Heart & Vascular Terminology Flashcards
Ablation
Elimination or removal
Aneurysm
A sac-like protrusion from a blood vessel or the heart, resulting from a weakening of the vessel wall or heart muscle.
Angina
Chest pain that occurs when diseased blood vessels restrict blood flow to the heart.
Angiography
An X-ray technique in which dye is injected into the chambers of your heart or the arteries that lead to your heart (the coronary arteries)
Angioplasty
A nonsurgical technique for treating diseased arteries by temporarily inflating a tiny balloon inside an artery
Anti-arrhythmic
Medicines used to treat patients who have irregular heart rhythms.
Anticoagulant
Any medicine that keeps blood from clotting; a blood thinner
Anti-hypertensive
Any medicine or other therapy that lowers blood pressure.
Antiplatelet Therapy
Medicines that stop blood cells (called platelets) from sticking together and forming a blood clot.
Arrhythmia (Dysrhythmia)
Abnormal heartbeat
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD)
A type of cardiomyopathy with no known cause
Causes ventricular arrhythmias
Arteriography
A test that is combined with cardiac catheterization to visualize an artery or the arterial system after injection of a contrast dye
Arteritis
Inflammation of the arteries
Arteriosclerosis
A disease process, commonly called “hardening of the arteries”, which includes a variety of conditions that cause artery walls to thicken and lose elasticity
Aspirin (Acetylsalicylic acid)
A medicine used to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and prevent blood clots
Atherectomy
A nonsurgical technique for treating diseased arteries with a rotating device that cuts or shaves away material that is blocking or narrowing an artery.
Atherosclerosis
A disease process that leads to the buildup of a waxy substance, called plaque, inside blood vessels
Atrial Flutter
A type of arrhythmia in which the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat very fast, causing the walls of the lower chambers (the ventricles) to beat inefficiently as well
Atrial Tachycardia
A type of arrhythmia that begins in the heart’s upper chambers (the atria) and causes a very fast heart rate of 160 to 200 bpm
Atrioventricular Block
An interruption or disturbance of the electrical signal between the heart’s upper two chambers (the atria) and lower two chambers (the ventricles).
Atrioventricular (AV) Node
A group of cells in the heart located between the upper two chambers (the atria) and the lower two chambers (the ventricles) that regulates the electrical current that passes through it to the ventricles
Bacterial Endocarditis
A bacterial infection of the lining of the heart’s chambers (called the endocardium) or of the heart’s valves
Balloon Catheter (Used in angioplasty or valvuloplasty)
A long tube-like device with a small balloon on the end that can be threaded through an artery
Balloon Valvuloplasty (Repair heart valve)
- A balloon-tipped catheter is threaded through an artery and into the heart.
- The balloon is inflated to open and separate any narrowed or stiffened flaps (called leaflets) of a valve.
Beta-blocker
An antihypertensive medicine that limits the activity of epinephrine (hormone that increases BP)
Blood clot
- A jelly-like mass of blood tissue formed by clotting factors in the blood.
- Clots stop the flow of blood from an injury.
- Clots can also form inside an artery when the artery’s walls are damaged by atherosclerotic buildup, possibly causing a heart attack or stroke.
Blood Pressure
The force or pressure exerted by the heart in pumping blood; the pressure of blood in the arteries.
Bruit
A sound made in the blood vessels resulting from turbulence, perhaps because of a buildup of plaque or damage to the vessels
Bundle Branch Block (Cause arrhythmia)
A condition in which parts of the heart’s conduction system are defective and unable to conduct the electrical signal normally, causing an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
Bypass
Surgery that can improve blood flow to the heart (or other organs and tissues) by providing a new route, or “bypass” around a section of clogged or diseased artery
Calcium Channel Blocker (AKA Calcium Blocker)
A medicine that lowers blood pressure by regulating calcium-related electrical activity in the heart.
Cardiac Arrest
The stopping of the heartbeat, usually because of interference with the electrical signal (often associated with coronary heart disease).
Cardiac Cathetertization
A procedure that involves inserting a fine, hollow tube (catheter) into an artery, usually in the groin area, and passing the tube into the heart.
Cardiac Enzymes
- Complex substances capable of speeding up certain biochemical processes in the heart muscle.
- Abnormal levels = Heart attack
Cardiomyopathy
A disease of the heart muscle that leads to generalized deterioration of the muscle and its pumping ability
Cardiomegaly
Enlarged heart
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
An emergency measure that can maintain a person’s breathing and heartbeat.
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
A general term referring to conditions affecting the heart (cardio) and blood vessels (vascular system).
Cardioversion
A technique of applying an electrical shock to the chest to convert an abnormal heartbeat to a normal rhythm
Claudication
A tiredness or pain in the arms and legs caused by an inadequate supply of oxygen to the muscles, usually due to narrowed arteries or peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Commissurotomy
A procedure used to widen the opening of a heart valve that has been narrowed by scar tissue
Congenital Heart Defects
Malformation of the heart or of its major blood vessels present at birth.
Congestive Heart Failure
A condition in which the heart cannot pump all the blood returning to it, leading to a backup of blood in the vessels and an accumulation of fluid in the body’s tissues, including the lungs.
Coronary Artery Anomaly (CAA)
A congenital defect in one or more of the coronary arteries of the heart
Coronary Artery Bypass (CAB)
- Surgical rerouting of blood around a diseased vessel that supplies blood to the heart.
- Done by grafting either a piece of vein from the leg or a piece of the artery from under the breastbone.
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
- A narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart.
- The condition results from a buildup of plaque and greatly increases the risk of a heart attack.