Is ineffective tissue perfusion in relation to an impaired systemic circulation?

[aartistc]

I'm not sure If I posted in the right section, but I am reading upon the Cardiovascular System. To my understanding, there are two types of abnormalities that affect cardiovascular function: Decreased Cardiac Output and Ineffective tissue perfusion.

So, is ineffective tissue perfusion kind of DUE to systemic circulation (or does it somehow tie in with systemic circulation?) since not enough blood is reaching to the tissues/cells via the systemic route (from the left ventricle/heart)

[marienm, RN, CCRN]

I'm guessing you're early in your studies, and I don't want to do your homework but I do want to give you some things to think about that might help you understand the topic...

1st- what is the PURPOSE of perfusing the tissue? What substance is being transported to the tissue? (Hint- it's not blood; it's carried by the hemoglobin...)

2nd- I'm not sure I'd say there are only 2 abnormalities that affect CV function, but you're generally right in identifying ineffective tissue perfusion as 1)a big problem and 2) possibly resulting from decreased cardiac output. So, think about things that might decrease cardiac output... the heart is a pump, and if the pump starts to pump more weakly, what happens? What happens if there's not enough blood for the heart to pump? (Where could all of that blood have gone?) What happens if the heart is pumping blood but the blood doesn't deliver the right materials to the tissue (see question 1)? (How could that have happened...why wouldn't the body have the right material?)

3rd- You mention 'systemic circulation' and I'm assuming that you're differentiating between coronary and systemic? As in, the coronary circulation perfuses the heart itself and the systemic circulation perfuses the rest of the body? So, when the heart-pump isn't pumping strongly, will the heart be getting enough blood? (See question 1 again- what is in the blood that all tissues require?) What happens to the heart muscle if it is under-perfused for too long? How will this affect the heart's ability to perfuse the systemic circulation?

Good luck with your studies!