Volume overload
Volume overload refers to the state of one of the chambers of the heart in which too large a volume of blood exists within it for it to function efficiently. Ventricular volume overload is approximately equivalent to an excessively high preload. It is a cause of cardiac failure.[1]
Pathophysiology
[edit | edit source]In accordance with the Frank–Starling law of the heart, the myocardium contracts more powerfully as the end-diastolic volume increases. Stretching of the myofibrils in cardiac muscle causes them to contract more powerfully due to a greater number of cross-bridges being formed between the myofibrils within cardiac myocytes.[2] This is true up to a point, however beyond this there is a loss of contractile ability due to loss of connection between myofibrils; see figure.[citation needed]
Various pathologies, listed below, can lead to volume overload. Different mechanisms are involved depending on the cause, however the common theme is that of a high cardiac output with a low or normal afterload. The output may be high due to the inefficiency in valve disease, or it may be high due to shunting of blood in left-to-right shunts and arteriovenous malformations.[citation needed]
Left ventricular volume overload may produce inverted u waves on the electrocardiogram.[3]
Causes
[edit | edit source]Causes may be considered according to which chamber is affected.[citation needed]
Left ventricular volume overload
- Valvular heart disease[4]
- Aortic regurgitation
- Mitral regurgitation, also causing left atrial volume overload[5]
- Congenital heart defects
- Patent ductus arteriosus
- Ventricular septal defect, also causing left atrial volume overload[6]
- Arteriovenous malformation and fistula
- Giant hepatic haemangioma
- High-output haemodialysis fistula
Right ventricular volume overload
- Valvular heart disease
- Congenital heart defects
- Atrial septal defect, also causing right atrial volume overload[6]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
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- ^ Klabunde, Richard E. "Cardiovascular Physiology Concepts". Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2011, p. 74.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Left Ventricular Volume Overload Archived 2013-03-05 at the Wayback Machine, Discussion of echocardiography findings.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Gardiner M, Eisen S, Murphy C. Training in paediatrics: the essential curriculum. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2009.