chapter 5 Flashcards
valvulitis
Inflammation of a heart valve.
thrombus
A blood clot attached to the interior wall of a vein or an artery.
thrombosis
The abnormal condition of having a thrombus.
thrombolytic
Medication that dissolves or causes a thrombus to break up; also known as a clot-busting drug.
thrombocytopenia
A condition in which there is an abnormally small number of platelets circulating in the blood.
tachycardia
An abnormally rapid resting heart rate.
sepsis
A potentially life-threatening infection that results from bacteria or other infectious organisms entering the bloodstream.
phlebitis
Inflammation of a vein.
pericardium
The double-walled membranous sac that encloses the heart.
leukopenia
A decrease in the number of disease-fighting white blood cells circulating in the blood.
leukocytes
White blood cells that are involved in defending the body against infective organisms and foreign substances.
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.
hemostasis
to stop or control bleeding
erythrocytes
mature red blood cell
endocaritis
Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart.
embolus
A foreign object that is circulating in the blood.
electrocardiogram
A record of the electrical activity of the myocardium.
cholesterol
A fatty substance that travels through the blood and is found in all parts of the body.
carotid endarterectomy
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.
bradycardia
An abnormally slow resting heart rate.
blood dyscrasia
Any pathologic condition of the cellular elements of the blood.
beta blocker
A medication that reduces the workload of the heart by slowing the rate of the heartbeat.
atherosclerosis
Hardening and narrowing of the arteries due to a buildup of cholesterol plaque on the interior walls of the arteries.
atheroma
A deposit of plaque on or within the arterial wall
atherectomy
Surgical removal of plaque buildup from the interior lining of an artery.
anticoagulant
Medication that slows coagulation and prevents new clots from forming.
angioplasty
The technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel.
aneurysm
A localized weak spot or balloon-like enlargement of the wall of an artery.
A very rapid heartbeat that begins within the ventricles.
ventricular tachycardia
The rapid, irregular, and useless contractions of the ventricles.
ventricular fibrulation
Abnormally swollen veins, usually occurring in the superficial veins of the legs.
varicose veins
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.
transfusion reaction
The blocking of an artery by a thrombus.
thrombotic occlusion
A condition in which there is an abnormally small number of platelets circulating in the blood.
thrombocytopenia
A diagnostic test performed to evaluate how well blood flows through the coronary arteries of the heart muscle during exercise.
thallium stress test
A form of vasculitis that can cause headaches, visual impairment, jaw pain, and other symptoms.
temporal arteritis
A potentially life-threatening infection that results from bacteria or other infectious organisms entering the bloodstream.
sepsis
A peripheral arterial occlusive disease in which intermittent attacks are triggered by cold or stress.
raynaud’s disease
A form of anemia caused by a lack of the protein that helps the body absorb vitamin B12
pernicious anemia
Low blood pressure that occurs upon standing up; also known as postural hypotension.
orthostatic hypotension
The occlusion of one or more coronary arteries caused by plaque buildup
myocardial infarction
A type of cancer in which there is insufficient production of one or more types of blood cells due to dysfunction of the bone marrow.
myelodysplastic syndrome
A blood disorder characterized by anemia in which red blood cells are larger than normal.
megaloblastic anemia
The oxygen-carrying blood protein pigment of the erythocytes.
hemoglobin
A foreign object that is circulating in the blood.
embolus
The sudden blockage of a blood vessel by an embolus.
embolism
Medication administered to stimulate the kidneys to increase the secretion of urine to rid the body of excess sodium and water.
diuretic
The use of electrical shock to restore the heart’s normal rhythm; also known as cardioversion.
defibrillation
Damage to the heart muscle caused by a thrombus blocking a coronary artery.
coronary thrombosis
Atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries that reduces blood supply to the heart muscle.
coronary artery disease
A condition in which venous circulation is inadequate due to partial vein blockage or leakage of venous valves.
chronic venous insufficiency
A diagnostic and treatment procedure in which a catheter is passed into a vein or an artery and is guided into the heart.
cardiac catherization
An event in which the heart abruptly stops beating or develops an arrhythmia that prevents it from pumping blood effectively.
cardiac arrest
A medication that reduces the workload of the heart by slowing the rate of the heartbeat.
beta blocker
Electronic equipment that automatically samples the heart’s electrical rhythms and when necessary, externally shocks the heart to restore a normal cardiac rhythm.
automated external defibrillator
When the normal rhythmic contractions of the atria are replaced by rapid, uncontrolled twitching of the muscular heart wall.
atrial fibrillation
The loss of the normal rhythm of the heartbeat.
arrhythmia
A condition characterized by the absence of all formed blood elements caused by the failure of blood cell production in the bone marrow.
aplastic anemia
A condition of episodes of severe chest pain due to inadequate blood flow to the myocardium.
angina
A lower-than-normal number of erythrocytes in the blood.
anemia
Blocks the action of the enzyme that causes the blood vessels to contract, resulting in hypertension.
ACE inhibitor
