Viscera (heart, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract)
Right ventricle
Ventriculus dexter cordis
- Origin
- Forms most of the anterior (sternocostal) surface of the heart; receives deoxygenated blood from the right atrium
- Insertion
- Ejects blood through the infundibulum and pulmonary valve into the pulmonary trunk
- Function
- Pumps deoxygenated blood under low vascular resistance into the pulmonary arterial tree for oxygenation
- Innervation
- Cardiac plexus (sympathetic T1-T4, parasympathetic vagus nerve)
- Movement & chain
- Bellows-like contraction shortening the long axis and drawing the free wall toward the interventricular septum
- Palpation
- Parasternal heave palpable along the left lower sternal border in RV enlargement or pulmonary hypertension
- Clinical
- Right ventricular infarction (RCA occlusion), acute/chronic cor pulmonale, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).
- Segmental innervation
- T1-T4 dermatomes
- In clinical practice
- Cautious fluid management during RV infarction (preload dependent), monitoring for jugular distention, ascites, and peripheral edema
- Region in the model
- Viscera (heart, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract)