Anyone Who Had a Heart: A Case Study in Physiology

What are the major structural diff erences between the fetal and the adult human heart? Draw and label these diff erences on your diagram of the fetal heart. How do these structures alter the circulation of blood?

1. Why is the pulmonary circulation reduced in the human fetus?
2. Are heart rates of 130 to 160 normal in a human fetus?
3. What vital signs or symptoms do the two babies exhibit?
4. What is cyanosis?
5. Would you be alarmed that Brianna has cyanosis and Christopher does not? Why?
6. Why would the cyanotic baby have a faster breathing rate?
7. What are the possible diagnoses for Brianna’s condition at this time? For each diagnosis that you come up with, describe the signs or symptoms that relate to that diagnosis.
8. What are the possible diagnoses for Brianna’s condition at this time? For each diagnosis that you come up with, describe the signs or symptoms that relate to that diagnosis.
9. What additional signs or symptoms do the two babies exhibit?
10. What creates the lub heart sound?
11. What creates the dub heart sound?
12. What is a heart murmur?
13. Do murmurs have diff erent sounds and are they correlated with different problems?
14. What creates the whirring sound between the lub and the dub in Brianna’s heart?
15. What are the possible diagnoses for Brianna’s condition at this time? For each diagnosis that you come up with, describe the signs or symptoms that relate to that diagnosis.
16. If you were the pediatrician, what tests would you perform to help you narrow the possible diagnoses for Brianna’s condition?
17. What new signs or symptoms do the two babies exhibit?
18. What are the possible diagnoses for Brianna’s condition at this time? For each diagnosis that you come up with, describe the signs or symptoms that relate to that diagnosis.
19. If you were the pediatrician, what tests would you perform to help you narrow the possible diagnoses for Brianna’s condition?
20. What are the possible diagnoses for Brianna’s condition at this time? For each diagnosis that you come up with, describe the signs or symptoms that relate to that diagnosis. Try to think logically—sometimes the line of reasoning and the correct questions are more important than the answer.
21. Does a heart murmur necessarily indicate a dysfunctional valve? What other defects could produce the murmur heard through the stethoscope?
22. Does this diagnosis fit Brianna’s vital signs?
23. What created Brianna’s heart murmur?
24. Why is Brianna’s blood pressure lower than Christopher’s?
25. Why is Brianna’s blood pressure lower than Christopher’s?
26. Is it reasonable that Brianna’s arterial PO2 is the same as Christopher’s?
27. Why is Brianna breathing rapidly and deeply?
28. Do you think Brianna’s blood pressure is normal? Explain your answer.
29. Why is Brianna congested?
30. What is the long-term treatment for Brianna’s condition?
31. Anyone Who Had a Heart: A Case Study in Physiology Question 1What are the major structural diff erences between the fetal and the adult human heart? Draw andlabel these differences on your...