Cardiac Contraction and the Pressure-volume Relationship - Hardcover

The product of 15 years of intense collaborative research by the authors, this book lets readers view cardiac pump function through the window of the pressure-volume diagram. Although not new, this approach has gained widespread acceptance since the mid-70s as a useful way of understanding the fundamental mechanics of cardiac contraction, of evaluating ventricular contractility, and of coupling the pump function with the impedance property of the vascular system. After a brief historical overview, the authors describe the fundamental similarities between the ventricular pressure-volume relationship and the muscle tension-length relationship. The effect of various physiological mechanisms and pharmacological interventions are examined, as are the energetics of ventricular contractions and the haemodynamics of the entire circulatory system. The authors consider the clinical applications of the ventricular pressure-volume relationship, and review the current knowledge of the effects of growth and ageing on ventricular function. The final chapter provides precise information on methods for laboratory and clinical research. Throughout, there is enough physics and engineering information to give an understanding of the measurements and analysis methods, although the book may be read by those trained only in the biological and medical sciences. Readership: researchers and lecturers in cardiac physiology, pharmacology, anaesthesiology, circulatory dynamics; cardiologists, anaesthetists, cardiovascular surgeons.