chapter 5 Flashcards
anemia
a lower than normal number of erythrocytes in the blood
aneurysm
a localized weak spot, or balloon-like enlargement, of the wall of an artery
Angina
a condition of episodes of severe chest pain due to inadequate blood flow to the myocardium
angioplasty
a procedure in which a small balloon is used to open a partially blocked coronary artery by flattening the plaque deposit and stretching the lumen
anticoagulant
slows coagulation and prevents new clots from forming
aplastic anemia
characterized by an absence of all formed blood elements caused by the failure of blood cell production in the bone marrow
arrhythmia
describes an abnormality, or the loss of the normal rhythm, of the heart
atherectomy
the surgical removal of plaque buildup from the interior of an artery
atheroma
a deposit of plaque on or within the arterial wall
atherosclerosis
hardening and narrowing of the arteries caused by a buildup of cholesterol plaque on the interior walls of the arteries
atrial fibrillation
occurs when the normal rhythmic contractions of the atria are replaced by rapid irregular twitching of the muscular heart wall
automated external defibrillator
designed for use by nonprofessionals in emergency situations when defibrillation is required
beta-blocker
reduces the workload of the heart by slowing the rate of the heart beat
blood dyscrasia
any pathologic condition of the cellular elements of the blood
bradycardia
an abnormally slow resting heart rate
cardiac arrest
an event in which the heart abruptly stops or develops a very abnormal arrhythmia that prevents it from pumping blood
cardiac endarterectomy
the surgical removal of the lining of a portion of a clogged carotid artery leading to the brain
cardiomyopathy
the term used to describe all diseases of the heart muscle
cholesterol
a fatty substance that travels through the blood and is found in all parts of the body
chronic venous insufficiency
a condition in which venous circulation is inadequate due to partial vein blockage or leakage of venous valves
coronary thrombosis
damage to the heart muscle caused by a thrombus blocking a coronary artery
defibrillation
the use of electrical shock to restore the heart’s normal rhythm
diuretic
administered to stimulate the kidneys to increase the secretion of urine to rid the body of excess sodium and water
electrocardiogram
a record of the electrical activity of the myocardium
embolism
the sudden blockage of a blood vessel by an embolus
embolus
a foreign object, such as a blood clot, quantity of air or gas, or a bit of tissue or tumor that is circulating in the blood
endocarditis
inflammation of the inner lining of the heart
erythrocytes
mature red blood cells produced by the red bone marrow (red blood cells - RBC)
hemoglobin
the iron-containing pigment of the erythrocytes
hemolytic anemia
a condition o fan inadequate number of circulating red blood cells due to the premature destruction of red blood cells by the spleen
hemostasis
to stop or control bleeding
ischemic heart disease
group of cardiac disabilities resulting from an insufficient supply of oxygenated blood to the heart
leukemia
a type of cancer characterized by a progressive increase in the number of abnormal leukocytes found in blood forming tissues, other organs, and in the circulating blood
leukocyte
the blood cells involved in defending the body against infective organisms and foreign substances (white blood cells - WBC)
leukopenia
describes any situation in which the total number of leukocytes in the circulating blood is less than normal
megaloblastic anemia
blood disorder characterized by anemia in which the red blood cells are larger than norm
myelodysplatic syndrome
a group of bone marrow disorders that are characterized by the insufficient production of one or more types of blood cells due to dysfunction of the bone marrow
myocardial infarction
the occlusion of one or more coronary arteries caused by plaque buildup (heart attack)
orthostatic hypotension
blood pressure that occurs upon standing u
paroxysmal atrial tachycardia
an episode that begins and ends abruptly during which there are very rapid and regular heartbeats that originate in the atrium
pericardium
the double-walled membranous sac that encloses the heart
pernicious anemia
caused by a lack of the protein intrinsic factor that helps the body absorb vitamin B-12 from the gastrointestinal tract
phlebitis
the inflammation of a vein
Raynaud’s phenomenon
a peripheral arterial occlusive disease in which intermittent attacks are triggered by cold or stress
septicemia
a systemic condition caused by the spread of microorganisms and their toxins via the circulating blood
sickle cell anemia
a genetic disorder that causes abnormal hemoglobin, resulting in some red blood cells assuming an abnormal sickle shape
tachycardia
an abnormally rapid resting heart rate
thallium stress test
performed to evaluate how well blood flows through the coronary arteries of the heart muscle during exercise
thrombocytopenia
condition in which there is an abnormally small number of platelets circulating in the blood
thrombosis
the abnormal condition of having a thrombus
transfusion reaction
a serious, and potentially fatal, complication of a blood transfusion in which a severe immune response occurs because the patient’s blood and the donated blood do not match
valvulitis
an inflammation of a heart valve
varicose veins
abnormally swollen veins, usually occurring in the superficial veins of the legs
ventricular fibrillation
the rapid, irregular, and useless contractions of the ventricles
ACE inhibitor
blocks the action of the enzyme that causes the blood vessels to contract resulting in hypertension
