BMS 420 -- Cardiopulmonary Physiology

Course Description: Normal and pathophysiology of cardiovascular and pulmonary systems.

Course Objectives: Students will be able to:

1. Describe anatomical and functional relationships for major components of the cardiopulmonary system (for example, the cellular basis for electrical properties of cardiac tissue).
2. Describe the medical implications of specific pathophysiological processes of the cardiopulmonary system (for example, heart failure and hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction).
3. Define and describe the basis for current methods use to evaluate the cardiopulmonary system.
4. Define and describe the important laws and principles which apply to the cardiopulmonary system.
5. Develop an ability to graph relationships which illustrate key principles of cardiopulmonary physiology.

Prerequisites: BMS 300

Format: 3 credits - 3 hours of lecture per week

Semesters Offered: Fall

Coordinator: C.W. Miller

Text: Cardiopulmonary Anatomy and Physiology, George Hicks

Course Outline:

	Week 1:	Introduction, basic cardiac structure and function, electrical activity of heart
	Week 2:	Electrocardiography, cardiac arrhythmias and treatment
	Week 3:	Excitation - contraction coupling
	Week 4:	The cardiac pump, evaluation of cardiac function
	Week 5:	Venous return and cardiac output, blood vessel structure, hemodynamics
	Week 6:	Measurements of vascular function, microcirculation
	Week 7:	Cardiovascular control, acute BP regulation
	Week 8:	Chronic BP regulation, hypertension, coronary circulation
	Week 9:	Other special circulations, atherosclerosis
	Week 10:	Selected diseases of the heart, selected blood vessel diseases
	Week 11:	Lung structure and function, ventilation, diffusion
	Week 12:	Blood flow and metabolism, ventilation - perfusion relationships, gas transport by the blood
	Week 13:	Mechanics of breathing, control of ventilation
	Week 14:	Control of ventilation, respiration in unusual environments, pulmonary function testing
	Week 15:	Diseases of the respiratory system, current topics in cardiopulmonary physiology

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