on the same side of the lung that has two lobes.

I don't know what all you are responsible for knowing ~ my test was on everything from the Circle of Willis to the trabeculae carneae and everything in between... If yours is in detail like that your best bet is to just start DRAWING it out.. I know its corny, but even if you're terrible at it - heck draw a heart shaped heart! Label the heck out of it. That helps me a LOT.

I agree with Rena, that commercial is great to know the blood flow! They've actually got the commercial at their site http://www.stjosephaspirin.com

I went to look that up to see if there was a place to download it.. did you know that it was originally on Happy Days? (Yes that old TV show!!) You can download the whole song from here: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/happydays.html

Hope this helps! Best of luck to you!

~*~kendra~*~

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I used to have problems remembering if the tricuspid valve came before the bicuspid. Somebody in my class said, "Always try before you buy..." so that helped me remember.

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hangnon said:

I have a big cardiac exam coming up and even though most of the anatomy is review, I'm still having a hard time remembering blood flow through the heart and various structures. Any one have any nifty tricks for this or sayings?

My hint is this: the vessels and the chambers are related in the following way:

The As go with the Vs and Vs go with the As.

What does this mean you ask?

Well, veins always enter the atria (or go toward the atria)

and

arteries always arise from ventricles.

My apologies if this is too simplistic... ?

nursefirst

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My EMT class came up with TP My Axx (you get the idea) to remember the flow of blood through the valves: Tricuspid, pulmonary (to lungs) Mitral, Aortic (to body).

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loriann said:
I used to have problems remembering if the tricuspid valve came before the bicuspid. Somebody in my class said, "Always try before you buy..." so that helped me remember.

I remembered this way:

Tricuspid comes before bicuspid just like learning to ride a tricycle before bicycle!

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Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

I'm going to have that stupid "pump pump pump" song from the St. John's commercial in my head ALL DAY!!!

-A

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Thanks Guys! ?

I absolutley love the "Pump Your Blood Song"! In fact, since I'm such a nerd, I might buy some St Joseph ASA and send in for the free "Heart Hits" CD!

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Specializes in MICU for 4 years, now PICU for 3 years!.

Don't know if you have the lyrics or not, but here they are.....

Pup, pump, pumps your blood

The right atrium's where the process begins,

Where the CO2 blood enters the heart.

Through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle

The pulmonary artery and lungs.

Once inside the lungs it dumps it carbon dioxide

And picks up its oxygen supply

The it's back to the heart through the pulmonary vein

Through the atrium and left ventricle.

Pump, pump, pumps your blood.

The aortic vavles where the blood leaves the heart

Then it's channeled to the rest of the bod

The arteries, arterioles, and capillaries too

Bring the oxygenated blood to the cells

the tissues and the cells trade of waste and CO2

Which is carried through the venules and the veins

Through the larger vena cava to the atrium and lungs

And we're back to where we started in the heart."

I found these lyrics on a webpage about Happy Days.... apparently a long time ago on Happy Days one of the characters sang this song to remember the blood flow in the heart for a test, or something like that....

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Don't know if you have the lyrics or not, but here they are.....

Pup, pump, pumps your blood

The right atrium's where the process begins,

Where the CO2 blood enters the heart.

Through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle

The pulmonary artery and lungs.

Once inside the lungs it dumps it carbon dioxide

And picks up its oxygen supply

The it's back to the heart through the pulmonary vein

Through the atrium and left ventricle.

Pump, pump, pumps your blood.

The aortic vavles where the blood leaves the heart

Then it's channeled to the rest of the bod

The arteries, arterioles, and capillaries too

Bring the oxygenated blood to the cells

the tissues and the cells trade of waste and CO2

Which is carried through the venules and the veins

Through the larger vena cava to the atrium and lungs

And we're back to where we started in the heart."

I found these lyrics on a webpage about Happy Days.... apparently a long time ago on Happy Days one of the characters sang this song to remember the blood flow in the heart for a test, or something like that.... The website it's off is this.... http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowForumPage/showid-270/threadid-67613/

Awesome! I shared this with my class because I think it's so helpful and great! Thanks again!

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