TRI-5, Wk4, Day 286

Heck of a day - left home around 6 a.m. and got home just a little before midnight. After class got out today I hooked up with my study partner and knocked out chapter 3 reading of Physical Diagnosis (phys dx) then headed back up to the school to finish printing out some supplementary material for Radiographic Positioning and Diagnostic Imaging (dx imag).

I've gotten some great comments and feedback lately. A 47 yo by the name of Roxanne found a blog I did earlier on hyper vagal tone (parasympatheticotonia). She was told she needed a pacemaker but later a heart specialist took an EKG and said her heart was strong and healthy and she had a hyper vagal tone.

FYI - when we're talking about hyper vagal tone, we're talking about cranial nerve number 10 usually denoted CN X. It's a parasympathetic nerve. Two of it's branches innervate the heart, the left branch innervates the VA node and the right branch innervates (connects with) the SA node. The SA node is (ideally) the pace maker of the heart and for most individuals we'd probably like to see that in the 60-90 range. Most books will put that range at 60-100 with over 100 designated as tachacardia and under 60 bpm as bradycardia.

The parasympathetics which innervate the heart act to slow the heart rate down. One can stimulate the vagus innervation by performing a carotid massage which stimulates a baroreceptor which is also innervated by the vagal nerve.

....dang - study partner is here so it's time to crack open the books - i only say dang because there's so much more to talk about ....