Cardiovascular System Flashcards
Chief complaints
AICD problem Chest pain (angina) Cardiac arrest Heart murmur Heart problem Hypotension/ hypertension Irregular heart beat Pleurisy Pacemaker problem Palpitations Rapid/ slow heart rate Syncope
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA or triple A)
The large blood vessel that supplies blood to the abdomen, pelvis, and legs becomes abnormally large or balloons outward
Aortic dissection
A potentially life- threatening condition where there is bleeding into and along the wall of the aorta, the major artery leaving the heart
Aneurysm
An abnormal widening or ballooning of a portion of an artery due to weakness in the wall of the blood vessel
Artherosclerosis
The build-up of fats, cholesterol, and other substances in and on the artery walls
Atrial fibrillation (a-fib)
The atria contract very quickly and not in a regular pattern, making the ventricles beat abnormally, leading to an irregular (and usually fast) pulse
BBB (Bundle Branch Block)
Refers to a defect of the hearts electrical conduction system
RBBB- right BBB
LBBB- left BBB
Cardiomyopathy
A weakening of the heart muscle, often associated with inadequate heart pumping
EF - ejection fracture
The fraction of blood pumped out of ventricles with each heart beat
Endocarditis
Inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium
Myocarditis
Inflammation of the heart muscle, usually caused by viral, bacterial, or fungal infections that reach the heart
Pericarditis
An inflammation of the pericardium (the fibrous sac surrounding the heart)
PND - paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
Sudden, sever shortness of breath at night that awakens a person from sleep
PVD
A condition of the blood vessels that leads to narrowing and hardening of the arteries that supply the legs and feet
Stenosis
The narrowing or constriction of an opening, such as a blood vessel or heart valve
Supra ventricular Tachycardia (SVT)
Any tachycardiac rhythm originating above the ventricular tissue
Ventricular Fibrillation (V Fib)
Uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscle of the ventricles in the heart, making them quiver rather than contract properly, severely abnormal heart rhythm that is life threatening
Ventricular tachycardia (V Tach)
A rapid heartbeat that starts in the ventricles
ACLS
Advanced cardiac life support
Angina
Chest pain that occurs when diseased blood vessels restrict blood flow to the heart
Asystole
State of no cardiac electrical activity
BP
Blood pressure
Cardiomegaly
Enlarged heart
Congestive heart failure (CHF)
Inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the body’s needs
Coronary artery disease (CAD)
A narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart
CP
Chest pain
Diastolic pressure
Measurement of blood pressure when the heart is at rest, bottom number of BP
Edema
Swelling caused by fluid in the body’s tissues
Embolism
The event of lodging of an embolus into a narrow capillary vessel f an arterial bed which causes a blockage
Hypertension
High BP
Hypotension
Low BP
ICD - implantable cardioverter defibrillator
When an ICD detects ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation it shocks the heart to restore normal rhythm
MI - myocardial infarction
Heart attack
NSTEMI
Non-ST elevation myocardial infarction
Orthopnea
Shortness of breath which occurs when lying flat, which is a sign of heart failure
Palpitations
“Fast heart beat”; “irregular heart beat”
PE - pulmonary embolism
A blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has traveled from elsewhere in the body
Pleurisy
Inflammation of the lining of the lungs and chest that leads to chest pain when taking a breath
Pulse oximetry
Measure of percent of oxygen in person’s blood
STEMI
ST elevation myocardial infarction
Systolic Pressure
Blood pressure when heart is contracting, first reading
Blood clot risk factors
Smoking Recent surgery/ hospitalization Previous history of blood clots BCP of hormonal replacement therapy Recent long travel Family history of blood clots
Heart disease risk factors
Hypertension Diabetes Obesity High cholesterol Smoking Older age Family history of early heart disease
Abnormal heart sounds
Gallop, rub, murmur, S3 S4 (extra heart sounds from gallop rhythms)
Arrhythmia
An abnormal heart rhythm
Bradycardia
Slow heart rate
Tachycardia
Fast heart rate
Carotid bruit
A sound made in the blood vessels resulting from turbulence, perhaps because of a build up of plaque or damage to the vessels
JVD - jugular vein distention
The bulging distention of the jugular vein
Reproducible symptoms
Chest pain that is reproducible by palpitating the chest
S1S2
Normal heart sounds, associated with heart valves closing, causing changes in blood flow
Pulses
Tactile arterial palpation of the heartbeat
Measured on a scale of 1+ to 4+ (2+ is normal)
Brachial artery
On the inside of the elbow
Carotid artery
Neck
Dorsalis Pedis (DP) artery
On top of the foot
Posterior tibial (PT) artery
Near the ankle joint
Radial artery
At the wrist
