HOSA Cardiology Terms

Flutter

very rapid but regular contractions, as in the atria or ventricles.

Intermittent claudication

pain in a muscle during exercise by inadequate blood supply. The pain disappears with rest.

Mitral valve prolapse

movement of cusps of mitral valve into the left atrium when the ventricles contract.

Occlusive vascular disease

arteriosclerotic disease of the vessels

Polyarteritis nodosa

Potentially fatal collagen disease causing inflammation of small visceral arteries. Symptoms depend on the organ affected.

Raynaud disease

A disorder characterized by abnormal constriction of peripheral vessels in the arms and legs on exposure to cold.

Regurgitation

A backward flow, such as the backflow of blood through a defective valve

Stasis

Stoppage of normal blood normal flow, as of blood or urine. Blood stasis may lead to dermatitis and ulcer formation.

Subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE)

Growth of bacteria in a heart or valves previously damaged by rheumatic fever.

Tetralogy of Fallot

A combination of four congenital heart abnormalities

Thrombangiitis obliterans

Inflammation and thrombus formation resulting in occlusion of small vessels, especially in the legs. Most common in young men and correlated with heavy smoking. Thrombotic occlusion of leg vessels in young men leading to gangrene of the feet. Patients show a hypersensitivity to tobacco. Also called Buerger disease.

Vegetation

Irregular outgrowths of bacteria on the heart valves; associated with rheumatic fever.

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

A cardiac arrhythmia consisting of tachycardia and a premature ventricular beat caused by an alternate conduction pathway.

Central venous pressure (CVP)

pressure in the superior vena cava.

Cineangiography

The photographic recording of fluoroscopic images of the heart and large vessels using motion picture techniques.

Doppler echocardiography

An imaging method used to study the rate and pattern of blood flow.

Enzyme studies

Measurement of serum levels of enzymes that are released in increased amounts from damaged heart tissue.

Heart scan

Imaging of the heart after injection of a radioactive isotope. The PYP (pyrophosphate) scan using technetium-99m (99mTc) is used to test for myocardial infarction because the isotope is taken up by damaged tissue.

Holter monitor

A portable device that can record up to 24 hours of an individual’s ECG readings during normal activity.

Homocysteine

An amino acid that at higher-than-normal levels in the blood is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Phonocardiography

Electronic recording of heart sounds.

Plethysmography

Measurement of changes in the size of a part based on the amount of blood contained in or passing through it.

Pulmonary wedge pressure (PWP)

Pressure measured by a catheter in a branch of the pulmonary artery. It is an indirect measure of pressure in the left atrium.

Stress test

Evaluation of physical fitness by continuous ECG monitoring during exercise. In a thallium stress test, a radioactive isotope of thallium is administered to trace blood flow through the heart during exercise.

Swan-Ganz catheter

A cardiac catheter with a balloon at the tip that is used to measure pulmonary arterial pressure. It is flow-guided through a vein into the right side of the heart and then into the pulmonary artery.

Transesophageal echocardiography

Use of an ultrasound transducer placed endoscopically into the esophagus to obtain images of the heart.

Triglycerides

simple fats that circulate the bloodstream.

Ventriculography

X-ray study of the heart after introduction of an opaque dye by means of a catheter.

Commissurotomy

Surgical incision of a scarred mitral valve to increase the size of the valve opening.

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator

A battery-powered device that can shock the heart during fibrillation to restore a normal rhythm. The ICD is implanted under the collarbone. A lead wire is threaded through the pulmonary artery into the right ventricle (Fig. 9-17).

Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP)

A mechanical-assist device that consists of an inflatable balloon pump inserted through the femoral artery into the thoracic aorta. It inflates during diastole to improve coronary circulation and deflates before systole to allow blood ejection from the heart.

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD)

A pump that takes over the function of the left ventricle in delivering blood into the systemic circuit. These devices are used to assist patients awaiting heart transplantation or those who are recovering from heart failure.

Stent

A small metal device in the shape of a coil or slotted tube that is placed inside an artery to keep the vessel open after balloon angioplasty.