Heart Failure

Start with causes and types

Begin with a mind map to see how the material is organized. One map titled Congestive Heart Failure covers causes and pathophysiology, including faulty heart valves, arrhythmias and infarction. Another map with the same title groups heart failure by direction, cardiac output, systolic or diastolic problems, and the side of the heart involved.

Compare the headings in the maps, then use them to make a short list of the areas you want to study further.

Move from maps to flashcards

The Heart failure mind map on overload and myocardial dysfunction also covers compensatory mechanisms, including dilation, hypertrophy and neuroendocrine response. The Heart Failure (HF) map looks at reduced stroke volume and cardiac output, as well as responses such as increased preload.

After looking at those maps, try the flashcard deck on cardiac failure and the work done by the heart. It includes ventricular overload, problems with a dilated ventricle and valve regurgitation. The deck on heart failure and valvular dysfunction includes a question about the Frank-Starling mechanism.

Use a quiz alongside a map

The CRRM quiz includes questions on ventricular fibrillation and the effect of calcium chloride on an isolated rabbit heart. After taking it, return to the maps and flashcards to review the cardiac terms and responses you want to understand more clearly.

You can also use a map before a quiz to organize your thoughts, then revisit it afterward. The maps offer headings to study; the quiz gives you questions to work through.

Place the topic in the unit

Heart Failure is one section of the Cardiovascular System and Cardiac Function unit in Physiology. The listed resources let you approach the section through diagrams, questions and flashcards rather than relying on one format. Choose a map and a deck to use together as you study.