Congestive Heart Failure Anatomy

Your heart has four chambers. These include:

• The right atrium. This atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the body via the superior and inferior vena cavas.
• The right ventricle. The right ventricle receives blood from the right atrium and sends it to your lungs to be oxygenated.
• The left atrium. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs from the pumonary veins.
• The left ventricle. The left ventricle receives blood from the left ventricle and pumps it to the rest of your body. The left ventricle is the most muscular and powerful chamber.

        (Silvestri, 2008, pp. 849)

This video provides a visual demonstration of how Congestive Heart Failure affects the human heart and body. You can see the gradual increased strain on your heart as it increases in rate and size to supports the demands of the body.

Video Credit: (Biodigital Systems, 2010)