Cardiovascular: Vocabulary Flashcards
aorta
largest artery in the body
apex of the heart
lower tip of the heart
arteriole
small artery
artery
largest type of blood vessel that carries oxygen enriched blood away from the heart
atrioventricular bundle
specialized muscle fibers connecting the atria with the ventricles that transmits electrical impulses (bundle of His)
atrioventricular node
specialized tissue in the wall between the atria through which electrical impulses pass from the SA node to the bundle of His
atrium
an upper chamber of the heart
capillary
smallest blood vessel that is a pass through for delivering and gathering substances from the bloodstream
CO2
carbon dioxide gas which is released from body cells and transported via veins to the heart and then to the lungs to be exhaled
coronary arteries
blood vessels that branch off the aorta and carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle
diastole
relaxation phase of the heartbeat
endocardium
innermost lining of the heart
endothelium
innermost lining of blood vessels
mitral valve
bicuspid valve between the left atrium and left ventricle
murmur
abnormal swishing sound caused by improper closure of the heart valves
myodardium
muscular middle lining layer of the heart
pacemaker; sinoatrial node
specialized nervous tissue in the right atrium that begins the heartbeat
pericardium
double-layered membrane surround the heart
pulmonary artery
artery that carries oxygen-poor blood from the heart to the lungs
pulmonary circulation
flow of blood from the heart to the lungs and back
pulmonary valve
valve between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery
pulmonary vein
one of two pairs of vessels that carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium
pulse
beat of the heart as felt through an artery wall
septum
wall dividing a cavity
sphygomomanometer
instrument to measure blood pressure
systemic circulation
flow of blood from the heart to body tissue and back
systole
contraction phase of the heartbeat
tricuspid valve
valve between the right atrium and the right ventricle
valve
structure in veins or the heart that temporarily closes an opening so that blood flows in only one direction
vein
thin-walled vessel that carries oxygen-poor blood from body tissues and oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the heart
vena cava
largest vein in the body (superior and inferior)
ventricle
lower chamber of the heart
venule
small vein
heart block
condition in which no impulses from the SA node reach the AV node and the ventricles contract out of sync with the atria
flutter
rapid but regular contractions
fibrillation
very rapid, random, inefficient and irregular contractions of the heart
palpitations
uncomfortable sensations in the chest from missed heartbeats
paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
irregular heartbeats occur episodically
catheter ablation
minimally invasive treatment in which radiofrequency energy is delivered from the tip of a catheter that’s been inserted into the heart via a blood vessel to destroy tissue that causes arrhythmias
coarctation of the aorta (CoA)
congenital condition which results in the narrowing of the aorta
patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)
passageway between the aorta and the pulmonary artery remains open after birth
septal defects
small holes in the wall between the atria or the ventricles
tetralogy of Fallot
congenital malformation involving 4 heart defects: pulmonary artery stenosis, ventricular septal defect, shift of the aorta to the right, hypertrophy of the right ventricle
congestive heart failure (CHF)
heart is unable to pump the required amount of blood
acute coronary syndromes (ACSs)
conditions caused by myocardial ischemia such as unstable angina and myocardial infarction
percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
catheterization with balloons and placing stents that remain open in clogged coronary arteries
mitral valve prolapse (MVP)
improper closure of the mitral valve
vegetations
clumps of platelets, clotting proteins, microorganisms, and red blood cells on diseased heart valves
aneurysm
local dilation of an arterial wall
Raynaud’s disease
recurrent episodes of pallor and cyanosis primarily in fingers and toes
varicose veins
abnormally swollen and twisted veins caused by damaged valves that fail to prevent backflow
deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
blood clot forms in a large vein
cardiac tamponade
pressure on the heart caused by fluid in the pericardial space
embolus
clot or other substance that travels to a distant location and suddenly blocks a blood vessel
patent
open
thrill
vibration felt over an area of turmoil in blood flow like a blocked artery
BNP test
measurement of brain natriuretic peptide in blood which is secreted when the heart is overloaded
cardiac biomarkers
chemicals that are measured in the blood as evidence of a heart attack; troponin-I (cTnI) and troponin-T (cTnT)
lipid tests
measurement of cholesterol and triglycerides
lipoprotein electrophoresis
lipoproteins are physically separated and measure in a blood sample (LDL and HDL)
digital subtraction angiography (DSA)
video equipment and computer that produces x-ray images of blood vessels before and after contrast is injected
doppler ultrasound studies
use of sound waves to measure blood flow in vessels
echocardiography (ECHO)
use of high frequency sound wave echoes to produce images of the heart
Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)
type of MRI that produces highly detailed images of blood vessels
endarterectomy
surgical removal of plaque from the inner layer of an artery
extracorporeal circulation
use of a heart-lung machine to oxygenate diverted blood while the heart is repaired; extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
left ventricular assist device (LVAD)
booster pump that is implanted in the chest or abdomen with cannulae from the left ventricle to the ascending aorta
