Med Term Ch 5
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- acute coronary syndrome (ACS)
- signs and symptoms indicating an active process of atherosclerotic plaque buildup or formation of a thrombus, or spasm within a coronary artery, causing a reduction or loss of blood flow to myocardial tisue; includes unstable angina and other pathological
- anastomosis
- opening; the joining of two blood vessels to allow flow from one to the other
- aneurysm
- a widening; a bulging of the wall of the heart, aorta, or artery caused by a congenital defect or acquired weakness
- angi/o, vas/o, vascul/o
- vessel
- angina pectoris
- chest pain caused by a temporary loss of oxygenated blood to heart muscle; often caused by narrowing of the coronary arteries
- angiogram
- record obtained by angiography
- angiography
- process of x-ray imaging a blood vessel after injection of contrast medium, most commonly after catheter placement
- angioscopy / vascular endoscopy
- use of a flexible fiberoptic angioscope (accompanied by an irrigation system, camera, video recorder, and monitor) that is guided through a specific blood vessel to visually assess a lesion and to select the mode of therapy
- angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor
- drug that suppresses the conversion of angiotensin in the blood by the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE); used in the treatment of hypertension
- antianginal
- drug that dilates coronary arteries, restoring oxygen to the tissues to relieve the pain of angina pectoris
- antiarrhythmic
- drug that counteracts cardiac arrhythmia
- anticoagulant
- drug that prevents clotting of the blood; commonly used in the treatment of thrombophlebitis and myocardial infarction
- antihypertensive
- drug that lowers blood pressure
- aort/o
- aorta
- aorta
- large artery that is the main trunk of the arterial system branching from the left ventricle
- aortic valve
- heart valve between the left ventricle and the aorta
- aortogram
- x-ray image of the aorta
- arrhythmia / dysrhythmia
- any of several kinds of irregularity or loss of rhythm of the heartbeat
- arteri/o
- artery
- arteries
- vessels that carry blood from the heart to the arterioles
- arteriogram
- x-ray image of a particular artery (eg. coronary arteriogram or renal arteriogram)
- arterioles
- small vessels that receive blood from the arteries
- arteriosclerosis
- thickening, loss of elasticity, and calcification (hardening) of arterial walls
- ather/o
- fatty (lipid) paste
- atherectomy
- excision of atheromatous plaque from within an artery utilizing a device housed in a flexible catheter that selectively cuts away or pulverizes tissue buildup
- atheromatous plaque
- a swollen area within the lining of an artery caused by the buildup of fat (lipids)
- atherosclerosis
- a form of arteriosclerosis characterized by the buildup of fatty substances that harden within the walls of arteries
- atri/o
- atrium
- atrial septal defect (ASD)
- an opening in the septum separating the atria
- atrioventricular (AV) node
- neurological tissue in the center of the heart that receives and amplifies the conduction of impulses from the SA node to the bundle of His
- atrium
- upper right or left chamber of the heart
- auscultation
- physical examination method of listening to sounds within the body with a stethoscope (eg. auscultation of the chest for heart and lung sounds)
- bacterial endocarditis
- a bacterial inflammation that affects the endocardium or the heart valves
- beta-adrenergic blocking agents / beta-blockers
- agents that inhibit responses to sympathetic adrenergic nerve activity, causing a slowing of electrical conduction and heart rate and a lowering of the pressure within the walls of the vessels; used to treat angina pectoris and hypertension; the Greek sma
- bradycardia
- slow heart rate (less than 60 beats/minute)
- bundle of His
- neurological fibers extending from the AV node to the right and left bundle branches that fire the impulse from the AV node to the Purkinje fibers
- calcium-channel blockers
- agents that inhibit the entry of calcium ions into heart muscle cells, causing a slowing of the heart rate, a lessening of the demand for oxygen and nutrients and a relaxing of the smooth muscle cells of the blood vessels to cause dilation; used to preven
- capillaries
- tiny vessels that join arterioles and venules
- cardi/o
- heart
- cardiac catheterization
- introduction of a flexible, narrow tube through a vein or artery into the heart to withdraw samples of blood, to measure pressures within the heart chambers or vessels, and to inject contrast media for fluoroscopic radiography and cine film (motion pictur
- cardiac output (CO)
- measurement of the amount of blood ejected per minute from either ventricle of the heart
- cardiac tamponade
- compression of the heart produced by the accumulation of fluid in the pericardial sac, as results from pericarditis or trauma, causing rupture of a blood vessel within the heart
- cardiomyopathy
- a general term for disease of the heart muscle, such as alcoholic cardiomyopathy (damage to the heart muscle caused by excessive consumption of alcohol)
- cardiotonic
- drug that increases the force of myocardial contractions in the heart; commonly used to treat congestive heart failure (CHF)
- cardioversion
- restoration of a fast or irregular heart rate to a normal rhythm, either by pharmaceutical means or by delivery of electrical energy
- claudication
- to limp; pain in a limb (especially in the calf) while walking that subside after rest; caused by inadequate blood supply
- coarctation of the aorta
- narrowing of the descending portion of the aorta, resulting in a limited flow of blood to the lower part of the body
- computed tomographic angiography (CTA)
- specialized, noninvasive, 3-d computed tomographic scan of the heart and circulation of the "great" blood vessels, such as the cornary arteries, aorta and pulmonary veins; performed with or without contrast
- congenital anomaly of the heart
- malformations of the heart that are present at birth
- congestive heart failure (CHF) / left ventricular failure
- failure of the left ventricle to pump an adequate amount of blood to meet the demands of the body, resulting in a "bottleneck" of congestion in the lungs that may extend to the veins, causing edema in lower portions of the body
- constriction
- compression of a part that causes narrowing (stenosis)
- cor pulmonale / right ventricular failure
- enlargement of the right ventricle, resulting from chronic disease within the lungs, that causes congestion within the pulmonary circulation and resistance of blood flow to the lungs
- coron/o
- circle or crown
- coronary artery disease (CAD)
- a condition affecting arteries of the heart that reduces the flow of blood and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the myocardium; most often caused by atherosclerosis
- coronary circulation
- circulation of blood through the coronary blood vessels to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle tissue
- deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- formation of a clot in a deep vein of the body, occurring most often in the femoral and iliac veins
- defibrillation
- termination of ventricular fibrillation by delivering an electrical stimulus to the heart; most commonly, this is done by applying the electrodes of the defibrillator externally to the chest wall, but it can also be performed internally, such as during op
- defibrillator
- device that delivers the electrical stimulus in defibrillation
- depolarization
- change of a myocardial cell from a polarized (resting) state to a state of contraction
- diaphoresis
- profuse sweating (perspiration)
- diastole
- to expand; period during the cardiac cycle when glood enters the relaxed ventricles from the atria
- dissecting aneurysm
- a split or tear of the vessel wall
- diuretic
- drug that increases the secretion of urine; commonly prescribed in treating hypertension
- Doppler sonography
- ultrasound technique used to evaluate blood flow to determine the presence of a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or carotid insufficiency, or to determine flow through the heart, chambers, valves, and so on
- echocardiography
- recording of the sound waves through the heart to evaluate structure and motion
- ejection fraction
- measurement of the volume percentage of left ventricular contents ejected with each contraction
- electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
- an electrical picture of the heart represented by positive and negative deflections on a graph labeled with the letters P, Q, R, S, and T, which correspond to events of the cardiac cycle
- embolus
- a clot (eg. air, fat, or a foreign object) carried in the bloodstream that obstructs the flow of blood when it lodges
- endarterectomy
- surgical removal of the lining of an artery to clear a blockage caused by a clot or atherosclerotic plaque buildup
- endocardium
- membrane lining the cavities of the heart
- epicardium
- membrane forming the outer layer of the heart
- essential hypertension / primary hypertension
- high blood pressure attributed to no single cause; risks include smoking, obesity, increased salt intake, hypercholesterolemia, and hereditary factors
- fibrillation
- chaotic, irregular contractions of the heart, as in atrial or ventricular fibrillation
- fusiform aneurysm
- a spindle-shaped bulge
- gallop
- abnormal heart sounds that mimics the gait of a horse; related to abnormal ventricular contraction
- heart murmur
- an abnormal sound from the heart produced by defects in the chambers or valves
- heart valves
- structures within the heart that open and close with the heartbeat to regulate the one-way flow of blood
- hypertension (HTN)
- high blood pressure
- hypolipidemic
- drug that reduces serum fat and cholesterol
- hypotension
- low blood pressure
- implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
- an implanted, battery-operated device with rate-sensing leads; the device monitors cardiac impulses and initiates an electrical stimulus as needed to stop ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia
- infarct
- to stuff; a localized area of necrosis (condition of tissue death) caused by ischemia resulting from occlusion of a blood vessel
- interatrial septum
- partition between the right and left atria
- interventricular septum
- partition between the right and left ventricles
- intracardiac catheter ablation
- use of radiofrequency waves sent through a catheter within the heart to treat arrhythmias by selectively destroying myocardial tissue at sites that generate abnormal electrical pathways
- ischemia
- to hold back blood; decreased blood flow to tissue caused by constriction or occlusion of a blood vessel
- left heart catheterization
- x-ray imaging of the left ventricular cavity and coronary arteries
- magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)
- magnetic resonance imaging of the heart and blood vessels for evaluation of pathology
- mitral valve / bicuspid valve
- heart valve between the left atrium and the left ventricle
- mitral valve prolapse (MVP)
- protrusion of one or both cusps of the mitral valve back into the left atrium during ventricular contration, resulting in incomplete closure and backflow of blood
- my/o
- muscle
- myocardial infarction (MI)
- heart attack; death of myocardial tissue (infarction) caused by ischemia (loss of blood flow) as a result of an occlusion (plugging) of a coronary artery; usually caused by atherosclerosis; symptoms include pain in the chest or upper body (shoulders, neck
- myocardial radionuclide perfusion scan
- scan of the heart made after an intravenous injection of an isotope (eg. thallium) as it is absorbed by myocardial cells in proportion to blood flow throughout the heart; useful in evaluating coronary artery disease (CAD)
- myocarditis
- inflammation of myocardium; most often caused by viral or bacterial infection
- myocardium
- heart muscle
- normal sinus rhythm (NSR)
- regular rhythm of the heart cycle stimulated by the SA node (average rate of 60-100 beats/minute)
- normotension
- normal blood pressure
- occlusion
- plugging; an obstruction or a closing off
- pacemaker
- a device used to treat slow heart rates (bradycardia) by electrically stimulating the heart to contract; most often, it is implanted with lead wires and battery circuitry under the skin but it can also be placed on a temporary basis externally with lead w
- palpitation
- subjective experience of pounding, skipping or racing heartbeats
- parietal pericardium
- outer layer
- patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)
- an abnormal opening between the pulmonary artery and the aorta caused by failure of the fetal ductus arteriosus to close after birth
- pecter/o, steth/o
- chest
- percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
- interventional procedures used to treat coronary artery disease (CAD) performed at the time of cardiac catheterization in a specialized laboratory setting (cath lab) instead of the traditional operation room
- perfusion deficit
- lack of flow through a blood vessel caused by narrowing, occlusion, etc
- pericardial cavity
- fluid-filled cavity between the pericardial layers
- pericarditis
- inflammation of the pericardium
- pericardium
- protective sac enclosing the heart composed of two layers with fluid between
- phlebitis
- inflammation of a vein
- polarization
- resting; resting state of a myocardial cell
- premature ventricular contraction (PVC)
- a ventricular contraction preceding the normal impulse initiated by the SA node (pacemaker)
- pulmonary circulation
- circulation of blood from the pulmonary artery through the vessels in the lungs and back to the heart via the pulmonary vein, providing for the exchange of gases
- pulmonary semilunar valve
- heart valve opening from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery
- Purkinje fibers / Purkinje network
- fibers in the ventricles that transmit impulses to the right and left ventricles, causing them to contract
- radiology
- x-ray imaging
- repolarization
- recharging of the myocardial cell from a contracted state back to a resting state
- rheumatic heart disease
- damage to heart muscle and heart valves by rheumatic fever (a streptococcal infection)
- right heart catheterization
- measurement of oxygen saturation and pressure readings of the right side of the heart
- saccular aneurysm
- a sac-like bulge on one side
- secondary hypertension
- high blood pressure caused by the effects of another disease (eg. kidney disease)
- sinoatrial (SA) node
- the pacemaker; highly specialized, neurological tissue impeded in the wall of the right atrium; responsible for initiating electrical conduction of the heartbeat, causing the atria to contract and firing conduction of impulses to the AV node
- sonography
- sonographic image
- sphygm/o
- pulse
- stenosis
- condition of narrowing of a part
- stress echocardiogram
- echocardiogram of the heart recorded during the induction of controlled physical exercise (treadmill or bicycle) or a pharmaceutical agent that produces the effect of exercise stress in patients who are unable to ambulate; useful in detecting conditions s
- stress electrocariogram (stress ECG or EKG)
- electrocardiogram of the heart recorded during the induction of controlled physical exercise using a treadmill or ergometer (bicycle); useful in detecting heart conditions (eg. ischemia or infarction)
- stroke volume (SV)
- measurement of the amount of blood ejected from a ventricle in one contraction
- sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)
- the abrupt cesation of any cardiac output (CO), most commonly at the result of ventricular fibrillation; causes sudden death unless defibrillation is initiated imediately
- systemic circulation
- circulation of blood throughout the body via arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules, and veins to deliver oxygen and nutrients to body tissues
- systole
- to contract; period during the cardiac cycle when the heart is in contraction and blood is ejected through the aorta and the pulmonary artery
- tachycardia
- fast heart rate (greater than 100 beats/minute)
- thromb/o
- clot
- thrombolytic agents
- drugs used to dissolve thrombi (blood clots) (eg. streptokinase or plasminogen activator (TPA or tPA)); used in acute management of myocardial infarction (MI) and ischemic stroke; commonly called "clot busters"
- thrombophlebitis
- inflammation of a vein associated with a clot formation
- thrombus
- a stationary blood clot
- transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE)
- echocardiogram of the heart after placement of an ultrasonic transducer at the end of an endoscope inside the esophagus
- tricuspid valve
- valve between the right atrium and the right ventricle
- valve replacement
- surgery to replace a diseased heart valve with an artificial valve; there are two types of artificial valves: tissue valves, most commonly made from animal tissue (eg. porcine (pig) or bovine (cow)), and mechanical valves, made from synthetic material
- valves of the veins
- valves located at intervals within the lining of veins, especially in the legs, which constrict with muscle action to move the blood returning to the heart
- valvuloplasty
- surgical repair of a defective heart valve
- varic/o
- swollen, twisted vein
- varicose veins
- abnormally swollen, twisted veins with defective valves; most often seen in the legs
- vasoconstrictor
- drug that causes a narrowing of the blood vessels, thereby decreasing blood flow
- vasodilator
- drug that causes dilation of the blood vessels, therebyincreasing blood flow
- vegetation
- to grow; an abnormal growth of tissue around a valve, generally as a result of infection
- veins
- vessels that carry blood to the heart from the venules
- ven/o, phleb/o
- vein
- venogram
- x-ray image of a vein
- ventricle
- lower right left chamber of the heart
- ventricul/o
- ventricle (belly or pouch)
- ventricular septal defect (VSD)
- an opening in the septum separating the ventricles
- ventriculogram
- x-ray image of the ventricles
- venules
- small vessels that gather blood from the capillaries into the veins
- visceral pericardium
- layer closest to the heart