Chapter 17 Cardiovascular Emergencies: Vital Vocabulary Flashcards
A term describing the shape of the QRS complex in aberrantly (abnormally) conducted beats.
aberration
The early phase of cardiac repolarization, wherin the heart muscle cannot be stimulated to depolarize; also known as the effective refractory period.
absolute refractory period (ARP)
A series of cardiac conditions caused by an abrupt reduction in coronary artery blood flow.
acute coronary syndromes (ACSs)
Cardiac ischemia that occurs when sudden narrowing or complete occlusion of a coronary artery leads to death (necrosis) of myocardial tissue.
acute myocardial infarction (AMI)
Pertaining to the period of dying.
agonal
A ventricular rate of less than 20 beats/min; this rhythm is seen just before the heart stops beating altogether.
agonal rhythm
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
An outpouching or bulge in the wall of a portion of the aorta, caused by weakening and dilation of the vessel wall; a ruptured aortic aneurysm is life threatening.
aortic aneurysm
The absence of any cardiac rhythm or organized activity; asystole or ventricular standstill.
arrhyhthmia
A pathologic condition in which the thickening and stiffening of the arterial walls makes the arteries less elastic.
arteriosclerosis
An artificial product; in cardiology, used to refer to noise or interference in an ECG tracing.
artifact
The absence of ventricular contraction or electrical activity; a straight-line or flat-line ECG.
asystole
A mass of fatty tissue that gradually calcifies, hardening into an atheromatous plaque that infiltrates the arterial wall, diminishing its elasticity.
atheroma
An accumulation of fat inside a blood vessel that narrows the diameter of the lumen.
atherosclerosis
The portion of the conduction system of the heart that consists of the AV node and the nonbranching portion of the bundle of His.
atrioventricular (AV) junction
A group of cells that slows the electrical impulses from the sinoatrial node before relaying it to the ventricles; located in the floor of the right atrium immediately behind the tricuspid valve and near the opening of the coronary sinus.
atrioventricular (AV) node
On an ECG, leads aVR, aVL, and aVF. They contain only one true pole; the other is a combination of information from other leads. A standard 12-lead ECG consists of the three augmented leads, along with the three standard limb leads and the six precordial leads.
augmented limb leads
A smart defibrillator that can analyze the patient’s ECG rhythm, determine whether a defibrillating shock is needed, and guide the user through the resuscitation effort via voice commands.
automated external defibrillator (AED)
Movement of the heart’s QRS axis to the right or left of its normal position.
axis deviation
The classic trio of signs associated with cardiac tamponade: narrowed pulse pressure, muffled heart tones, and jugular vein distention.
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
A dysrhythmia in which every other complex is a premature complex, causing a normal-early beat-normal-early beat pattern; can be atrial, junctional, or ventricular.
bigeminy
On an ECG, leads that contain both a positive and a negative pole: leads I, II, and III.
bipolar leads
