Which of the following is not a part of portal vein?

Appeared in: KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018

Explanation

The hepatic veins are responsible for draining deoxygenated blood from the liver's sinusoids directly into the inferior vena cava (IVC).
They are part of the systemic venous circulation, which returns blood to the heart, and are functionally distinct from the portal venous system.
The portal system's role is to bring blood from the digestive organs to the liver, whereas the hepatic veins carry blood away from the liver.

Option A: The splenic vein is a major component of the portal system. It joins with the superior mesenteric vein to form the main portal vein.
Option C: The left and right gastric veins drain blood from the stomach directly into the portal vein, making them key tributaries.
Option D: The cystic vein drains blood from the gallbladder and typically empties into the right branch of the portal vein within the liver.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Anatomy of the Hepatic Portal System as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding the difference between the portal and hepatic veins is crucial for managing patients with liver disease, particularly portal hypertension.
Nurses must monitor for signs of complications from portal hypertension, such as bleeding from esophageal varices (melena, hematemesis), increasing abdominal girth (ascites), and altered mental status (hepatic encephalopathy).
What if? If a patient with known liver cirrhosis develops sudden hematemesis (vomiting blood), the nurse's priority is to suspect bleeding esophageal varices, a medical emergency. The immediate actions would be to ensure airway patency, monitor vital signs for shock, and prepare for emergency endoscopy and fluid resuscitation.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core subject of the question, which is the anatomy of the portal vein.
Note the negative keyword 'not'. This means you are looking for the option that is an exception or does not belong to the portal venous system.
Recall the function of the portal vein: to carry blood from the digestive organs to the liver.
Evaluate each option: Splenic vein, Gastric vein, and Cystic vein are all known tributaries that drain into the portal vein.
Consider the Hepatic vein. Recall that its function is to drain blood from the liver into the inferior vena cava.
Conclude that the Hepatic vein is part of the systemic circulation, not the portal circulation, making it the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Anatomy of the Hepatic Portal System
Stem keywords: portal vein, part of
Lead-in keywords: not
Negative lead-in flag: This question uses negative framing ('NOT'), asking to identify the option that does not belong to the specified anatomical system.

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E6 Anatomy BDChaurasia V2 10e Part 2 p. 58-60

E6 Anatomy Applied Ashalatha 4e p. 193-195

Practise the full KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.