Cardiovascular System Disorders Practice Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering anatomy, pathophysiology of angina and MI, heart failure mechanisms, inflammatory heart diseases, and hypertension based on the cardiovascular system disorders lecture.

Mitral valve

Also called the bicuspid or left AV valve, located between the left atrium and left ventricle.

Papillary muscle

Muscles in the ventricles that contract to prevent valve prolapse via the chordae tendineae.

Pericardium

The multi-layered sac that surrounds and protects the heart.

Angina pectoris

A condition where the heart muscle's oxygen demand is greater than the oxygen supply, causing temporary myocardial ischemia.

PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention)

A procedure where a balloon catheter is inflated to open a narrowed coronary artery, usually followed by stent placement.

CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting)

A surgery using a healthy blood vessel to create a new route around a blocked coronary artery.

Myocardial Infarction (MI)

Permanent heart-muscle death occurring when a clot blocks blood supply and causes prolonged ischemia.

Anaerobic metabolism

A process myocardial cells switch to during ischemia, producing less ATP and resulting in lactic acid buildup.

T-wave inversion

An ECG change that suggests the presence of myocardial ischemia.

ST-segment elevation

An ECG finding that suggests acute myocardial injury or STEMI.

Pathological Q waves

ECG changes indicating that myocardial tissue has become necrotic.

Troponin

A protein released into the blood when cardiac cells are damaged; levels rise in MI but not in uncomplicated stable angina.

Sinoatrial node (SA node)

The heart's normal pacemaker located in the upper right atrium.

Purkinje fibers

Conduction fibers spread throughout the bottom and walls of both ventricles.

Frank-Starling mechanism

A compensatory process where increased ventricular muscle stretch produces a stronger contraction to eject more blood.

Left-sided heart failure backup effects

Blood backs up into the lungs, leading to pulmonary congestion, edema, and manifestations like crackles and pink frothy sputum.

Right-sided heart failure backup effects

Blood backs up into systemic veins and body tissues, resulting in JVD, peripheral edema, and ascites.

Orthopnea

Difficulty breathing when lying flat due to fluid from the legs returning to the chest and increasing pulmonary congestion.

Splenomegaly

Enlargement of the spleen caused by systemic venous congestion in right-sided heart failure.

Nocturia

Increased nighttime urine production occurring when fluid from legend edema returns to circulation upon lying down, improving kidney perfusion.

Polycythemia

The production of extra red blood cells stimulated by erythropoietin in response to chronic low oxygen levels.

Rheumatic fever

An immune-mediated inflammatory disease following a group A streptococcal throat infection where antibodies mistakenly attack heart tissues.

Pancarditis

Inflammation involving all layers of the heart: the endocardium, myocardium, and pericardium.

Infective endocarditis

An infection where microorganisms attach to damaged valve surfaces and form infected vegetations.

Septic emboli

Pieces of infected vegetations that break off a heart valve and travel through the bloodstream to other tissues.

Essential hypertension

High blood pressure with no single identifiable cause, also known as primary hypertension.

Malignant hypertension

A rapidly progressive hypertensive emergency, often above $180/120\,mm\,Hg$, featuring acute target-organ injury.

Afterload

The resistance the left ventricle must pump against, which increases in chronic hypertension.

Varicose veins

Enlarged, twisted veins caused by weak or damaged venous valves and increased pressure.

Capillary fluid shift

A compensatory mechanism where fluid moves from interstitial spaces into blood vessels to support circulating volume as blood pressure decreases.