Question

When there is a shunt in the heart, i.e., a hole in the septal wall, the blood mixing between the left and right sides of the heart happens. In such cases, why is the stroke volume measured from the main pulmonary artery generally higher than that measured from the aorta?

a) Analyze the impact of heart shunts on stroke volume
b) Discuss the role of the septal wall in heart function
c) Explain the physiological factors influencing stroke volume measurement
d) Compare the measurements of stroke volume in different heart vessels

Answer 1

When there is a shunt in the heart, the stroke volume measured from the main pulmonary artery is generally higher than that measured from the aorta.

Step-by-step explanation:

The stroke volume measured from the main pulmonary artery is generally higher than that measured from the aorta when there is a shunt in the heart, such as a hole in the septal wall.

Shunts in the heart can cause blood to mix between the left and right sides of the heart. This can lead to an increase in blood volume in the pulmonary artery, resulting in a higher stroke volume measurement compared to the aorta.

For example, if there is a shunt that allows more deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to mix with oxygenated blood from the left side of the heart, the stroke volume measured from the main pulmonary artery would be higher because it includes both oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.