Cardiovascular + Blood Systems

Card/o, cardi/o

Heart

Blood vessels

Angi/o

Vas/o

Blood vessels

Arteri/o

Arteries

Capill/o

Capillaries

Phleb/o

Veins

Ven/o

Veins

Hem/o, hemat/o

Blood

Aort/o

Aorta

Ather/o

Plaque, fatty substance

Brady-

Slow

Within

End/o

Peri-

Surrounding

-sclerosis

Hardening

Tachy-

Fast, rapid

Thromb/o

Clot

ACE inhibitor

• Used to treat hypertension

• Blocks the action of the enzyme that causes the blood vessels to contract

Anemia

A disorder characterized by lower than normal levels of erythrocytes in the blood

Aneurysm

A localized weak spot or balloon-like enlargement of the wall of an artery

Angina

A condition characterized by severe episodes of chest pain due to inadequate blood flow to the myocardium

Angioplasty

A procedure that mechanically widens a narrow or obstructed blood vessel, sometimes placing a stent to keep the vessel open permanently

Anticoagulant

Blood thinner, stops blood clotting

Aortic stenosis

A buildup of calcium and fat deposits in the aortic valve

Arrhythmia

Abnormal heart rhythm

Atherectomy

The surgical removal of plaque buildup from the interior of an artery

Atherosclerosis

Hardening and narrowing of the arteries caused by a buildup of plaque

Atrial fibrillation

Occurs when the normal rhythmic contractions of the atria are replaced by irregular twitching of the heart muscular wall

Beta blocker

Reduces the workload of the heart by blocking the stress release of hormones, slowing heart rate

Bradycardia

An abnormally slow resting heart rate

Capillaries

• The smallest blood vessels in the body, only one epithelial cell in width

• Slow blood flow to allow plasma to flow into tissues

• Connect arteries to veins

• Site of oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange

Cardiac arrest

An event in which the heart abruptly stops beating or develops an arrhythmia that prevents it from pumping blood effectively

Cardiac catheterization

A diagnostic and treatment procedure in which a catheter is passed through a vein or artery and guided to the heart

Cardiomyopathy

General term for all diseases of the heart muscle

Carotid endarterectomy

Surgical removal of the lining of a portion of a clogged carotid artery

Cholesterol

A fatty substance that travels through the blood and is found in all parts of the body

Chronic venous insufficiency

A condition in which venous circulation is inadequate due to partial vein blockage or leaky venous valves

Coronary artery disease

Atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries that reduces blood supply to the heart muscle

Coronary thrombosis

Damage to the heart muscle caused by a thrombus blocking a coronary artery

Defibrillation

Use of an electric shock to restore normal heart rhythm

Diastole

The period of relaxation as the heart chambers refill with blood

Diuretic

An antihypertensive medication administered to increase urine output to rid the body of excess sodium and water

Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG)

A record of the electrical activity of the myocardium

Electrophysiologist

A physician specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of heart arrhythmias

Embolism

The sudden blockage of a blood vessel by an embolus

Embolus

A foreign object, such as a blood clot or a bit of tissue/tumor, that is circulating in the blood

Endocarditis

Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart

Erythrocytes

Mature red blood cells

Heart murmur

An abnormal blowing or clicking sound when listening to the heart or major neighboring blood vessel

Hemoglobin

• Oxygen-carrying blood protein

• Pigment of erythrocytes

Hypertension

Elevation of arterial blood pressure that can be damaging to the cardiovascular system

Hypoperfusion

A deficiency of blood passing through an organ

Ischemia

A condition in which there is insufficient supply of oxygen due to restricted blood flow to an organ

Long QT syndrome

An inherited or medically acquired heart rhythm disorder that can cause fast, dangerous arrhythmias

Mitral valve prolapse

The abnormal profusion of a mitral valve that results in the inability of the valve to close completely

Myocardial infarction

The occlusion of one or more coronary arteries due to plaque buildup, leading to heart tissue damage

Orthostatic hypotension

Low blood pressure that occurs upon standing up and remains lower than normal as long as the patient remains standing

Pericardium

The double-walled membranous sac that surrounds the heart

Phlebitis

Inflammation of a vein

Raynaud’s disease

A peripheral arterial occlusive disease in which intermittent attacks are caused by cold temperatures or stress

Sinoatrial node

• Located in the posterior wall of the right atrium near the entrance of the superior vena cava

• Establishes the basic rhythm and rate of heart beat (natural pacemaker!)

Systole

The period of contraction that the ventricles undergo while pumping blood into the aorta and the pulmonary artery

Tachycardia

Abnormally fast resting heart rate

Temporal arteritis

Caused by the inflammation of the temporal arteries supplying blood to the head and brain

Thallium stress test

Nuclear imaging test performed by injecting a small amount of thallium into the bloodstream to evaluate how well the blood flows through the coronary arteries during exercise

Thrombolytic

Drug that causes a blood clot to dissolve

Thrombotic occlusion

Blockage of an artery by a thrombus

Thrombus

A blood clot attached to the interior wall of a vein or artery

Varicose veins

Abnormally swollen veins that usually occur in the superficial veins of the legs

Venous thromboembolism

A blood clot that originates in a vein

Ventricular fibrillation

Rapid, irregular, useless contraction of the ventricles

Ventricular tachycardia

Very rapid heartbeat that begins with the ventricles

Parietal pericardium

Outer wall of the pericardium

Pericardial fluid

Fluid found between the two layers of the pericardium

Visceral pericardium (epipericardium)

The inner layer of the pericardium that forms the outer layer of the heart

Myocardium

• Middle and thickest of the heart’s three layers

• Consists of specialized cardiac muscle tissue that is capable of the constant contraction and relaxation that is responsible for maintaining blood flow throughout the body

Endocardium

Inner layer of the heart that comes into direct contact with the blood as it is being pumped through the heart

Coronary arteries

• The arteries that encircle the heart

• Carry oxygen-rich blood to the myocardium

Atria

• The two upper chambers of the heart separated by a septum

• The receiving chambers of the heart

Ventricles

• The two lower chambers of the heart separated by the a septum

• Pump oxygenated blood to the rest of the body

Tricuspid valve

Controls the opening between the right atrium and right ventricle

Pulmonary valve

Controls the opening between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery

Mitral (bicuspid) valve

Controls the opening between the left atrium and left ventricle

Aortic valve

Controls the opening between the left ventricle and the aorta

Flow of blood through the heart

• Deoxygenated blood flows into right atrium from superior and inferior vena cava

• Right ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood through pulmonary artery into the lungs

• Left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the pulmonary veins

• Left ventricle pumps oxygen-rich blood from left atrium through aorta to the rest of the body

Pulmonary circulation

Blood circulation between the heart and lungs only

Systemic circulation

Blood flow to all body parts except the lungs

Flow of electrical impulses

• Sinoatrial (SA) node

• Atrioventricular (AV) node

• Bundle of His

• Ventricle contracts

Purkinje fibers

Conductive fibers located within the walls of the ventricles that stimulate ventricular contraction when an electrical impulse is received

Sinus rhythm

Normal heart rhythm

P wave

Due to contraction of atria

QRS complex

• Shows the stimulation of the ventricles as the atria relax

• Shaped like an inverted V on an EKG

T wave

Shows relaxation of ventricles

Arteries

Carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to the rest of the body

Carotid arteries

Carry blood upward toward the head

Arterioles

Smaller branches of arteries that supply blood to the capillaries

Veins

Return oxygen-poor blood to the heart

Venae cavae

The two largest veins in the body

Superior vena cava

Returns oxygen-poor blood from the upper portion of the body to the heart

Inferior vena cava

Returns oxygen-poor blood from the lower portion of the body to the heart

Pulse

Rhythmic pressure against the walls of an artery caused by the contraction of the heart