Cardiovascular System Med Terms

Front 1

Abnormal widening (ballooning) of a portion of an artery as a result of weakness in its wall, or it may be present at birth (congenital)- the larger aneurysm becomes, the greater the risk of rupture

Back 1

Aneurysm

Front 2

Mild to severe pain or pressure in the chest caused by ischemia; also called angina

Back 2

Angina pectoris

Front 3

Irregularity or loss of rhythm of the heartbeat; also called dysrhythmia

Back 3

Arrhythmia

Front 4

Arrhythmia in which there is rapid, uncoordinated quivering of the myocardium that can affect the atria or ventricles; usually described by the part that is contracting abnormally, such as atrial fibrillation or ventricular fibrillation

Back 4

Fibrillation

Front 5

Thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of arterial walls; also called hardening of the arteries

Back 5

Arteriosclerosis

Front 6

Most common form of arteriosclerosis caused by accumulation of fatty substances within the arterial walls, resulting in partial and, eventually, total blockage

Back 6

Atherosclerosis

Front 7

Soft blowing sound heard on auscultation caused by turbulent blood flow

Back 7

Bruit

Front 8

Mass of undissolved matter (commonly a blood clot, fatty plaque, or air bubble) that travels through the bloodstream and becomes lodged in a blood vessel

Back 8

Embolus

Front 9

Disease of the electrical system of the heart, which controls activity of heart muscle

Back 9

Heart block

Front 10

Atrioventricular (AV) block in which atrial electrical impulses are delayed by a fraction of a second before being conducted to the ventricles

Back 10

First-dgree

Front 11

Atrioventricular (AV) block in which only some atrial electrical impulses are conducted to the ventricles

Back 11

Second-degree

Front 12

Atrioventricular (AV) block in which no electrical impulses reach the ventricles; also called complete heart block (CHB)

Back 12

Third-degree

Front 13

Occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood flow to meet the needs of the body and can cause a number of symptoms, such as shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance

Back 13

Heart Failure (HF)

Front 14

Consistently elevated blood pressure, causing damage to the blood vessels and, ultimately, the heart

Back 14

Hypertension (HTN)

Front 15

Inadequate supply of oxygenated blood to a body part as a result of an interruption of blood flow

Back 15

Ischemia

Front 16

Structural abnormality in which the mitral (bicuspid) valve does not close completely, resulting in a backflow of blood into the left atrium with each contraction

Back 16

Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP)

Front 17

Abnormal sound heard on auscultation caused by defects in the valves or chambers of the heart

Back 17

Murmur

Front 18

Necrosis of a portion of cardiac muscle caused by partial or complete occlusion of one or more coronary arteries; also called heart attack

Back 18

Myocardial Infarction (MI)

Front 19

Failure of the ductus arteriosus (which connects the pulmonary artery to the aortic arch in a fetus) to close after birth, resulting in an abnormal opening between the pulmonary artery and the aorta

Back 19

Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)

Front 20

Severe, sudden vasoconstriction and spasm in fingers and toes followed by cyanosis after exposure to cold temperature or emotional stress; also called Raynaud phenomenon

Back 20

Raynaud disease

Front 21

Streptococcal infection that causes damage to the heart valves and heart muscle, most commonly in children and young adults

Back 21

Rheumatic Heart Disease

Front 22

Damage to part of the brain as a result of interruption of its blood supply caused by bleeding within brain tissue or more commonly, blockage of an artery, also called cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

Back 22

Stroke

Front 23

A stationary blood clot formed within a blood vessel or within the heart, commonly causing vascular obstruction; also called blood clot

Back 23

Thrombus

Front 24

Formation of a blood clot in a deep vein of the body, occurring most commonly in the lower legs

Back 24

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

Front 25

Blood supply to part of the brain is briefly interrupted but does not cause permanent brain damage and may be a warning sign of a more serious and debilitating stroke in the future; also called ministroke

Back 25

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

Front 26

Insertion of a small tube (catheter) through an incision into a large vein, usually of an arm (brachial approach) or leg (femoral approach), which is threaded through a blood vessel until it reaches the heart

Back 26

Cardiac catheterization

Front 27

Battery of blood tests performed to determine the presence of cardiac damage

Back 27

Cardiac enzyme studies

Front 28

Ultrasound technique that records blood flow velocity (speed) to image major blood vessels (arteries or veins in arms, neck, legs, abdomen) to detect obstructions caused by atherosclerotic plaques in patients at risk for a stroke

Back 28

Doppler ultrasonography

Front 29

Ultrasound technique used to image the heart and evaluate how the heart's chambers and valves are working and to diagnose and detect pathological conditions

Back 29

Echocardiography (ECHO)

Front 30

Creation and study of graphic recordings (electrocardiograms) produced by electrical activity generated by the heart muscle; also called cardiography

Back 30

Electrocardiography (ECG, EKG)

Front 31

Monitoring device worn by a patient that records prolonged electrocardiograph readings (usually 24 hours) on a portable tape recorder while the patient conducts normal daily activities

Back 31

Holter monitor

Front 32

Electrocardiography (EKG) taken under controlled exercise stress conditions (typically using a treadmill) while measuring oxygen consumption

Back 32

Stress test

Front 33

ECG that uses a radioisotope to evaluate coronary blood flow

Back 33

Nuclear

Front 34

Blood test that measures protein released into the blood by damaged heart muscles (not skeletal muscle) and is a highly sensitive, specific indicator of recent myocardial infarction (MI)

Back 34

Troponin I

Front 35

Surgery that opens a blocked artery by inflating a small balloon within a catheter to widen and restore blood flow in the artery

Back 35

Angioplasty

Front 36

Restoration of normal heart rhythm by applying an electrical counter-shock to the chest using a device (defibrillator); also called defibrillation

Back 36

Cardioversion

Front 37

Bypass surgery in which peripheral veins are removed, and each end of the vein is sutured onto the coronary artery to create new routes around narrowed and blocked arteries, allowing sufficient blood flow to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle

Back 37

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)

Front 38

Device used to administer a defibrillating electrical shock to restore normal heart rhythm

Back 38

Defibrillator

Front 39

Surgically implanted electrical device that continuously monitors and corrects potential fatal arrhythmias by delivering low-energy shocks to the hear; also called implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)

Back 39

Automatic Implantable Cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD)

Front 40

Portable computerized device that analyzes the patient's heart rhythm an delivers an electrical shock to stimulate a heart in cardiac arrest

Back 40

Automatic External Defibrillator (AED)

Front 41

Surgical removal of the lining of an artery

Back 41

Endarterectomy

Front 42

Removal of plaque (artherosclerosis) and thromboses from an occluded carotid artery to reduce the risk of stroke

Back 42

Carotid Endarterectomy

Front 43

Treatment of large varicose veins in the legs in which a laser fiber is inserted directly into the affected vein to heat the lining within the veins causing it to collapse, shrink, and eventually disappear; also called endovenous laser ablation (EVLA)

Back 43

Endovenous Laser Therapy (EVLT)

Front 44

Chemical injection into a varicose vein that causes inflammation and formation of fibrous tissue, which closes the vein

Back 44

Sclerotherapy

Front 45

Insertion of a balloon catheter in a blood vessel in the groin though the aorta and into the heart to widen a stenotic (stiffened) heart valve and increase blood flow; also called percutaneous valvuloplasty

Back 45

Valvuloplasty

Front 46

Prevent clotting or coagulation of blood

Back 46

Anticoagulants

Front 47

Slow the heart rate and reduce the force with which the heart muscle contracts, lowering blood pressure

Back 47

Beta Blockers

Front 48

Relieve chest pain associated with angina and ease symptoms of heart failure (HF)

Back 48

Nitrates

Front 49

Reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and block production of an enzyme in the liver that produces cholesterol

Back 49

Statins

Front 50

Dissolve (lyse) blood clots in a process known as thrombolysis

Back 50

Thrombolytics

Front 51

A narrowing of the coronary arteries that results in failure of the arteries to deliver an adequate supply of oxygenated blood to the heart muscle

Back 51

Coronary artery disease (CAD)

Front 52

Narrowing of arterial walls

Back 52

Arteriostenosis