Single Ventricle Physiology 02 | CICU Bedside Foundations

What changes when one ventricle has two workloads?

In the second episode of the CICU Bedside Foundations Series, we break down single ventricle physiology through a practical bedside lens—moving beyond the anatomy to understand where the blood is going, how well the single ventricle is functioning, and what your patient needs from you.

We’ll explore the key questions every bedside nurse should be asking:

❤️ Is my patient currently in a one-ventricle or two-ventricle circulation?
❤️ How well is the single ventricle functioning?
❤️ How much AV valve regurgitation is present, and how is that affecting the workload?
❤️ Is my patient telling me I need to increase pulmonary blood flow, improve systemic blood flow, or increase overall cardiac output?

Because in single ventricle physiology, one pump is supporting two competing circulations. Understanding that relationship helps us move beyond chasing a saturation and start asking the bigger question:

Where does the blood need to go—and does the heart have enough total cardiac output to support both the lungs and the body?