Chapter 18 Cardiovascualr Emergencies Flashcards
Acute coronary syndrome (ACS)
a term used to describe a group of symptoms caused by myocardial ischemia; includes angina and myocardial infarction.
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI)
Heart attack; death of heart muscle following obstruction of blood flow to it. Acute in this context means new or happening right now.
Angina pectoris
Short lived chest discomfort caused by a partial or temporary blockage of blood flow to the hear muscle.
Aorta
The main artery that receives blood from the left ventricle and delivers it to all the other arteries that carry blood to the tissues of the body.
Aortic aneurysm
A weakness in the wall of the aorta that makes it susceptible to rupture
Aortic valve
Between left ventricle and the aorta; keeps blood from flowing back into left ventricle after blood is ejected into the aorta.
Arteriosclerosis
Thickening of the arterial walls that results in a loss of elasticity and concomitant reduction in blood flow.
Artifact
A tracing on an electrocardiogram that is the result of interference, such as patient movement, rather than the heart’s electrical activity.
Asystole
Complete absence of heart electrical activity.
Atherosclerosis
Disorder in which cholesterol and possibly calcium build up inside the walls of blood vessels, forming plaque, which eventually leads to partial or complete blockage of blood flow; a plaque can become a site where blood clots can form, detach, and travel elsewhere in the circulatory system (embolize); the most common form of arteriosclerosis.
Atrioventricular (AV) node
Site located in the right atrium adjacent to the septum that is responsible for transiently slowing electrical conduction.
Atrioventricular valves
Two valves through which blood flows from the atria to the ventricles.
Atrium
One of the two (right and left) upper chambers of the heart.
Automaticity
Ability for cardiac muscle to create it’s own impulse to contract.
Bradycardia
Slow hear rate; less than 60 bpm in adults; less than 80 bpm in children; less than 100 bpm in infants.
Capillaries
Thin walled- vessels between arterioles and venules through which the exchange of o2, co2, nutirents and waste happens between tissue and blood.
Cardiac arrest
When heart fails to generate an effective and detectable blood flow; pulses are not palpable in cardiac arrest, even if muscular and electrical activity continues in the heart
Cardiac cycle
The repetitive pumping process that begins with the the onset of cardiac muscle contraction and ends just before the beginning of the next contraction.
Cardia output
The amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute; Calculated by multiplying the stroke volume by the pulse rate per minute.
Chordae tendineae
Fibrous tissue that attach to the valves in the heart and prevent them from inverting, preventing regurgitation of blood through the valves from the ventricles to the atria.
Chronotropic state
Related to control of the hearts contraction
Circumflex coronary artery
One of the two branches of the left main coronary artery.
Contractility
Strength of heart muscle contraction
Coronary arteries
Arteries that arise from the aorta shortly after it leaves the left ventricle and suppply the heart with oxygen and nutrients
Coronary artery disease
The condition that results when atherosclerosis and arterioscleosis is present in the arterial walls.
Coronary sinus
End of the great cardiac vein that collects blood returning from the walls of the heart
Defibrillate
To shock a fibrillating (chaotically beating) heart with specialized electrical current in an attempt to restore a normal rhythmic beat
Dependent edema
Swelling in part of the body closest to the ground, caused by collection of fluid in the tissues; possible sign of heart failure
Diastole
Relaxation phase of heart, when the ventricles are filling with blood
Dissecting aneurysm
A condition in which the inner layers of an artery, such as the aorta, become separated, allowing blood (at high pressures) to flow between the layers.
Dromotropic state
Control of the heart’s conduction rate
Ejection fraction
Portion of blood ejected from the ventricle during systole.
Endocardium
Thin membrane lining the inside of the heart
Epicardium
Layer of serous pericardium that lies closely against the heart; also called the visceral pericardium
Excitability
Property of cardiac cells that provides the cells with the ability to respond to electrical impulses.
Fibrinolytic therapy
Use of medications that act to dissolve blood clots.
Heart failure
Disorder in which the heart loses part of its ability to effectively pump blood, usually as a result of damage to the heart muscle and usually resulting in a backup of fluid into the lungs.
Hemoglobin
Iron-containing protein within red blood cells that has the ability to combine with oxygen; carries 97% of oxygen
hypertensive emergency
Excessively high blood pressure; can lead to aneurysm and stroke.
Inferior vena cava
One of the two largest veins in the body; carries blood from the lower extremities, pelvic and abdominal regions back to the heart.
inotropic state
Strength of the hearts contraction
Ischemia
Lack of oxygen that deprives tissues of the necessary nutrients, resulting from partial or complete blockage of blood flow; potentially reversible because permanent injury has not yet occurred.
Left anterior descending (LAD) artery
One of the two branches of the left main coronary artery, which is the largest and shortest of the myocardial blood vessels; this and the circumflex coronary artery supply blood to the left ventricle and other areas.
Lumen
Inside diameter of an artery or other hollow structure.
Mitral valve
Valve that separates the left atrum from the left ventricle
Orthopnea
Severe dyspnea experienced when lying down that is relieved by a change in position, such as sitting up or standing.
Papillary muscles
Specialized muscles that attach the ventricles to the cusps of the valves by muscular strands called chordae tendineae cordis.
Pedal edema
Swelling of the feet and ankles caused by collection of fluid in the tissues; a possible sign of heart failure.
Perfusion
Circulation of oxygenated blood within an organ or tissue in adequate amounts to meed cell’s needs
Pericardial fluid
Serous fluid that fills the space between the visceral pericardium and the parietal pericardium and helps to reduce friction.
Pericardial sac
A thick, fibrous membrane that surrounds the heart; also called the pericardium.
Pericardium
Thick fibrous membrane that surounds the heart
Plasma
Sticky yellow fluid made mostly of water, but also electrolytes, clotting factors, and blood cells, formed elements and nutrients. Transports cellular waste material to the organs of excretion
platelets
Disked shaped elements smaller than cells; essential in the formation of blood clot, and stops bleeding.
Pulmonary circulation
Right ventricle through pulmonary arteries to capillaries in the lungs, back to the left atrium through venules and pulmonary veins;
pulmonic valve
Semilunar valve that regulates blood flow between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery.
Semilunar valves
Two valves , aortic and pulmonic, divide the heart from the aorta and pulmonary arteries.
Sinoatrial (SA) node
Normal site of origin of electrical impulses; located high in the right atrium. Hearts natural pacemaker.
Starling law
Principle that states that if a muscle is stretched slightly before stimulation to contract, the muscle will contract harder; describes how increased venous return to the hear stretches the ventricles and allows for increased cardiac contractility
stroke volume
Volume of blood pumped from the left ventricle into the aorta with each ventricular contraction.
Superior vena cava
Principal vein draining blood from the upper portion of the body.
Systemic circulation
Blood flow in the rest of the body aside from the pulmonary circulation.
Thromboembolism
A blood clot that has formed within a blood vessel and is floating within the bloodstream.
Tricuspid valve
Valve in the heart that separates the right atrium from the right ventricle
Ventricle
Cardiac: Two lower chambers
Neurologic: hollow storage areas of brain.
Ventricular fibrillation (VF)
Disorganized, ineffective twitching of the ventricles, resulting in no blood flow and a state of cardiac arrest.
Ventricular tachycardia (VT)
Increased heart rate with signal starting from the ventricle instead of the atrium, may result in inadequate blood flow and eventually deteriorate into cardiac arrest.
