Language of Medicine: Cardiovascular (Chapter 11)

ACE Inhibitor

Drug that lowers blood pressure (antihypertensive)

Acute coronary syndromes

Consequences of plaque rupture in coronary arteries; unstable angina and myocardial infarction (heart attack)

Aneursym

Weakening of an arterial wall, which may lead to hemorrhage and cerebrovascular accident (stroke)

Angina

Chest pain associated with myocardial ischemia

Angiogram

X-ray record of a blood vessel

Angiography

X-ray imaging of blood vessels after injection of contrast material

Angioplasty

Surgical repair of a blood vessel

Anoxia

Without oxygen

Aorta

Largest artery in the body

Aortic stenosis

Narrowing of the aorta

Apex of the heart

Uppermost portion of the lung

Arrhythmia

Without rhythm; an irregular beat of the heart

Arterial anastomosis

Surgical connection between two arteries

Arteriography

X-ray recording of arteries; contrast is injected

Arteriole

Small artery

Arteriosclerosis

Hardening of an artery with collection of fatty plaque

Artery

Largest type of blood vessel

Atherectomy

Removal of plaque (lipids and clots) that accumulate in the lining of an artery

Atheroma

Mass of fatty plaque that collects in an artery

Atherosclerosis

Form of arteriosclerosis in which fatty plaque deposits in the interior lining of an artery

Arterial

Pertaining to an atrium (upper chamber of the heart)

Atrial fibrillation

Electrical impulses move randomly throughout the atria, causing the atria to quiver instead of contracting with a normal rhythm

Atrioventricular block

Failure of conduction of impulses from the AV node to the atrioventricular bundle and ventricles of the heart

Atrioventricular bundle

Specialized muscle fibers connecting the atria with the ventricles and transmitting impulses between them; bundle of His

Atrioventricular node

Specialized tissue in the wall between the atria. Electrical impulses pass from the sino-atrial node through the atrioventricular node and atrioventricular bundle toward the ventricles

Atrium

Upper chamber of the heart

Auscultation

Listening for sounds in the chest and abdomen using a stethoscope

Beta blocker

Drug used to treat high blood pressure and control heart rate

Brachial artery

Artery that carries blood to the arm

Bradycardia

Slow heartbeat

Bruit

An abnormal blowing or swishing sound heard on auscultation of an artery or an organ

Bundle of His

Atrioventricular bundle

Calcium channel locker

Drug used to treat chest pain (angina) and high blood pressure (hypertension)

Capillary

Smallest blood vessel

Carbon dioxide

Gas produced in tissue cells when oxygen and food combine

Cardiac arrest

Sudden, unexpected stoppage of the heart; sudden cardiac death

Cardiac biomakers

Chemicals are measured in the blood as evidence of a heart attack

Cardiac catheterization

Thin, flexible tube is guided into the heart via a vein or an artery and after contrast material is introduced, blood pressure is measured, and x-rays taken to image patterns of blood flow

Cardiac MRI

Images of the heart are produced with magnetic waves

Cardiac tamponade

Pressure on the heart caused by fluid in the pericardial space

Cardiogenic shock

Circulatory failure due to poor heart function

Cardiomegaly

Enlargement of the heart

Cardiomyopathy

Disease of heart muscle

Cardioversion

Treatment for serious arrhythmias using brief discharges of electricity to shock the heart so that a normal rhythm can begin; defibrillation

Claudication

Pain, tension, and weakness in a leg after walking has begun, but absence of pain at rest

Coarctation of the aorta

Congenital anomaly in which a portion of the aorta near the heart is narrowed or stenosed

Computerized tomography angiography

X-ray images are combined with computerized tomography to produce a 3D picture of the heart and blood vessels

Congenital heart disease

Structural heart defects that appear at birth

Congestive heart failure

Heart is unable to pump its required amount of blood

Coronary arteries

Branches of the aorta bringing oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle

Coronary artery bypass grafting

Arteries or veins are grafted onto coronary arteries to bypass blocked arteries and bring need blood supply to the myocardium

Coronary artery disease

Arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle become clogged and blocked with deposits of fatty material and cholesterol (plaque)

Cyanosis

Abnormal condition of bluish coloration of the skin

Deep-vein thrombosis

Blood clots form in a large vein, usually in the leg

Defibrillation

Brief discharges of electricity are applied across the chest to stop dysrhythmias

Deoxygenated blood

Blood that is oxygen poor

Diastole

Relaxation phase of the heartbeat

Digital subtraction angiography

Video equipment, computer and x-ray machine produce images of blood vessels before and after injecting contrast material

Digoxin

Drug that increases the strength and regularity of the heartbeat

Doppler ultrasound

Method of focusing sound waves on blood vessels to measure blood flow

Echocardiography

Sound waves are used to image the structure of the heart

Electrocardiogram

Record of the electricity within the heart

Electrocardiography

Process of recording the electricity flowing through the heart

Electron beam computed tomography

Electron beams and CT identify calcium deposits in and around coronary arteries to diagnose early coronary artery disease

Embolus

Blood clot that is carried by the bloodstream from one area of the body to another where it blocks a blood vessel

Endarterectomy

Surgical removal of plaque from the inner layer of an artery

Endocarditis

Inflammation of the endocardium (inner lining of the heart)

Endocardium

Inner lining of the heart

Endothelium

Innermost lining of blood vessels

Extracorporeal circulation

Use of a heart-lung machine to divert blood from the heart and lungs during open heart surgery

Fibrillation

Random, rapid, inefficient and irregular contractions of the atria or ventricles

Flutter

Rapid, but regular contractions of the heart, usually of the atria

Heart transplantation

Donor heart is transferred to a recipient

Hemorrhoids

Swollen, twisted veins in the rectal and anal region

Holter monitoring

Compact version of an electrocardiograph is worn during a 24 hour period to detect cardiac arrhythmias

Hypercholesterolemia

High levels of cholesterol in the blood

Hypertension

High blood pressure

Hypoxia

Deficiency of oxygen in tissues

Inplantable cardioverter defibrillator

Small electric device implanted inside the chest to sense arrhythmias and terminate them to restore normal sinus rhythm

Infarction

Area of dead tissue

Interventricular septum

Wall between the ventricles of the heart

Ischial

Pertaining to the ischium (posterior portion of the hip bone)

Left ventricular assist device

Boost pump implanted in the abdomen with a tube inserted into the left ventricle. Therapy when heart transplant is impossible

Lipid tests

Measurement of cholesterol and triglycerides in a sample of blood

Lipoprotein electrophoresis

Lipoproteins are physically separated in a blood sample. Examples are HDL and LDL

Mitral stenosis

Narrowing of the mitral valve

Mitral valve

Valve between the left atrium and left ventricle; bicuspid valve

Mitral valve prolapse

Abnormal closure of the mitral valve so that blood refluxes backward into the left atrium during ventricular contraction

Mitral valvulitis

Inflammation of the mitral valve

Murmur

Extra sound heard between normal beats during auscultation of the heart

Myocardial infarction

Area of dead tissue in the heart muscle; heart attack

Myocardium

Muscular layer of the heart

Myxoma

Rare neoplasm of connective tissue found in the heart muscle

Nitroglycerin

Drug used in the treatment of angina. It dilates coronary arteries so that more blood flows to heart muscle

Normal sinus rhythm

Heart rhythm originating in the sinoatrial node

Occlusion

Blockage or obstruction

Oxygen

Gas inhaled and entering the bloodstream through the lungs

Pacemaker

Specialized nervous tissue in the wall of the right atrium; it begins the heartbeat; sinoatrial node

Palpitations

Uncomfortable sensations in the chest related to cardiac arrhythmias, such as skipped beats

Patent ductus arteriosus

The ductus arteriosus, a small duct that is open during fetal circulation, fails to close at birth