Chapter 17 - Cardiovascular Flashcards
A term describing the shape of the QRS complex in aberrantly (abnormally) conducted beats.
aberration
The early phase of cardiac repolarization, wherein the heart muscle cannot be stimulated to depolarize; also known as the effective refractory period.
absolute refractory period
A series of cardiac conditions caused by an abrupt reduction in coronary artery blood flow.
ACS
The sudden pain that occurs when the oxygen supply to the myocardium is insufficient to meet demand, causing ischemic changes in the tissue.
angina pectoris
A pathologic condition in which the thickening and stiffening of the arterial walls makes the arteries less elastic.
arteriosclerosis
A mass of fatty tissue that gradually calcifies, hardening into an atheromatous plaque that infiltrates the arterial wall, diminishing its elasticity.
atheroma
A disorder in which cholesterol and calcium build up inside the walls of the blood vessels, forming plaque, which eventually leads to partial or complete blockage of blood flow.
atherosclerosis
The combination of a narrowed pulse pressure, muffled heart tones, and jugular venous distention associated with cardiac tamponade; usually caused by penetrating chest trauma.
Beck triad
Blockage of any two fascicles or conduction pathways: a right bundle branch block (RBBB) with anterior hemiblock, RBBB with posterior hemiblock, or anterior hemiblock and posterior hemiblock (a combination known as LBBB).
bifascicular block
The portion of the heart’s conduction system located in the upper portion of the interventricular septum that conducts electrical impulses from the atrioventricular junction to the right and left bundle branches; also called the AV bundle.
bundle of His
One of the two branches of the left main coronary artery; branches of the Cx supply the left atrium, part of the lateral surface of the left ventricle, the inferior surface of the left ventricle in about 15% of people, the posterior surface of the left ventricle in 15%, the sinoatrial node in about 40%, and the atrioventricular bundle in 10% to 15%.
circumflex artery
Pathologic process characterized by progressive atherosclerotic narrowing and eventual obstruction of the coronary arteries.
coronary artery disease
The slurring of the upstroke of the first part of the QRS complex that occurs in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
delta wave
A drug that competitively binds with the acetylcholine receptor sites but is not affected as quickly by acetylcholinesterase; an example is succinylcholine chloride.
depolarizing neuromuscular blocker
An impulse or rhythm that originates from a site other than the SA node.
ectopic
Inflammation of the endocardium as a result of infection.
endocarditis
Failure of the anterior or posterior fascicles of the heart to conduct electrical impulses because of disease or ischemia.
fascicular block
A condition that may complicate any form of hypertension, and which is usually signaled by a sudden, marked rise in blood pressure to levels exceeding 200/130 mm Hg; also known as acute hypertensive crisis.
hypertensive encephalopathy
A condition in which the heart muscle wall is unusually thick, requiring the heart to pump harder to eject blood from the left ventricle.
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Related to only the ventricles; produced by the ventricles.
idioventricular
The three atrial pathways of electrical conduction that transmit impulses from the SA node to the AV node.
internodal pathways
Tissue anoxia caused by diminished blood flow, usually as a result of narrowing or occlusion of an artery.
ischemia
A dysrhythmia arising from the atrioventricular junction with an intrinsic rate of 40 to 60 beats/min; also called junctional rhythm.
junctional escape rhythm
One of the two branches of the left main coronary artery ; branches of the LAD supply the left ventricle, interventricular septum, and part of the right ventricle.
left anterior descending artery
Dilation of the left atrium that can occur in patients with valvular heart disease (particularly mitral or aortic valve stenosis), hypertensive disease, cardiomyopathy, or coronary artery disease; it can also occur in an athlete.
left atrial abnormality
A disorder that causes preexcitation of ventricular tissue and is characterized on ECG by a short PR interval and a normal QRS duration.
Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome
The hollow interior space within an artery or other hollow structure.
lumen
Having a common shape.
monomorphic
Arising from or pertaining to many foci or locations.
multifocal
Inflammation of the myocardium.
myocarditis
Severe dyspnea experienced when lying down that is relieved by a change in position, such as sitting up or standing.
orthopnea
A naturally occurring enzyme that dissolves the fibrin fibers in blood clots; usually present in the body in its inactive form, plasminogen.
plasmin
The palpable beat of the apex of the heart against the chest wall during ventricular contraction; normally palpated at the fifth left intercostal space along the midclavicular line.
point of maximal impulse
Early depolarization of ventricular tissue by means of an accessory pathway between the atria and ventricles.
preexcitation
A type of angina that occurs when a person is at rest, when oxygen needs are minimal; also called vasospastic angina.
Prinzmetal angina
A network of cardiac muscle fibers distributed throughout the inner surfaces of the ventricular walls that conducts the excitation impulse from the bundle branches to the ventricular myocardium.
Purkinje fibers
A single vector that represents the mean (or average) of all vectors created by the ventricles during depolarization.
QRS Axis
Deflection of the ECG produced by ventricular depolarization.
QRS Complex
Mirror-image J-point, ST-segment, and T-wave changes seen on the ECG during an ACS.
reciprocal changes
Spread of an impulse through tissue already stimulated by that same impulse.
reentry
The portion of the cardiac action potential that extends from the middle of phase 3 to the beginning of phase 4; during this time, the heart muscle has been partially repolarized and may depolarize in response to an electrical stimulus.
relative refractory period
An inflammatory disease caused by streptococcal bacteria; the disease can cause mitral or aortic valve stenosis.
rheumatic fever
Dilation of the right atrium that occurs when returning venous pressure is elevated or pulmonary pressure is high.
right atrial abnormality
Artery that provides oxygenated blood to the walls of the right atrium and ventricle, a portion of the inferior part of the left ventricle, and portions of the conduction system.
right coronary artery
A condition in which the right side of the heart must work increasingly hard to pump blood into engorged pulmonary vessels; eventually, it is unable to keep up with the increased workload.
right ventricular failure
The period between the onset of one QRS complex and the onset of the next QRS complex.
R-R interval
A disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes and characterized by a sore throat, fever, rash, and “strawberry tongue.”
scarlet fever
A variation of cycling of a sinus rhythm that is often associated with respiratory cycle fluctuations; the rate increases during inspiration and decreases during expiration.
sinus dysrhythmia
Angina pectoris characterized by periodic pain with a predictable pattern.
stable angina
A type of acute myocardial infarction in which the ischemic process affects only the inner layer of muscle.
subendocardial myocardial infarction
The upright, flat, or inverted wave following the QRS complex of the ECG, representing ventricular repolarization.
T Wave
A procedure intended to lower body temperature in patients who are in a coma after return of spontaneous circulation; ideally performed in the hospital setting; formerly called therapeutic hypothermia.
targeted temperature management
A blood clot that initially formed within a blood vessel but is now circulating through the bloodstream.
thromboembolism
A fixed blood clot that can obstruct passage of blood flow through an artery.
thrombus
A type of acute myocardial infarction in which the infarct extends through the entire wall of the ventricle.
transmural myocardial infarction
Blockage or impairment of all three components of the ventricular conduction system, with one working occasionally to provide AV conduction.
trifascicular block
A dysrhythmia in which every third complex is a premature complex, causing a normal–normal–early beat pattern; can be atrial, junctional, or ventricular.
trigeminy
A small, flat wave sometimes seen after the T wave and before the next P wave.
U wave
Arising from a single site.
unifocal
