cardiovascular med term

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)

Aneurysm

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

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

Arteriosclerosis

Hardening of an artery with collection of fatty plaque

Artery

Largest type of blood vessel

Atherosclerosis

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

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

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 blocker

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

Capillary

Smallest blood vessel

Cardiac arrest

Sudden, unexpected stoppage of the heart; sudden cardiac death

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 tamponade

Pressure on the heart caused by fluid in the pericardial space

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

Coarctation of the aorta

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

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 CABG

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

Diastole

Relaxation phase of the heartbeat

Electrocardiogram

Record of the electricity within the heart

Electrocardiography

Process of recording the electricity flowing through the heart

Embolus

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

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

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

Ischemia

an inadequate blood supply to an organ or part of the body, especially the heart muscles.

Interventricular septum

Wall between the ventricles of the heart

Lipid tests

Measurement of cholesterol and triglycerides in a sample of blood

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

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

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

Percutaneous coronary intervention

A catheter with a balloon and stent is inserted into a coronary artery to remove collections of plaque. Drug-eluting stents release chemicals to keep debris and plaque from relocating

Pericardial friction rub

Scraping or grating noise heard on auscultation of the heart; suggestive of pericarditis

Pericardiocentesis

Surgical puncture to remove fluid within the pericardial space surrounding the heart

Pericarditis

Inflammation of the pericardium (outermost layer of the heart)

Pericardium

Double-layered membrane surrounding the heart

Petechiae

Small pinpoint hemorrhages under the skin

Phlebotomy

Incision of a vein for the removal of blood

Pulmonary artery

Blood vessel carrying oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle to the lungs

Pulmonary circulation

Flow of blood from the heart to the lungs and then back to the heart

Pulmonary valve

A valve located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery

Pulse

Beat of the heart as felt through the walls of the arteries

Rheumatic heart disease

Heart disease caused by rheumatic fever

Septal defects

Small holes, present at birth, in the walls between the heart chambers

Septum

Wall or partition. The interatrial septum lies between the atria of the heart and the interventricular septum is between the ventricles of the heart

Sinoatrial node

Sensitive nervous tissue in the wall of the right atrium, pacemaker

Sphygmomanometer

Instrument to measure blood pressure

Statins

Drugs given to lower cholesterol in the bloodstream

Stethoscope

Instrument for listening to sounds in the chest

Stress test

Exercise tolerance test (ETT) is used to determine the heart's response to physical exertion

Systemic circulation

Flow of blood from body tissues to the heart and from the heart back to the tissues

Systole

Contraction phase of the heartbeat

Tachycardia

Rapid heartbeat

Telemetry

Continuous monitoring of a patient's heart rhythm in a hospital

Tetralogy of Fallot

Four separate defects of the heart occurring at birth

Thrill

Fine vibration felt on palpation (touching) the body over a blood vessel that is blocked

Thrombolysis

Destruction of a clot

Thrombolytic therapy

Treatment with drugs to break down clots that may abnormally form in blood vessels