Cardiovascular System Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures

Question 0

electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG)

Answer 0

graphic line recording that shows the spread of electrical excitation to different parts of the heart using small metal electrodes applied to the chest, arms, and legs.
ECGs help diagnose abnormal heart rhythms and myocardial damage.

Question 1

cardiac catheterization (CC)

Answer 1

Passage of a catheter into the heart through a vein or artery to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the heart.
CC gathers information about the heart, such as blood supply through the coronary arteries and blood flow and pressure in the chambers of the heart as well as enabling blood sample collection and x-rays of the heart.

Question 2

Holter monitor test

Answer 2

ECG taken with a small portable recording system capable of storing up to 24 hours of ECG tracings.
Holter monitoring is particularly useful in obtaining a cardiac arrhythmia record that would be missed during an ECG of only a few minutes duration.

nuclear: ECG that utilizes a radioisotope to evaluate coronary blood flow. In a nuclear stress test, the radioisotope is injected at the height of exercise. The area not receiving sufficient oxygen is visualized by decreased uptake of the isotope.
stress test: ECG taken under controlled exercise conditions. May show abnormal ECG tracings that do not appear during an ECG taken when the patient is resting.

Question 3

cardiac enzyme studies

Answer 3

Blood test that measures troponin T, troponin I, and creatine kinase (CK-MB).
Cardiac enzymes are released into the bloodstream from damaged heart muscle tissue. Their presence in a blood specimen is consistent with myocardial damage.

Question 4

lipid panel

Answer 4

Series of tests (total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, and triglycerides) used to assess risk factors of ischemic heart disease.

Question 5

angiography

Answer 5

radiographic imaging of the heart and blood vessels after injection of a contrast dye.
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Question 6

coronary angiography

Answer 6

angiography to determine the degree of obstruction of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. in coronary angiography, a catheter is inserted into the femoral artery and threaded to the aorta. The contrast dye outlines the coronary arteries and shows narrowing, stenosis, or blockage

Question 7

digital subtraction (DSA)

Answer 7

angiography in which two radiographic images are obtained, the first one without contrast material, and the second one after a contrast material has been injected, and then compared by a computer that digitally subtracts the imaged of soft tissues, boned, and muscles, leaving only the image of vessels with contrast.

Question 8

aortography

Answer 8

radiological examination of the aorta and its branches following injection of a contrast medium via a catheter

Question 9

echocardiography (ECHO)

Answer 9

noninvasive diagnostic method that uses ultrasound to visualize internal cardiac structures and produce images of the heart. A transducer is placed on the chest to direct ultra high frequency sound waves toward cardiac structures. Reflected echoes are then converted to electrical impulses and displayed on a screen.

Question 10

Doppler ultrasound

Answer 10

Noninvasive adaptation of ultrasound technology in which blood flow velocity is assessed in different areas of the heart.
Sound waved strike moving red blood cells and are reflected back to a recording device that graphically records blood flow through cardiac structures.

Question 11

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Answer 11

Noninvasive technique that uses radiowaves and a strong magnetic field, rather than an x-ray beam , to produce multiplanar cross-sectional images of blood vessels.
MRI provide information about aneurysms, cardiac structures, and cardiac output. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is a type of MRI that provides highly detailed images of the blood vessels. MRA is used to view arteries and blockages within the arteries. A radiopaque contrast dye can by injected to provide greater detail of body structures.

Question 12

multiple gated acquisition (MUGA)

Answer 12

Nuclear procedure that uses radioactive tracers to produce movie-like images of the structures of the heart, including the myocardium and the mitral tricuspid valves.
The MUGA scan shows the motion of the heart wall muscle and the ventricle’s ability to eject blood (ejection fraction)

Question 13

phonocardiography

Answer 13

Imaging technique that provides a graphic display of heart sounds and murmurs during the cardiac cycle.
In phonocardiography, a transducer sends ultrasonic pulses through the chest wall and the echoes are converted into images on a monitor to assess overall cardiac performance.

Question 14

scintigraphy

Answer 14

Diagnostic test that uses radiation emitted by the body after an infection or radioactive substances to create images of various organs or identify body functions and diseases.
Scintigraphy identifies infarcted or scarred areas of the heart that show up as “cold spots” (areas of reduced radioactivity), taken when the patient is at rest.

Question 15

thallium study (resting)

Answer 15

Scintigraphy procedure that uses injected radioactive thallium and records the uptake the isotope with a gamma camera to produce an image.
A stress thallium study is commonly performed at the same time as a resting study, and the two images are compared to further identify abnormalities.

Question 16

venography

Answer 16

radiography of a vein after injection of a contrast medium to detect incomplete filling of a vein, which indicates obstruction.
Venography is used primarily to locate blood clots in veins of the leg.

Question 17

cardioversion

Answer 17

procedure to restore normal rhythm of the heart by applying a controlled electrical shock to the exterior of the chest.

Question 18

embolization

Answer 18

technique used to block blood flow to a site by passing a catheter to the area and injecting a synthetic material or medication specially designed to occlude the blood vessel.
Embolization may serve to eliminate an abnormal communication between an artery and a vein, stop bleeding, or close vessels that are supporting tumor growth.

Question 19

sclerotherapy

Answer 19

Injection of a chemical irritant (sclerosing agent) into a vein to produce inflammation and fibrosis that destroys the lumen of the vein.
Sclerotherapy is commonly performed to treat varicose veins and sometimes telangiectasias.

Question 20

angioplasty

Answer 20

procedure that alters a vessel through surgery or dilation of the vessel using a ballon catheter

Question 21

coronary artery bypass graft

Answer 21

Surgical procedure that uses a vessel graft from another part of the body to bypass the blocked part of a coronary artery and restore blood supply to the heart muscle (a type of angioplasty)

Question 22

percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)

Answer 22

Dilation of an occluded vessel using a ballon catheter under fluoroscopic guidance.
In PTCA, the physician inserts a catheter transcutaneously, inflates the balloon thereby dilating the narrowed vessel, and commonly positions a stent to hold the vessel open.

Question 23

atherectomy

Answer 23

removal of material from an occluded vessel using a specially designed catheter fitted with a cutting or grinding device.

Question 24

arterial biopsy

Answer 24

Removal and examination of a segment of an arterial vessel wall to confirm inflammation of the wall or arteritis, a type of vasculitis

Question 25

catheter ablation

Answer 25

Destruction of conduction tissue of the heart to interrupt the abnormal conduction pathway causing the arrhythmia, thus allowing normal heart rhythm to resume.

Question 26

commissurotomy

Answer 26

surgical separation of the leaflets of the mitral valve, which have fused together at their “commissures” (points of touching)

Question 27

laser ablation

Answer 27

Procedure used to remove or treat varicose veins.
In laser ablation, the laser’s heat coagulates blood inside the vessel, causing it to collapse and seal. Later, the vessels dissolve within the body, becoming less visible, or disappear altogether.

Question 28

ligation and stripping

Answer 28

Tying a varicose vein (ligation) followed by removal (stripping) of the affected segment.
Ligation and stripping are procedures performed for heavily damaged or diseased veins. Usual treatment for varicose veins is laser ablation in combination with microphlebectomies of sclerotherapy

Question 29

open heart surgery

Answer 29

Surgical procedure performed on or within the exposed heart, usually with the assistance of a heart-lung machine.
During the operation, the heart-lung machine takes over circulation to allow surgery on the resting (nonbeating) heart. After the heart has been restarted and is beating, the patient is disconnected from the heart-lung machine. Types of open heart surgery include coronary artery bypass graft, valve replacement, and heart transplant.

Question 30

pericardiocentisis

Answer 30

Puncture of the pericardium to remove excess fluid from the pericardial sac or to test for protein, sugar, and enzymes or determine the causative organism of pericarditis.

Question 31

thrombolysis

Answer 31

Destruction of a blood clot using anticlotting agents called clot-busters, such as tissue plasminogen activator.
Promt thrombolysis can restore blood flow to tissue before serious irreversible damage occurs. However, many thrombolytic agents also pose the risk of hemorrhage.
Intravascular: Infusion of a thrombolytic agent into a vessel to dissolve a blood clot.

Question 32

valvotomy

Answer 32

Incision of a valve to increase the size of the opening; used in treating mitral stenosis

Question 33

venipuncture

Answer 33

puncture of a vein by a needle attached to a syringe or catheter to withdraw a specimen of blood; also called phlebotomy.