American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Certification Practice Test

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What does afterload refer to in cardiovascular physiology?

Resistance to ejection of blood from the artery
Amount of blood returning to the heart
The pressure that the left ventricle must generate to eject blood
Amount of blood pumped by the heart

The correct answer is: The pressure that the left ventricle must generate to eject blood

Afterload is defined as the pressure that the left ventricle must generate to eject blood into the aorta during systole. This concept is crucial in understanding cardiovascular dynamics since it directly impacts the heart's workload and efficiency. Afterload is affected by several factors, including arterial resistance and vascular tone. When afterload increases, the heart must work harder to overcome this resistance, which can affect cardiac output and lead to various cardiovascular issues. In this context, it is important to recognize that afterload involves the forces that resist the flow of blood during ejection, distinguishing it from other concepts such as preload (the amount of blood filling the ventricle). While things like venous return and the volume of blood the heart pumps are relevant to cardiac function, they do not specifically define afterload, which is exclusively about the pressure encountered by the left ventricle during blood ejection.