Cardiovascular System Diagnostic, Symptomatic, and Related Terms (+ various terms from text)

Question 0

angina

Answer 0

chest pain

Question 1

syncope

Answer 1

loss of consciousness

Question 2

arrhythmias

Answer 2

cardiac irregularities

Question 3

embolus (plural: emboli)

Answer 3

a thrombus that travels through the vascular system

Question 4

infarct

Answer 4

localized tissue death

Question 5

aneurysm

Answer 5

vascular bulge that may rupture. an excessive localized widening of an artery caused by weakening of the vascular wall.

Question 6

hypercholesterolemia

Answer 6

elevated cholesterol level

Question 7

endarterectomy

Answer 7

treatment method for arteriosclerosis that involves removing occluding material and plaque from the innermost layer of the artery.

Question 8

percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

Answer 8

procedure in which a deflated balloon is passed through a small incision in the skin and into a diseased blood vessel. Inflating the balloon presses occluding material against lumen walls to force open the channel. Sometimes a stent is used.

Question 9

coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)

Answer 9

one area is sutured to the aorta and the other end is sutured to the coronary artery bellow the blocked area, reestablishing blood flow to the blocked area

Question 10

endocarditis

Answer 10

inflammation of the inner lining of the heart and its valves.
may be noninfective in nature, caused by thrombi formation, or infective, caused by various microorganisms (usually bacteria)

Question 11

insufficiency

Answer 11

incomplete closure of cardiac valves

Question 12

bacteremia

Answer 12

bacteria traveling in the blood stream

Question 13

prophylactic treatment

Answer 13

antibiotic treatment given to patients who are susceptible to endocarditis

Question 14

varicose veins

Answer 14

develops when the valves of the veins do not function properly (incompetent) and fail to prevent backflow of blood
most common in lesser and greater saphenous veins of the lower legs.

Question 15

teleangiectases

Answer 15

varicose veins that look like short, fine lines, starburst clusters, or weblike mazes

Question 16

myoxoma

Answer 16

rare, but most common primary tumor of the heart
composed of mucous connective tissue
tend to be benign
occasionally, they impede mitral valves function and cause a decrease in exercise tolerance, dyspnea, pulmonary edema, and systemic problems including joint pain, malaise, and anemia

Question 17

aneurysm

Answer 17

localized abnormal dilation of a vessel, usually an artery

Question 18

arrest

Answer 18

condition of being stopped or bringing to a stop

• cardiac: loss of effective cardiac function, which results in cessation of circulation. May be due to ventricular fibrillation (most common arrhythmia in cardiac arrest patients) or asystole in which thereis no observable myocardial activity.
• circulatory: cessation of the circulation of blood due to ventricular standstill or fibrillation

Question 19

arrhythmia

Answer 19

inability of the heart to maintain a normal sinus rhythm, possibly including a rapid or slow beat or “skipping” a beat; also called dysrhythmia

Question 20

bruit

Answer 20

soft blowing sound heart on auscultation, possibly due to vibrations associated with the movement of blood, valvular action, or both; also called murmur

Question 21

cardiomyopathy

Answer 21

any disease or weakening of heart muscle that diminishes cardiac function. causes included viral or bacterial infections, metabolic disorders, or general systemic disease

Question 22

catheter

Answer 22

thin, flexible, hollow plastic tube that is small enough to be threaded through a vein, artery, or tubular structure.

Question 23

coarctation

Answer 23

narrowing of a vessel, especially the aorta

Question 24

deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

Answer 24

blood clot that forms in the deep veins of the body, especially those in the legs or thighs.
blood clots may break away from the vein wall and travel in the body. If they lodge in the lung, the condition is called pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary embolism may be life threatening if a large portion of the lung is damaged.

Question 25

ejection fraction

Answer 25

calculation of how much blood a ventricle can eject with one contraction.
the left ventricular EF averages 50 to 70% in healthy hearts but can be markedly reduced if part of the heart muscle dies, as evident after an MI or in cardiomyopathy or valvular heart disease

Question 26

heart failure (HF)

Answer 26

failure of the heart to supply an adequate amount of blood to tissues and organs.
commonly caused by impaired coronary blood flow, cardiomyopathies, and heart valve disease.

Question 27

embolus

Answer 27

Mass of undissolved matter (foreign objects, air, gas, tissue, thrombus) circulating in blood or lymphatic channels until it becomes lodged in a vessel.

Question 28

fibrillation

Answer 28

quivering or spontaneous muscle contractions, especially of the heart, causing ineffectual contractions.
commonly corrected with a defibrillator

Question 29

hemostasis

Answer 29

arrest of bleeding or circulation

Question 30

hyperlipidemia

Answer 30

excessive amounts of lipids (cholesterol, phospholipids, and triglycerides) in the blood

Question 31

hypercholesterolemia

Answer 31

an elevation of cholesterol in the blood. associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis.

Question 32

hypertension (HTN)

Answer 32

Common disorder characterized by elevated blood pressure persistently exceeding 140 mm Hg systolic or 90 mm Hg diastolic

primary: HTN in which there is no identifiable cause; also called essential hypertension. most common form. associated with obesity, high serum sodium, hypercholesterolemia, or family history.
secondary: HTN that results from an underlying identifiable, commonly correctable cause.

Question 33

hypertensive heart disease

Answer 33

any heart disorder caused by prolonged hypertension, including left ventricular hypertrophy, coronary artery disease, cardiac arrhythmias, and heart failure

Question 34

implantable cardioverterdefibrilator (ICD)

Answer 34

Implantable battery powered device that monitors and automatically corrects ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation by sending electrical impulses to the heart.
ventricular fibrillation causes death within 5 to 10 minutes.

Question 35

infarct

Answer 35

area of tissue that undergoes necrosis following cessation of blood supply

Question 36

ischemia

Answer 36

local and temporary deficiency of blood supply due to circulatory obstruction

Question 37

mitral valve prolapse (MVP)

Answer 37

common and occasionally serious condition in which the leaflets of the mitral valve prolapse into the left atrium during systole causing a characteristic murmur heard on auscultation.
Common signs and symptoms of MVP include palpitations of the heart and, occasionally, panic attacks with pounding heartbeat. Because of the possibility of valve infection, prophylactic treatment with antibiotics is suggested before undergoing invasive procedures such as dental work.

Question 38

radioisotope

Answer 38

chemical radioactive material used as a tracer to follow a substance through the body or a structure

Question 39

palpitation

Answer 39

sensation that the heart is not beating normally, possibly including “thumping,” fluttering,” “skipped beats,” or a pounding feeling in the chest.
most palpitations are harmless, but those caused by arrhythmias may be serious. Medical attention should be sought if palpitations are accompanied by pain, dizziness, overall weakness, or shortness of breath

Question 40

patent ductus arteriosus

Answer 40

failure of the ductus arteriosus to close after birth, allowing blood to flow from the aorta into the pulmonary (lung) artery

Question 41

perfusion

Answer 41

circulation of blood through tissues or the passages of fluids through vessels of an organ

Question 42

tetralogy of Fallot

Answer 42

Congenital anomaly consisting of four elements: pulmonary artery stenosis, interventricular septal defect, transportation of the aorta, so that both ventricles empty into the aorta; and right ventricular hypertrophy caused by increased workload of the right ventricle

Question 43

stent

Answer 43

slender or threadlike devise used to hold open vessels, tubes, or obstructed arteries. Used to support tubular structures that are being anastomosed or to induce or maintain patency within these tubular structures.

Question 44

thrombus

Answer 44

blood clot that obstructs a vessel