A Mathematical Model of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Dynamics in Patients with Transposition of the Great Arteries
Poster Number
46
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Mathematics
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Zachary Abernathy
Abstract
Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) is a congenital heart defect in which the pulmonary artery and the aorta are transposed, causing oxygen-poor blood to bypass the lungs and be recirculated throughout the body. In many cases, an atrial and/or ventricular septal defect also forms to allow the oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to mix in the heart, temporarily sustaining the patient's life. In this paper, we create a model of cardiovascular and respiratory dynamics for a patient with TGA by extending a current model of normal heart function. The goal of this research is to predict blood-oxygen levels in critical organs such as the brain for patients with TGA and one or more septal defects. While we know a patient cannot survive long-term with TGA, an accurate prediction of blood-oxygen levels under a variety of defects and mixing circumstances can potentially help to establish optimal times for performing corrective surgery.
Honors Thesis Committee
Zachary Abernathy, Ph.D.; Kristen Abernathy, Ph.D.; Trent Kull, Ph.D.
Start Date
22-4-2016 2:15 PM
End Date
22-4-2016 4:15 PM
A Mathematical Model of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Dynamics in Patients with Transposition of the Great Arteries
Richardson Ballroom
Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) is a congenital heart defect in which the pulmonary artery and the aorta are transposed, causing oxygen-poor blood to bypass the lungs and be recirculated throughout the body. In many cases, an atrial and/or ventricular septal defect also forms to allow the oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to mix in the heart, temporarily sustaining the patient's life. In this paper, we create a model of cardiovascular and respiratory dynamics for a patient with TGA by extending a current model of normal heart function. The goal of this research is to predict blood-oxygen levels in critical organs such as the brain for patients with TGA and one or more septal defects. While we know a patient cannot survive long-term with TGA, an accurate prediction of blood-oxygen levels under a variety of defects and mixing circumstances can potentially help to establish optimal times for performing corrective surgery.
