Chapter 5 Medical Terminology

Front 1

Myocardium

Back 1

Thick, muscular middle layer of; heart produces heart contraction

Front 2

Endocardium

Back 2

inner layer of heart, which is very smooth and thin and lines chambers of heart

Front 3

Epicardium

Back 3

outer layer of heart; forms part of pericardium

Front 4

Pericardium

Back 4

double-walled outer sac around heart; inner layer of pericardium is called epicardium, outer layer is heart itself; this sac contains pericardial fluid that reduces friction caused by heart beating,

Front 5

Atria

Back 5

two upper chambers of heart; left atrium receives blood returning from lungs, and right atrium receives blood returning from body

Front 6

Ventricles

Back 6

two lower chambers of heart that receive blood from atria and pump it back out of heart; left ventricle pumps blood to body, and right ventricle pumps blood to lungs

Front 7

interatrial septum

Back 7

wall or septum that divides left and right atria

Front 8

interventricular septum

Back 8

wall or septum that divides left and right ventricles

Front 9

tricuspid valve

Back 9

valve between right atrium and ventricle of heart; prevents blood from flowing backwards into atrium; the prefix tri-, meaning three, indicates that this valve has three cusps or flaps

Front 10

cusps

Back 10

leaflets or flaps of heart valve

Front 11

pulmonary valve

Back 11

semilunar valve between right ventricle and pulmonary artery in heart; prevents blood from flowing backwards into ventricle

Front 12

semilunar valve

Back 12

heart valves located between ventricles and great arteries leaving heart; pulmonary valve is located between right ventricle, and pulmonary artery and aortic valve are located between left ventricle and aorta

Front 13

Mitral Valve

Back 13

valve between left atrium and ventricle in heart; prevents blood from flowing backwards into atrium; also called bicuspid valve because it has two cusps or flaps

Front 14

aortic valve

Back 14

semilunar valve between left ventricle of heart and aorta in heart; prevents blood from flowing backwards into ventricle

Front 15

aorta

Back 15

largest artery in body; located in mediastinum and carries oxygenated blood to all parts of the body

Front 16

superior vena cava

Back 16

branch of vena cava that drains blood from chest and upper body

Front 17

inferior vena cava

Back 17

branch of vena cava that drains blood from abdomen and lower body

Front 18

systematic circulation

Back 18

systematic circulation transports oxygenated blood away from the heart to the tissues and cells, and then back to the heart

Front 19

pulmonary circulation

Back 19

transports deoxygenated blood from right side of heart to lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged; then it carries oxygenated blood back to left side of heart

Front 20

Conduction System

Back 20

special system of nervous tissue the heart has

Front 21

sinoatrial node

Back 21

also called pacemaker of heart; area of right atria that initiates electrical pulse that causes heart to contract

Front 22

pacemaker

Back 22

another name for sinoatrial node of heart

Front 23

atrioventricular node

Back 23

this area at junction of right atrium and ventricle receives stimulus from sinoatrial node and sends impulse to ventricles through atrioventricular bundle (formerly called bundle of His)

Front 24

atrioventricular bundle

Back 24

in heart, conducts electrical impulse from atrioventricular node into ventricles

Front 25

Bundle Of His

Back 25

in heart, receives electrical impulse from atrioventricular node and distributes it to ventricules; also called atrioventricular bundle

Front 26

Purkinje fibers

Back 26

part of conduction system of heart; found in ventricular myocardium

Front 27

Arteries

Back 27

blood vessels that carry blood away from heart

Front 28

arteriole

Back 28

smallest branch of arteries; carries blood to capillaries

Front 29

Veins

Back 29

blood vessels that return deoxygenated blood to the heart

Front 30

venules

Back 30

smallest veins; receive deoxygenated blood leaving capillaries

Front 31

pulmonary veins

Back 31

large vein that returns oxygenated blood from lungs to left atrium

Front 32

valves

Back 32

prevent blood from flowing backward toward your feet

Front 33

Capillary Bed

Back 33

network of capillaries found in a given tissue or organ

Front 34

Pulmonary Veins

Back 34

large vein that returns oxygenated blood from lungs to left atrium

Front 35

oxygenated

Back 35

term for blood with a high oxygen level

Front 36

deoxygenated

Back 36

blood in veins that is low in oxygen content

Front 37

jugular veins

Back 37

major veins that drain the head and neck

Front 38

saphenous vein

Back 38

Major vein that carries blood from the foot and leg to the knee.

Front 39

systolic pressure

Back 39

maximum pressure within blood vessels during heart contraction

Front 40

pulse

Back 40

Surge of blood caused by the heart contraction; pulse rate is normally equal to heart rate

Front 41

stethoscope

Back 41

instrument for listening to body sounds (auscultation), such as chest, heart, or intestines

Front 42

sphygmomanometer

Back 42

instrument for measuring blood pressure; also referred to as blood pressure cuff,

Front 43

diastolic pressure

Back 43

lower pressure within blood vessels during relaxation phase of heart beat

Front 44

cardiology

Back 44

branch of medicine ininvolving diagnosis and treatment of conditions and diseases of cardiovascular system

Front 45

cardiovascular technician

Back 45

healthcare professional trained to perform a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures including electrocardiography, echocardiography, and exercise stress tests

Front 46

angiitis

Back 46

inflammation of a vessel

Front 47

angiospasm

Back 47

involuntary muscle contraction of the smooth muscle in the wall of a vessel

Front 48

angiostenosis

Back 48

narrowing of a vessel

Front 49

thrombus

Back 49

blood clot forming within a blood vessel; may partially or completely occlude the vessel

Front 50

embolus

Back 50

obstruction of blood vessel by blood clot that has broken off from a thrombus somewhere else in the body and traveled to the point of obstruction; occurrence in a coronary artery may result in myocardial infarction

Front 51

infarct

Back 51

area of tissue within organ that undergoes necrosis (death) following loss of blood supply

Front 52

orthostatic hypotension

Back 52

sudden drop in blood pressure a person experiences when standing straight up suddenly

Front 53

palpitations

Back 53

pounding, racing heartbeats

Front 54

murmur

Back 54

abnormal heart sound arising from blood flowing through the heart; may or may not indicate a heart abnormality

Front 55

regurgitation

Back 55

to flow backwards; in cardiovascular system refers to blood flowing backwards through valve; in digestive system refers to food flowing backwards from stomach to mouth

Front 56

bradycardia

Back 56

abonormally slow heart rate, below 60 bpm

Front 57

tachycardia

Back 57

abnormally fast heart rate, over 100 bpm while at rest

Front 58

ischemia

Back 58

localized and temporary deficiency of blood supply due to obstruction of circulation

Front 59

coronary artery disease

Back 59

insufficient blood supply to heart muscle due to obstruction of one or more coronary arteries; may be caused by atherosclerosis and may cause angina pectoris and myocardial infarction

Front 60

angina pectoris

Back 60

severe chest pain with sensation of constriction around heart; caused by a deficiency of oxygen to heart muscle

Front 61

hypertension

Back 61

high blood pressure (above the normal range)

Front 62

hypertrophy

Back 62

increase in bulk or size of a tissue or structure

Front 63

cardiomegaly

Back 63

abnormal enlarged heart

Front 64

congestive heart failure

Back 64

pathological condition of heart in which there is reduced outflow of blood from left side of heart; results in weakness, breathlessness, and edema

Front 65

edema

Back 65

condition in which body tissues contain excessive amounts of fluid

Front 66

pulmonary edema

Back 66

condition in which lung tissue retains excessive amount of fluid; results in labored breathing

Front 67

myocardial infarction

Back 67

condition caused by partial or complete occlusion or closing of one or more of coronary arteries; symptoms include squeezing pain or heavy pressure in middle of chest (angina pectoris); delay in treatment could result in death; also referred to as MI or heart attack

Front 68

infarct

Back 68

area of tissue within organ that undergoes necrosis (death) following loss of blood supply

Front 69

necrosis

Back 69

tissue death

Front 70

endocardium

Back 70

inner layer of heart, which is very smooth and thin and lines chambers of heart

Front 71

endocarditis

Back 71

inflammation of lining membranes of heart; may be due to microorganisms or to abnormal immunological response

Front 72

myocarditis

Back 72

inflammation of muscle layer of heart wall

Front 73

pericarditis

Back 73

inflammation of the pericardial sac around the heart

Front 74

valvulitis

Back 74

inflammation of a heart valve

Front 75

congenital septal defect

Back 75

a hole , present at birth, in wall separating two chambers of heart; results in a mixture of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood being carried to surrounding tissues; there can be atrial septal defect (ASD) and ventricular septal defect (VSD),

Front 76

tetralogy of Fallot

Back 76

combination of four congenital anomalies: pulmonary stenosis, interventricular septal defect, improper placement of the aorta, and hypertrophy of right ventricle; needs immediate surgery to correct

Front 77

arrhythmia

Back 77

irregularity in heartbeat or action

Front 78

flutter

Back 78

arrhythmia in which atria beat too rapidly, but in regular pattern

Front 79

fibrillation

Back 79

Extremely serious arrhythmia characterized by abnormal quivering or contractions of heart fibers; when this occurs in ventricle of heart, cardiac arrest and death can occur; emergency equipment to defibrillate, or convert heart to a normal beat, is necessary

Front 80

defibrillation

Back 80

procedure that converts serious irregular heartbeats, such as fibrillation, by giving electric shocks to heart using an instrument called a defibrillator

Front 81

bundle branch block

Back 81

occurs when electrical impulse is blocked from traveling down bundle of His or bundle branches; results in ventricles beating at a different rate than atria; also called a heart block

Front 82

cardiac arrest

Back 82

complete stopping of heart activity

Front 83

heart valve stenosis

Back 83

Condition in which cusps or flaps of heart valve are too stiff are unable to open fully (making it difficult for blood to flow through) or to shut tightly (allowing blood to flow backwards); condition may affect any of heart valves

Front 84

heart valve prolapse

Back 84

Condition in which cusps or flaps of heart valve are too loose and fail to shut tightly, allowing blood to flow backwards through valve when heart chamber contracts; most commonly occurs in mitral valve, but may affect any of heart valves

Front 85

regurgitation

Back 85

to flow backwards; in cardiovascular system refers to blood flowing backwards through valve; in digestive system refers to food flowing backwards from stomach to mouth

Front 86

aneurysm

Back 86

weakness in wall of artery that results in localized widening of artery

Front 87

arteriorrhexis

Back 87

ruptured artery

Front 88

atherosclerosis

Back 88

most common form of arteriosclerosis; caused by formation of yellowish plaques of cholesterol on inner walls of arteries

Front 89

atheroma

Back 89

deposit of fatty substances in the wall of an artery

Front 90

arteriosclerosis

Back 90

condition with thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of walls of arteries

Front 91

polyarteritis

Back 91

inflammation of many arteries

Front 92

peripheral vascular disease

Back 92

any abnormal condition affecting blood vessels outside heart; symptoms may include pain, pallor, numbness, and loss of circulation and pulses

Front 93

hypotension

Back 93

decrease in blood pressure; can occur in shock, infection, cancer, anemia, or as death approaches

Front 94

Raynaud's phenomenon

Back 94

periodic ischemic attacks affecting extremities of body, especially fingers, toes, ears, and nose; affected extremities become cyanotic and very painful; attacks are brought on by arterial constriction due to extreme cold or emotional stress

Front 95

coarctation of the aorta

Back 95

severe congenital narrowing of aorta

Front 96

patent ductus arteriosus

Back 96

congenital heart anomaly in which the fetal connection between pulmonary artery and aorta fails to close at birth; condition may be treated with medication but some cases require surgery

Front 97

phlebitis

Back 97

inflammation of a vein

Front 98

thrombophlebitis

Back 98

inflammation of vein that results in formation of blood clots within vein

Front 99

varicose veins

Back 99

swollen and distended veins, usually in legs

Front 100

hemmoroid

Back 100

varicose veins in anal region

Front 101

cardiac enzymes

Back 101

Blood test to determine level of enzymes specific to heart muscles in the blood; an increase in enzymes may indicate heart muscle damage such as myocardial infarction; enzymes include creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT)

Front 102

serum lipoprotein level

Back 102

laboratory test to measure amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in blood; an indicator of atherosclerosis risk

Front 103

angiography

Back 103

X-rays taken after injection of opaque material into of blood vessel

Front 104

angiogram

Back 104

X-ray record of a vessel taken during angiography

Front 105

echocardiography

Back 105

noninvasive diagnostic procedure using ultrasound to visualize internal cardiac structures; cardiac valve activity can be evaluated using this method

Front 106

Doppler ultrasonography

Back 106

measurement of sound-wave echoes as they bounce off tissues and organs to produce image; in cardiovascular system, used to measure velocity of blood moving through blood vessels to look for blood clots or deep vein thromboses

Front 107

cardiac scan

Back 107

patient is given radioactive thallium intravenously and then scanning equipment is used to visualize heart; is especially useful in determining myocardial damage

Front 108

auscultation

Back 108

listening to sounds within body by using stethoscope

Front 109

stethoscope

Back 109

instrument for listening to body sounds (auscultation), such as chest, heart, or intestines

Front 110

blood pressure

Back 110

measurement of force that is exerted by blood against walls of a blood vessel

Front 111

sphygmomanometer

Back 111

instrument for measuring blood pressure; also referred to as blood pressure cuff,

Front 112

stress testing

Back 112

method for evaluating cardiovascular fitness; patient is placed on treadmill or bicycle and then subjected to steadily increasing levels of work; EKG and oxygen levels are taken while patient exercises

Front 113

cardiac catheterization

Back 113

passage of thin tube (catheter) through arm vein and blood vessel leading into heart; done to detect abnormalities, to collect cardiac blood samples, and to determine pressure within cardiac area

Front 114

catheter

Back 114

flexible tube inserted into body for purpose of moving fluids into or out of body; in cardiovascular system used to place dye into blood vessels so they may be visualized on X-rays; in urinary system used to drain urine from bladder

Front 115

electrocardiogram

Back 115

Hardcopy record of electrical activity of heart;

Front 116

electrocardiography

Back 116

process of recording electrical activity of heart; useful in diagnosis of abnormal cardiac rhythm and heart muscle (myocardium) damage

Front 117

Holter monitor

Back 117

portable ECG monitor worn by patient for a period of a few hours to a few days to assess heart and pulse activity as person goes through activities of daily living

Front 118

pacemaker implantation

Back 118

electrical device that substitutes for natural pacemaker of heart; controls beating of heart by series of rhythmic electrical impulses; external pacemaker has electrodes on outside of body; internal pacemaker has electrodes surgically implanted within chest wall

Front 119

thrombolytic therapy

Back 119

Process in which drugs, such as streptokinase (SK) or tissue-type plasminogen activator tPA), are injected into blood vessel to dissolve clots and restore blood flow

Front 120

defibrillation

Back 120

procedure that converts serious irregular heartbeats, such as fibrillation, by giving electric shocks to heart using an instrument called a defibrillator

Front 121

cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Back 121

Procedure to restore cardiac output and oxygenated air to the lungs for a person in cardiac arrest; a combination of chest compressions and artificial respiration is performed by one or two CPR-trained rescuers

Front 122

implantable cardioverter-defibrillator

Back 122

device implanted in heart that delivers electrical shock to restore normal heart rhythm; particularly useful for persons who experience ventricular fibrillation

Front 123

coronary artery bypass graft

Back 123

open-heart surgery in which blood vessel from another location is grafted to route blood around point of constriction in diseased coronary artery

Front 124

heart transplantation

Back 124

replacement of diseased or malfunctioning heart with donor's heart

Front 125

extracorporeal circulation

Back 125

during open heart surgery, routing of blood to heart-lung machine so it can be oxygenated and pumped to rest of body

Front 126

valve replacement

Back 126

Surgical excision of diseased heart valve and replacement with artificial valve

Front 127

valvoplasty

Back 127

surgical repair of heart valve

Front 128

arterial anastomosis

Back 128

surgical joining together of two arteries; performed if artery is severed or if damaged section of artery is removed

Front 129

aneurysmectomy

Back 129

surgical removal of aneurysm

Front 130

embolectomy

Back 130

surgical removal of embolus or clot from a blood vessel

Front 131

endarterectomy

Back 131

removal of diseased or damaged inner lining of an artery

Front 132

atherectomy

Back 132

Surgical excision of fatty substance, an atheroma, from an artery

Front 133

percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

Back 133

method for treating localized coronary artery narrowing; balloon catheter is inserted through skin into coronary artery and inflated to dilate narrow blood vessel

Front 134

intracoronary artery stent

Back 134

placing a stent within coronary artery to treat coronary ischemia due to atherosclerosis

Front 135

ligation and stripping

Back 135

surgical treatment for varicose veins; damaged vein is tied off (ligation) and removed (stripping),

Front 136

ACE inhibitor drugs

Back 136

medication that produces vasodilation and decreases blood pressure

Front 137

beta-blocker drugs

Back 137

medication that treats hypertension and angina pectoris by lowering heart rate

Front 138

calcium channel blocker drugs

Back 138

medication that treats hypertension, angina pectoris, and congestive heart failure by causing heart to beat less forcefully and less often

Front 139

cardiotonic

Back 139

substance that increases the force of cardiac muscle contraction

Front 140

diuretic

Back 140

substance that increases production of urine by the kidneys, which reduces plasma and therefore blood volume, resulting in lower blood pressure

Front 141

antilipidemic

Back 141

substance that reduces amount of cholesterol and lipids in bloodstream; treats hyperlipidemia

Front 142

antiarrhythmic

Back 142

reduces or prevents cardiac arrhythmias

Front 143

thrombolytic

Back 143

able to dissolve existing blood clots

Front 144

antiplatelet agents

Back 144

inhibits ability of platelets to clump together as part of a blood clot

Front 145

anticoagulant

Back 145

substance that prevents clot formation

Front 146

vasoconstrictor

Back 146

contracts smooth muscle in walls of blood vessels; raises blood pressure

Front 147

vasodilator

Back 147

relaxes smooth muscle in artery walls, thereby increasing diameter of blood vessels; used to increase circulation to an ischemic area and lower blood pressure