Cardiology

Cardiology

Medical specialty that studies anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system

Cardi/o-

Heart

-logy

Study of

Organs of the Cardiovascular system

heart and blood vessels

What are the three types of blood vessels?

Arteries, capillaries, and veins

Function of cardiovascular system

To transport blood and the oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and wastes within it to every part of the body

Location of heart

Thoracic cavity, behind the sternum and between the lungs

What do the mounds on the external surface of the heart reflect?

Locations of the heart's internal chambers

What do the grooves in the external surface of the heart contain?

Fat, blood vessels, and nerves

How many chambers/valves does the heart have?

4

What are the small upper chambers of the heart called?

Atrium

What are the large lower chambers of the heart called?

Ventricle

Septum

Central wall that divides the heart into right and left sides

Endocardium

Innermost layer that lines the heart's chambers and valves

Myocardium

muscular, middle layer of the heart, visceral pericardium

Epicardium

outermost layer of the heart

What do the valves of the heart do?

Control blood blow through the heart

Tricuspid valve

3 cusps, lies between the right atrium (RA) and right ventricle (RV)

Pulmonary (semilunar) valve

3 cusps, lies beaten right ventricle (RV) and pulmonary arteries

Bicuspid (mitral) valve

2 cusps, lies between left atrium (LA) and left ventricle (LV)

Aortic (semilunar) valve

3 cusps, lies between left ventricle (LV) and aorta

pulmonary circulation

flow of blood through the vessels going to,within, and coming from the lungs

systemic circulation

flow of blood through vessels everywhere in the body except in the lungs

What happens each time the heart beats?

Blood is pumped from the right ventricle through pulmonary circulation, and from the left ventricle through system circulation

acute coronary syndrome

a condition that occurs if the flow of oxygenated blood through a coronary artery is limited by a clot or atherosclerosis

What results from acute coronary syndrome?

Ischemia to heart muscle

Ischemia

Block of blood flow to heart

Angina pectoris

Chest pain caused by ischemia

Symptoms of angina pectoris

Extreme swearing, sense of dread, crushing, squeezing, or pressure-like pain in chest that may extend to jaw, teeth, neck, back, or left arm

What is angina pectoris a warning sign of?

Heart attack

Angin/o-

Strangling

Pector/o-

Chest

Cardiomegaly

Enlargement of the heart, usually due to congestive heart failure (CHF)

-megaly

Enlargement

Cardiomyopathy

Condition of the heart muscle that includes cardiomegaly and heart failure

My/o -

Muscle

-pathy

Disease

Congestive heart failure (CHF)

Inability of the heart to pump sufficient amounts of blood due to cardiac hypertrophy and loss of contractile ability

Endocarditis

Infection and inflammation of the endocardium that lines a heart valve

In whom does endocarditis most often occur?

Patients who have a structural defect of the valve

End/o-

Innermost, within

What causes congestive heart failure?

Coronary artery disease (CAD) or hypertension (HTN)

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP)

Structural abnormality in which the leaflets of the mitral valve do not close tightly, resulting congenitally or due to infection

Murmur

An abnormal heart sound that is heard as blood leaks through the defective valve

Pericarditis

Infection or inflammation of the pericardial sac that results in an increase in the amount of pericardial fluid

What does the increased pericardial fluid due to pericarditis cause?

Increased pressure that may compress the heart and prevent it from pumping

Peri-

Around

Myocardial infarction (MI)

Death of tissue in the myocardium due to severe lack of oxygen, also known as a heart attack

When does myocardial infarction occur?

When blood flow in a coronary artery is blocked by a clot or atherosclerosis

Possible symptoms of myocardial infarction

Angina, indigestion-like symptoms, or none at all

What happens if the area of dead tissue in the heart is small

The heart keeps contracting and causes scar tissue to develop

What happens if the area of dead tissue in the heart is large?

The heart may not be able to contract and death will result

Arteries

carry blood away from the heart

Capillaries

connect smallest arteries to smallest veins

Veins

carry blood back to the heart

Aneurysm

An area of dilation and weakness in the wall of an artery

How does an aneurysm escalate?

Multiple weakened area balloon together with each heartbeat and may cause a rupture without warning

Hypotension

Decreased blood pressure (BP) of 90/60 mm/Hg caused by loss of blood volume

hypo-

below, deficient

orth/o-

straight

stat/o-

standing still, standing in one place

Arteriosclerosis

Progressive degenerative disease that produces narrowed, hardened artery walls as the arteries become more inflexible with age

Orthostatic hypotension

Sudden, temporary decrease in systolic BP upon standing (dizziness)

Arteri/o-

artery

Scler/o-

hardening

Coronary artery disease (CAD)

Arteriosclerosis that occurs in the coronary arteries that can cause angina pectoris

peripheral artery disease

arteriosclerosis in the legs, which can cause intermittent calf pain and cyanosis of the toes and feet

Claudication

intermittent calf pain

atherosclerosis

a specific type of arteriosclerosis that begins with a smaller tear in the arterial endothelium and leads to fatty deposits in the walls of arteries that can restrict blood flow

Atheromatous plaque

cholesterol builds up in tear in arterial endothelium

What does the formation of an atheromatous plaque do to the arterial lumen?

Narrows the arterial lumen and may eventually block blood flow

ather/o-

soft, fatty substance

hyperlipidemia

presence of elevated fat levels in the blood

-emia

condition related to blood

hypercholesterolemia

high cholesterol levels in the blood

hypertriglyceridemia

high triglyceride levels in the blood

hypertension (HTN)

multiple blood pressure (BP) readings indicating elevated blood pressure of > 120/80 mm/Hg

phlebitis

infection or inflammation of a vein that causes pain and possible red streak on skin over the vein

thrombophlebitis

infection or inflammation of a vein involving the presence of a clot

thromb/o-

blood clot

phleb/o-

vein

Raynaud disease

sudden, severe vasoconstriction of arterioles in the fingers and toes, causing them to turn white or cyanotic

varicose veins

condition in which damaged valves in a vein allow the backflow of blood

What causes varicose veins to become distended and twisted?

The backflow of blood due to damaged valves in a vein

symptoms of varicose veins

pain and heaviness in the legs

what can cause varicose veins?

phlebitis, injury, long periods of sitting or standing, pregnancy

varic/o-

enlarged, tortuous vein

systole

period when the heart contracts

diastole

resting period between contractions

normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

SA node controls heart rate, rests at 80bpm

conduction system

initiation and transmission of electrical impulses throughout the heart

SA node

pacemaker of the heart that initiates an electrical impulse that travels through the heart to causing the atria and then the ventricles to contract

What is the pathway of the electrical impulse sent throughout the heart by the SA node?

AV node, bundle of His, right and left bundle branches, Purkinje fibers, atria, ventricles

electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG)

record of the electrical activity of the heart

What do the waves seen in an ECG illustrate

depolarization and repolarization of heart muscle

Depolarization

excitation of heart muscle

repolarization

resting of heart muscle

P wave

atrial depolarization

QRS complex

ventricular depolarization

T wave

ventricular repolarization