cardiology
study of the heart
cardiovascular technologist/technicial
healthcare professional trained to preform variety of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
angiitis
inflammation of a vessel
angiospasm
involuntary muscle contraction of smooth muscle in a wall of a vessel
angiostenosis
narrowing of a vessel
embolus
obstruction of blood vessel by blood clot that has broken off from thrombus somewhere else in body and traveled to point of obstruction; occurs in coronary artery
infarct
area of tissue within organ of part undergoes necrosis (death) following loss of its blood supply
ischemia
localized and temporary deficiency of blood supply due to obstruction of circulation
murmur
sound, in addition to normal heart sounds, arising from blood flowing through heart; extra sound may or may nt indicate abnormality
orthostatic hypotension
sudden drop in blood pressure a person experiences when standing straight up suddenly
palpitations
pounding, racing heartbeats
plaque
yellow, fatty deposits of lipids in artery that is hallmark of atherosclerosis; also called atheroma
regurgitation
to flow backward; in cardiovascular system refers to back flow of blood through a valve
thrombus
blood clot forming within blood vessel; may partially or completely occlude blood vessel
angina pectoris
severe chest pain (CP)
cardiac arrest
complete stopping of heart activity
cardiac tamponade
pressure on heart as a result of fluid buildup around heart in pericardial sac; heart becomes unable to pump blood effectively
cardiomegaly
enlarged heart
mardiomyopathy
general term for disease of myocardium; can be caused by alcohol abuse, parasites, viral infection, and congestive heat failure' most common reason for heart transplant
congenital septal defect (CSD)
hole. present at birth, in septum between two heart chambers; results in mature of oxygenated and deoxygent=ated blood; can be atrial septal defect (ASD) and a ventricular septal defect (VSD)
congestive heart failure (CHF)
pathological condition of heart in which there is reduced outflow of blood from left side of heart because left ventricle myocardium has become too weak to effectively pump blood; weakness, breathlessness, and edema
coronary artery disease (CAD)
insufficient blood supply to heart muscle due to an obstruction of one or more coronary arteries; may be caused by atherosclerosis and may cause anger pectoris and myocardial infarction
endocarditis
inflammation of lining membranes of heart; may be due to bacteria or to abnormal immunological response; in bacterial endocarditis, mass of bacteria that forms is referred to as vegetation
heart valve prolapse
condition in which cusps or flaps of heart valve are too stiff and are unable to open fully (difficult for blood to flow) or shut tightly (allowing blood to flow backward); may affect any heart valve
myocardial infarction (MI)
heart attack; condition caused by partial or complete occlusion or closing of one or more coronary arteries; symptoms include squeezing pain or heavy pressure in middle of chest (anger pectoris); delay of treatment could result in death
myocarditis
inflammation of muscle layer of heart wall
pericarditis
inflammation of pericardial sac around heart
metrology of Fallot
combination of four congenital anomalies: pulmonary stenosis, inter ventricular septal defect, improper placement of aorta, and hypertrophy of right ventricle, needs immediate surgery to correct
valvulitis
inflammation of heart valve
arrhythmia
irregularity in heartbeat or action; comes in many different forms; may be too fast, too slow, or irregular pattern; some are not serious, while others are life threatening
bundle branch block (BBB)
occurs when electrical impulse is blocked from traveling down dowel of His/bundle branches; result in ventricles beating at different rate than atria; also called heart block
bradycardia
condition of having slow heart rate; typically less than 60bpm; highly trained aerobic persons may normally have slow heart rate
fibrillation (fib)
extremely serious arrhythmia characterized by abnormal quivering or contraction of heart fibers; when this occurs in ventricles, cardiac arrest and death can occur; emergency equipment to defibrillate or convert heart to normal beat is necessary
flutter
arrhythmia in which atria beat too rapidly, but in regular pattern
premature atrial contraction (PAC)
arrhythmia in which atria contract earlier than they should
premature ventricular contraction (PVC)
arrhythmia in which ventricles contract earlier than they should
tachycardia
condition of having a fast heart rate, typically more than 100bpm
aneurysm
weakness in wall of artery resulting in localized widening of artery; although aneurysm may develop in any artery, common sites include aorta in abdomen and cerebral arteries in brain
arteriorrhexis
ruptured artery; may occur of aneurysm ruptures arterial wall
arteriosclerosis
thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of walls of arteries; most often due to atherosclerosis
atheroma
plaque; deposit of fatty substance in wall of artery that bulges into and narrows lumen of artery; characteristic of atherosclerosis
atherosclerosis
most common form of arteriosclerosis; caused by formation of yellowish plaques of cholesterol on inner walls of arteries
coarctation of the aorta (CoA)
severe congenital narrowing of the aorta
deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
formation of blood clot in a vein deep in the body, most commonly in the legs; embolus breaking off from this thrombosis would travel to lungs and block blood flow through lungs
hemorrhoid
varicose veins in anal region
hypertension (HTN)
blood pressure (BP) above normal range; essential or primary hypertension occurs directly from cardiovascular disease; secondary hypertension refers to high blood pressure resulting from another disease such as kidney disease
hypotension
decrease in blood pressure (BP); can occur in shock, infection, cancer, anemia, or as death approaches
patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)
congenital heart anomaly in which fetal connection between pulmonary artery and aorta fails to close at birth; condition may be treated with medication and resolve with time; however some cases surgery is required
peripheral vascular disease
any abnormal condition affecting blood vessels outside heart; symptoms may include pain, pallor, numbness, and loss of circulation and pulse
phlebitis
inflammation of a vein
polyarteritis
inflammation of several arteries
Raynaud's phenomenon
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
thrombophlebitis
inflammation of vein resulting in formation of blood clots within vein
varicose veins
swollen and distended veins, usually in legs
auscultation
listening to sounds within the body
sphygmomanometer
blood pressure cuff; instrument for measuring blood pressure
stethoscope
instrument for listening to body sounds
cardiac biomarkers
blood test to determine level of proteins specific to heart muscle in blood; indicate heart muscle damage such as myocardial infarction; creatine kinase (CK) and troponin
serum lipoprotein level
blood test to measure amount of cholesterol in blood; indicator of atherosclerosis risk
angiogram
x-ray record of vessel taken during angiography
angiography
x-ray taken after injection of opaque material into blood vessel; can be preformed on aorta, heart, and brain
cardiac scan
given radioactive thallium intravenously and then scaly equipments used to visualize heart; useful in determining myocardial damage
Doppler ultrasonography
measurement of sound wave echoes as they bounce off tissues and organs to produce an image; measure velocity of blood moving through vessels to look for clots and deep vein thromboses
echocardiography (ECHO)
noninvasive diagnostic procedure using ultrasound to visualize internal cardiac structures; cardiac valve activity can be evaluated using this method
cardiac catheterization (CC)
passage of thin tube catheter through blood vessel leading to heart; done to deduct abnormalities, collect cardiac blood samples, and determine blood pressure in heart
catheter
flexible tube inserted into body for purpose of moving fluids into or out of body; cardiovascular system used to insert dye into blood vessels so can be visualized x-ray
electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG)
hardcopy record produced by electrocardiography
electrocardiography
process of recording electrical activity of heart; diagnosing of abnormal cardiac rhythm and heart muscle (myocardial) damage
Holter monitor
portable ECG monitor worn by patient
stress testing
method for evaluating cardiovascular fitness of a patient on treadmill or bike