Medical Term Module 8

Angioplasty

Surgical procedure that opens a blocked artery by inflating a balloon inside s catheter to widen and restore blood flow in the artery

Artery

Blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart

Capillary

Microscopic blood vessel that joins arterioles and venules

Vein

Blood vessel that returns deoxygenated blood to the heart

Aneurysm

Abnormal widening of a portion of an artery as a result of weakness in its wall

Angina Pectoris

Mild to severe pain or pressure in the chest caused by ischemia; also called angina

Arrhythmia

Irregularity or loss of rhythm of the heart beat; also referred to as dysrhythmia

Fibrillation

Arrhythmia where there is rapid, uncoordinated, quivering of the myocardium that can affect the atria or ventricles

Arteriosclerosis

Thickening, hardening and loss of elasticity of the arterial wall

Bruit

Soft blowing sound heard on auscultation caused by turbulent blood

Embolus

Blood clot, fatty plaque , or air bubble that travels through the bloodstream and becomes lodged in a blood vessel

Heart Failure

Condition that occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs

Hypertension

Consistently elevated blood pressure, causing damage to the blood vessels and the heart

Ischemia

Inadequate supply of oxygenated blood to a body part as a result of interruption of the blood flow

MVP (Mitral Valve Prolapse)

Structural abnormality in which the mitral valve incompletely closes, resulting in backflow of blood into the left atrium with each contraction

Murmur

Abnormal sound heard on auscultation caused by defects in the valves or chambers of the heart

Myocardial Infarction (MI)

Necrosis of a portion of cardiac muscle caused by partial or complete occlusion of one or more coronary arteries; heart attack

Thrombus

A stationary blood clot formed in a blood vessel or within the heart

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

Formation of a blood clot in the deep veins of the body, usually the lower legs

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

Blood supply to part of the brain is briefly interrupted but does not cause permanent brain damage, but can be warning of a future stroke; ministroke

Cardiologist

Specialist that treats heart condition and diseases

Atheroma

Tumor of fatty plaque

Atherosclerosis

Hardening of fatty plaque

Phlebitis

Inflammation of a vein

Phlebothrombosis

Abnormal condition of a blood clot in the vein

Venous

Pertaining to a vein

Venospasm

spasm of a vein

Electrocardiograph

instrument for recording the electrical activity of the heart

Cardiomegaly

enlargement of the heart

Angiopathy

disease of the blood vessels

Angioma

tumor of a vessel

Arteriosternosis

narrowing of an artery

Aortostenosis

Narrowing of the aorta

Tachycardia

rapid heart rate

Bradycardia

Slow heart rate

Atherosclerosis

Most common form of arteriosclerosis caused by accumulation of fatty substances within the arterial walls, resulting in partial, and eventually total blockage

Heart block

Disease of the electrical system of the heart, which controls activity of the heart muscle. Described as first, second, or third degree

First-degree heart block

Atrioventricular block in which atrial electrical impulses are delayed by a fraction of a second before being conducted to the ventricles

Second-degree heart block

AV block in which only some atrial electrical impulses are conducted to the ventricles

Third-degree heart block

AV block in which none of the electrical impulses reach the ventricles; complete heart block

Cardiac Catheterization

Insertion of a small catheter through an incision into a large vein which is threaded through a vessel until it reaches the heart

Cardiac Enzyme Study

Labs to determine presence of cadiac damage

Doppler Ultrasonography

Use of ultrasound to record blood flow velocity to image major blood vessels to detect obstructions caused by atherosclerotic plaques in patients at risk of a stroke

Echocardiography

Ultrasound technique to image the heart and to evaluate how the chambers and valves are working or to detect and diagnose pathological condition

Electrocardiography

Creation and study of graphic recording produced by electrical activity generated by the heart muscle; cardiography

Holter monitor

Monitoring device worn by a patient that records prolonged electrocardiograph readings on a portable tape recorder while the patient conducts normal daily activity

Stress test

ECG taken under controlled exercise stress conditions (like using a treadmill) while measuring oxygen consumption

Cardioversion

Restoration of normal heart rhythm by applying an electrical countershock to the chest using a defibrillator, defibrillation

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)

Bypass surgery where peripheral veins are removed, and each end of the vein is sutured onto the coronary artery to create new routes around narrowed and blocked arteries, allowing suficient blood flow to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle

Automatic Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator

Surgically implanted electrical device that continuously monitors and corrects potentially fatal arrhythmias by delivering low-energy shocks to the heart; ICD

Automatic External Defibrillator (AED)

Portable computerized device that analyzes the patient's heart rhythm and delivers an electrical shock to stimulate the heart in cardiac arrest

Endarterectomy

Surgical removal of the lining of an artery

Carotid Endarterectomy

Removal of plaque and thromboses from an occluded carotid artery to reduce the risk of stroke

Endovenous Laser Therapy

Treatment of large varicose veins in the legs in which a laser fiber is inserted directly into the affected vein to heat the lining within the vein, causing it to collapse, shrink, and eventually disappear

Sclerotherapy

Chemical injection into a varicose vein that causes inflammation and formation of fibrous tissue, which closes the vein

Valvuloplasty

Insertion of a balloon catheter in a blood vessel in the groin through the aorta and into the heart to widen a stenotic heart valve and increase blood flow; percutaneous valvuloplasty

Anticoagulant

Medication that prevents clotting or coagulation of blood

Beat Blocker

Medication that slows the heart rate and reduces the force with which the heart muscle contracts, lowering blood pressure

Nitrate

Medication given to relieve pain associated with angina and ease symptoms of heart failure

Statin

Medication given to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and block production of an enzyme in the liver that produces cholesterol

Thrombolytic

Medication given to dissolve blood clots

Rheumatic heart disease

A streptococcal infection that causes damage to the heart valves and heart muscle

Reynaud disease

Numbness in the fingers or toes caused by intermittent constriction of arterioles in the skin

Metabolism

Sum of all physical and chemical changes that take place within an organism

Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)

Failure of the ductus arteriosus (which connects the pulmonary artery to the aortic arch in a fetus) to close after birth, resulting in an abnormal opening between the pulmonary artery and the aorta

Nuclear Stress Test

ECG that uses a radioisotope to evaluate coronary blood flow

Troponin I

Blood test that measures protein released into the blood by damaged heart muscle (not skeletal muscle) and is highly sensitive, specific indicator or recent myocardial infarction (MI)