Chapter 5 Pathology, Diagnostic, Therapeutic, Pharmacology Flashcards
Cardiology
Branch of medicine involving diagnosis and treatment of conditions and diseases of cardiovascular system; physician is a cardiologist
Cardiovascular Technologist/Technician
Healthcare professional trained to perform variety of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures including electrocardiography, echocardiography, and exercise stress tests
Angiitis
Inflammation of a vessel
Angiospasm
Involuntary muscle contraction of smooth muscle in wall of a vessel; narrows vessel
Angiostenosis
Narrowing of a vessel
Embolus
Obstruction of blood vessel by blood clot that has broken off from thrombus somewhere else in body and traveled to point of obstruction; if it occurs in coronary artery, may result in myocardial infarction
Infarct
Area of tissue within organ or part that undergoes necrosis (death) following loss of its blood supply
Ischemia
Localized and temporary deficiency of blood supply due to obstruction to circulation
Murmur
A sound, in addition to normal heart sounds, arising from blood flowing through heart; extra sound may or may not indicate a heart abnormality
Orthostatic Hypotension
Sudden drop in blood pressure a person experiences when standing straight up suddenly
Palpitations
Pounding, racing heartbeats
Plaque
Yellow, fatty deposit of lipids in artery that is hallmark of atherosclerosis; also called an atheroma
Regurgitation
To flow backward; in cardiovascular system this refers to backflow of blood through a valve
Thrombus
Blood clot forming within blood vessel; may partially or completely occlude blood vessel
Angina Pectoris
Condition in which there is severe pain with sensation of constriction around heart; caused by deficiency of oxygen to heart muscle; commonly called chest pain (CP)
Cardiac Arrest
Complete stopping of heart activity
Cardiac Tamponade
Pressure on heart as a result of fluid buildup around heart inside pericardial sac; heart becomes unable to pump blood effectively
Cardiomegaly
Enlarged heart
Cardiomyopathy
General term for disease of myocardium; can be caused by alcohol abuse, parasites, viral infection, and congestive heart failure; one of most common reasons a patient may require heart transplant
Congenital Septal Defect
Hole, present at birth, in septum between two heart chambers; results in mixture of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood; can be an atrial septal defect (ASD) and a ventricular septal defect (VSD)
Congestive Heart Failure
Pathological condition of heart in which there is reduced outflow of blood from left side of heart because left ventricle myocardium has become too weak to efficiently pump blood; results in weakness, breathlessness, and edema
Coronary Artery Disease
Insufficient blood supply to heart muscle due to obstruction of one or more coronary arteries; may be caused by atherosclerosis and may cause angina pectoris and myocardial infarction
Endocarditis
Inflammation of lining membranes of heart; may be due to bacteria or to abnormal immunological response; in bacterial endocarditis, mass of bacteria that forms is referred to as vegetation
Heart Valve Prolapse
Condition in which cusps or flaps of heart valve are too loose and fail to shut tightly, allowing blood to flow backward through valve when heart chamber contracts; most commonly occurs in mitral valve, but may affect any of heart valves; also called heart valve incompetence or heart valve insufficiency
Heart Valve Stenosis
Condition in which cusps or flaps of heart valve are too stiff and are unable to open fully (making it difficult for blood to flow through) or shut tightly (allowing blood to flow backward); condition may affect any of heart valves
Myocardial Infarction
Condition caused by partial or complete occlusion or closing of one or more of coronary arteries; symptoms include squeezing pain or heavy pressure in (angina pectoris); delay in treatment could result in death; also referred to as a heart attack
Myocarditis
Inflammation of muscle layer of heart wall
Pericarditis
Inflammation of pericardial sac around heart
Tetralogy of Fallot
Combination of four congenital anomalies: pulmonary stenosis, interventricular septal defect, improper placement of aorta, and hypertrophy of right ventricle; needs immediate surgery to correct
Valvulitis
Inflammation of a heart valve
Arrhythmia
Irregularity in heartbeat or action; comes in many different forms; may be too fast, too slow, or irregular pattern; some are not serious, while others are life-threatening
Bradycardia
Condition of having a slow heart rate, typically less than 60 beats/minute; highly trained aerobic persons may normally have a slow heart rate
Bundle Branch Block
Occurs when electrical impulse is blocked from traveling down bundle of His or bundle branches; results in ventricles beating at different rate than atria; also called a heart block
Fibrillation
Extremely serious arrhythmia characterized by abnormal quivering or contraction of heart fibers; when this occurs in ventricles, cardiac arrest and death can occur; emergency equipment to defibrillate, or convert heart to normal beat, is necessary
Flutter
Arrhythmia in which atria beat too rapidly, but in regular pattern
Premature Atrial Contraction
Arrhythmia in which atria contract earlier than they should
Premature Ventricular Contraction
Arrhythmia in which ventricles contract earlier than they should
Tachycardia
Condition of having a fast heart rate, typically more than 100 beats/minute while at rest
Aneurysm
Weakness in wall of artery resulting in localized widening of artery; although aneurysm may develop in any artery, common sites include aorta in abdomen and cerebral arteries in brain
Arteriorrhexis
Ruptured artery; may occur if aneurysm ruptures arterial wall
Arteriosclerosis
Thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of walls of arteries; most often due to atherosclerosis
Atheroma
Deposit of fatty substance in wall of artery that bulges into and narrows lumen of artery; characteristic of atherosclerosis; also called a plaque
Atherosclerosis
Most common form of arteriosclerosis; caused by formation of yellowish plaques of cholesterol on inner walls of arteries
Coarctation of the Aorta
Severe congenital narrowing of aorta
Deep Vein Thrombosis
Formation of blood clot in a vein deep in the body, most commonly the legs; embolus breaking off from this thrombosis would travel to lungs and block blood flow through lungs
Hemorrhoid
Varicose veins in anal region
Hypertension
Blood pressure (BP) above normal range; essential or primary hypertension occurs directly from cardiovascular disease; secondary hypertension refers to high blood pressure resulting from another disease such as kidney disease
Hypotension
Decrease in blood pressure (BP); can occur in shock, infection, cancer, anemia, or as death approaches
Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Congenital heart anomaly in which fetal connection between pulmonary artery and aorta fails to close at birth; condition may be treated with medication and resolve with time; however, in some cases, surgery is required
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Any abnormal condition affecting blood vessels outside heart; symptoms may include pain, pallor, numbness, and loss of circulation and pulse
Phlebitis
Inflammation of a vein
Polyarteritis
Inflammation of several arteries
Raynaud’s Phenomenon
Periodic ischemic attacks affecting extremities of body, especially fingers, toes, ears, and nose; affected extremities become cyanotic and very painful; attacks are brought on by arterial constriction due to extreme cold or emotional stress
Thrombophlebitis
Inflammation of vein resulting in formation of blood clots within vein
Varicose Veins
Swollen and distended veins, usually in legs
Auscultation
Process of listening to sounds within body by using a stethoscope
Sphygmomanometer
Instrument for measuring blood pressure (BP); also referred to as blood pressure cuff
Stethoscope
Instrument for listening to body sounds (auscultation), such as chest, heart, or intestines
Cardiac Biomarkers
Blood test to determine level of proteins specific to heart muscle in blood; increase in these proteins may indicate heart muscle damage such as myocardial infarction; proteins include creatine kinase (CK) and troponin
Serum Lipoprotein Level
Blood test to measure amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in blood; indicator of atherosclerosis risk
Angiogram
X-ray record of vessel taken during angiography
Angiography
X-rays taken after injection of opaque material into blood vessel; can be performed on aorta as aortic angiography, on heart as angiocardiography, and on brain as cerebral angiography
Cardiac Scan
Patient is given radioactive thallium intravenously and then scanning equipment is used to visualize heart; especially useful in determining myocardial damage
Doppler Ultrasonography
Measurement of sound-wave echoes as they bounce off tissues and organs to produce an image; procedure is used to measure velocity of blood moving through blood vessels to look for blood clots or deep vein thromboses
Echocardiography
Noninvasive diagnostic procedure using ultrasound to visualize internal cardiac structures; cardiac valve activity can be evaluated using this method
Cardiac Catheterization
Passage of thin-tube catheter through blood vessel leading to heart; done to detect abnormalities, to collect cardiac blood samples, and to determine blood pressure within heart
Catheter
Flexible tube inserted into body for purpose of moving fluids into or out of body; in the cardiovascular system, a catheter is used to place dye into blood vessels so they may be visualized on X-rays
Electrocardiogram
Hardcopy record produced by electrocardiography
Electrocardiography
Process of recording electrical activity of heart; useful in diagnosis of abnormal cardiac rhythm and heart muscle (myocardium) damage
Holter Monitor
Portable ECG monitor worn by patient for a period of a few hours to a few days to assess heart and pulse activity as person goes through activities of daily living; used to assess patient who experiences chest pain and unusual heart activity during exercise and normal activities
Stress Testing
Method for evaluating cardiovascular fitness; patient is placed on treadmill or bicycle and then subjected to steadily increasing levels of work; EKG and oxygen levels are taken while patient exercises; test is stopped if abnormalities occur on EKG; also called exercise test or treadmill test
Aneurysmectomy
Surgical removal of sac of an aneurysm
Arterial Anastomosis
Surgical joining together of two arteries; performed if artery is severed or if damaged section of artery is removed
Atherectomy
Surgical procedure to remove deposit of fatty substance, atheroma, from artery
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
Open-heart surgery in which blood vessel from another location in body (often a leg vein) is grafted to route blood around blocked coronary artery
Embolectomy
Removal of embolus or clot from blood vessel
Endarterectomy
Removal of diseased or damaged inner lining of artery; usually performed to remove atherosclerotic plaques
Heart Transplantation
Replacement of diseased or malfunctioning heart with donor’s heart
Intracoronary Artery Stent
Placement of stent within coronary artery to treat coronary ischemia due to atherosclerosis
Ligation and Stripping
Surgical treatment for varicose veins; damaged vein is tied off (ligation) and removed (stripping)
Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty
Method for treating localized coronary artery narrowing; balloon catheter is inserted through skin into coronary artery and inflated to dilate narrow blood vessel
Stent
Stainless steel tube placed within blood vessel or duct to widen lumen (see again
Valve Replacement
Removal of diseased heart valve and replacement with artificial valve
Valvoplasty
Surgical procedure to repair a heart valve
ACE Inhibitor Drugs
Produce vasodilation and decrease blood benazepril, Lotensin; catopril, Capoten
Antiarrhythmic
Reduces or prevents cardiac arrhythmias flecainide, Tambocor; ibutilide, Corvert
Anticoagulant
Prevents blood clot formation heparin; warfarin, Coumadin
Antilipidemic
Reduces amount of cholesterol and lipids in bloodstream; treats hyperlipidemia atorvastatin, Lipitor; simvastatin, Zocor
Antiplatelet Agents
Inhibit ability of platelets to clump together as part of blood clot clopidogrel, Plavix; aspirin; ticlopidine, Ticlid
Beta-Blocker Drugs
Treat hypertension and angina pectoris by lowering heart rate metoprolol, Lopressor; propranolol, Inderal
Calcium Channel Blocker Drugs
Treat hypertension, angina pectoris, and congestive heart failure by causing heart to beat less forcefully and less often diltiazem, Cardizem; nifedipine, Procardia
Cardiotonic
Increases force of cardiac muscle contraction; treats congestive heart failure digoxin, Lanoxin
Diuretic
Increases urine production by kidneys, which works to reduce plasma and therefore blood volume, resulting in lower blood pressure furosemide, Lasix
Fibrinolytic
Dissolves existing blood clots tissue plasminogen activator (tPA); alteplase, Activase
Vasodilator
Relaxes smooth muscle in walls of arteries, thereby increasing diameter of blood vessel; used for two main purposes: increasing circulation to ischemic area and reducing blood pressure nitroglycerin, Nitro-Dur; hydralazine, Apresoline
Vasopressor
Contracts smooth muscle in walls of blood vessels; raises blood pressure dopamine, Myocard-DX; vasopressin, Vasostrict
