Anatomy and Pathology of the Heart and Blood Vessels

Apical

Over the heart

Carotid

On the side of the neck

Dorsalis Pedis

On the top of the foot

Femoral

At the groin

Radial

At the wrist

Tibial

At the ankle

Diastole

Relaxation phase of the heartbeat

Systole

Contraction phase of the heartbeat

Diastole-systole cardiac cycle

Occurs between 70 to 80 times per minute (100,000 times per day)

Heart contraction

Pumps 3 ounces of blood with each contraction

Blood pumped per minute

About 5 quarts

Heart sounds

Closure of valves associated with sounds 'lubb-dubb, lubb-dubb'

lubb

Closure of the tricuspid and mitral valves at the beginning of systole

dubb

Closure of the aortic and pulmonary valves at the end of systole

murmur

An abnormal heart sound caused by improper valve closure

Sinoatrial node (SA node)

The pacemaker of the heart

Pacemaker

Origin of electrical impulse causing walls of the atria to contract

Atrioventricular node (AV node)

Sends the excitation wave to the atrioventricular bundle

Bundle of His

Helps form conduction myofibers that extend to ventricle walls

ECG or EKG

The record used to detect electrical changes in heart muscle

Blood pressure

The force that blood exerts on arterial walls

Sphygmomanometer

Device used to measure blood pressure

Blood pressure fraction

Expressed as systolic pressure/diastolic pressure

Angiogram

Record of a vessel

Angioplasty

Surgical repair of a vessel

Hemangioma

Mass of blood vessels

Aortic Stenosis

Narrowing of the aorta

Arteriosclerosis

Hardening of the structure of an artery

Endarterectomy

Removal of plaque from the inner layer of an artery

Atheroma

Collection of yellowish plaque

Atherosclerosis

Hardening of yellowish plaque

Bradycardia

Slow heart beat

Tachycardia

Fast heart beat

Hypercholesterolemia

Excessive cholesterol in the blood

Cyanosis

Condition of blue

Myxoma

Benign tumor made of mucus inside the heart

Hypoxia

Pertaining to low oxygen

Pallor

Pale

Pericarditis

Inflammation of the pericardium

Phlebitis

Inflammation of the vein

Phlebotomy

Incision into the vein

Thrombolytic

Drug used to dissolve clots

Valvuloplasty

Surgical repair of the valve

Vasoconstriction

Narrowing of the vessel

Venous

Pertaining to the vein

Pericardial effusion

Release of fluid or air into the heart

Patent

Open

Occlusion

Blockage

Auscultation

Listening for sounds in blood vessels or other body structures while using a stethoscope

Arrhythmias

Abnormal heart rhythms, also known as dysrhythmias

Congenital heart disease

Abnormalities in the heart at birth

Congestive Heart Failure

Heart is unable to pump its required amount of blood

Signs and Symptoms (S&S)

Pulmonary edema, shortness of breath, edema of the legs, feet and ankles

Diuretic

Creates urine

Cardiotonic

Tones/strengthens the heart

Vasodilator

Widens the vessels

Coronary artery disease (CAD)

Disease of the arteries surrounding the heart

Myocardial Infarction (MI)

Also known as a 'heart attack'; the area of dead tissue is known as an 'infarct'

AMI

Acute myocardial infarction

S&S of MI

Chest pain that radiates down the left arm and into the jaw, Dyspnea, Cyanosis, Pallor, N/V, SOB

Troponin

A heart muscle protein that is released into circulation after myocardial injury

Diagnostic Tests for MI

1. Blood Test, 2. Chest x-ray, 3. EKG 12 different Tracings, 4. Echocardiogram, 5. Cardiac Catheterization

Myocardial Infarction Treatments

1. Bedrest, 2. Cardiotonics (medication), 3. CABG- coronary artery bypass graft, 4. Telemetry- monitoring a patient's heart rhythm through electronic transmission of data, 5. Change in lifestyle

Myocardial Infarction Complications

Arrhythmias, Congestive Heart Failure, Aneurysm of weakened muscle

Endocarditis

Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP)

Improper closure of mitral valve; also called a click murmur syndrome and occurs more frequently in young women

Murmur

Extra heart sound, heard between normal beats

Bruit

Abnormal sound or murmur heard on auscultation

Aneurysm

Local widening of an arterial wall

Angina pectoris

Chest pain resulting from myocardial ischemia

Ischemia

The flow of blood is decreased or stopped entirely

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Blood clot forms in a large vein

Hypertension

High blood pressure

Peripheral arterial disease

Blockage of arteries carrying blood to the legs, arms, kidneys, and other organs

BNP test

Used to diagnose patients with CHF

Lipoprotein electrophoresis

Lipoproteins are physically separated and measured in a blood sample

Echocardiography (ECHO)

Echoes generated by high frequency sound waves produce images of the heart

Cardiac Catheterization

Thin flexible tube is guided into the heart via a vein or an artery; dye is injected into the coronary arteries

Holter Monitoring

An ECG device is worn during a 24-hour period to detect cardiac arrhythmias

Stress test

Exercise tolerance test determines the heart's response to physical exertion

Defibrillation

Brief discharges of electricity are applied across the chest to stop dysrhythmias

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery

A section of a vein is removed from the leg and anastomosed to a coronary artery to bypass an area of arteriosclerotic blockage

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)

Includes percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), stent placement, laser angioplasty, and atherectomy

AAA

Abdominal aortic aneurysm

ACS

Acute coronary syndrome

AF, a-fib

Atrial fibrillation

BBB

Bundle branch block

BP

Blood pressure

CHF

Congestive heart failure

DVT

Deep vein thrombosis

ECG; also EKG

Electrocardiography

HDL

High-density lipoprotein

HTN

Hypertension (high blood pressure)

LBBB

Left Bundle Branch Block

LDL

Low-density lipoprotein

MI

Myocardial infarction

NSR

Normal sinus rhythm

PCI

Percutaneous coronary intervention

PVC

Premature ventricular contraction

SOB

Shortness of breath