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A Wiggers diagram, named after its developer, Carl Wiggers, is a unique diagram that has been used in teaching
File:Heart systole.svg, Ventricular systole
File:Heart diasystole.svg, Cardiac diastole
File:ECG Principle fast.gif, ECG
File:SinusRhythmLabels.svg, The EKG complex. P=P wave, PR=PR interval, QRS=QRS complex, QT=QT interval, ST=ST segment, T=T wave
File:Wiggers diagram with jugular venous waveform.png, Wiggers with jugular venous waveform
A Wiggers diagram, named after its developer, Carl Wiggers, is a unique diagram that has been used in teaching cardiac physiology
Cardiac physiology or heart function is the study of healthy, unimpaired function of the heart: involving blood flow; myocardium structure; the electrical conduction system of the heart; the cardiac cycle and cardiac output and how these interact a ...
for more than a century. In the Wiggers diagram, the X-axis is used to plot time subdivided into the cardiac phases, while the Y-axis typically contains the following on a single grid:
* Blood pressure
Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. When used without qualification, the term "blood pressure ...
** Aortic
The aorta ( ) is the main and largest artery in the human body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen, where it splits into two smaller arteries (the common iliac arteries). The aorta distributes ox ...
pressure
** Ventricular pressure
** Atrial
The atrium ( la, ātrium, , entry hall) is one of two upper chambers in the heart that receives blood from the circulatory system. The blood in the atria is pumped into the heart ventricles through the atrioventricular valves.
There are two at ...
pressure
* Ventricular volume
* Electrocardiogram
* Arterial flow (optional)
* Heart sounds
Heart sounds are the noises generated by the beating heart and the resultant flow of blood through it. Specifically, the sounds reflect the turbulence created when the heart valves snap shut. In cardiac auscultation, an examiner may use a stet ...
(optional)
The Wiggers diagram clearly illustrates the coordinated variation of these values as the heart beats, assisting one in understanding the entire cardiac cycle
The cardiac cycle is the performance of the human heart from the beginning of one heartbeat to the beginning of the next. It consists of two periods: one during which the heart muscle relaxes and refills with blood, called diastole, followin ...
.
Events
Note that duringisovolumetric/isovolumic contraction
In cardiac physiology, isometric contraction is an event occurring in early systole during which the ventricles contract with no corresponding volume change ( isometrically). This short-lasting portion of the cardiac cycle takes place while all ...
and relaxation, all the heart valves
A heart valve is a one-way valve that allows blood to flow in one direction through the chambers of the heart. Four valves are usually present in a mammalian heart and together they determine the pathway of blood flow through the heart. A heart v ...
are closed; at no time are all the heart valves open. *S3 and S4 heart sounds are associated with pathologies
Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...
and are not routinely heard.
Additional images
See also
*Pressure volume diagram
Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and e ...
References