Summary of Physiology

Venous return is the flow of blood from the

periphery back to the heart’s right atrium.

Venous return is achieved by several

mechanisms:
1. Pressure gradient
Venous pressure−RA pressure
Venous return=
Venous resistance
(Constriction of veins blocks blood flow,
increases venous resistance and reduces
venous return)
# When blood vessels throughout the body
are constricted, such as during sympathetic
activation, the increased resistance causes
blood pressure to rise, and this eventually
overrides the increase in venous resistance.
As a result, venous return increases.

2. Skeletal muscle pump

Veins in the arms and legs are surrounded
by skeletal muscles. Increases ventricular preload by increasing
central venous pressure.
3. Gravity

4. Breathing or respiratory pump

During inspiration, the diaphragm moves
down, expanding the thoracic cavity,
resulting in a decreased intra-thoracic
pressure and a subsequent expansion of the
lungs.
At the same time, the descent of the
diaphragm also causes an increase in
abdominal pressure.

Breathing is one of the mechanism that

facilitate venous return. This is knows as
thoracic pump or respiratory pump.

BP = CO x (SVR  vasoconstriction /
vasodilatation)
CO = HR x (SV  preload, afterload,
contractility)