pathology Flashcards
cardiology
brand of medicine concerned with diagnosis and treatment of conditions and diseases of cardiovascular system; physician is a cardiologist
cardiovascular technologist/technician
healthcare professional trained to perform a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures including invasive procedures, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and exercise stress tests
angititis
Inflammation of a vessel
angiospasm
involuntary muscle contraction of smooth muscle in wall of a vessel; narrows vessel
angiostenosis
narrowing of a vessel
bruit
A harsh, abnormal sound heard during auscultation over and artery
embolus
obstruction of blood vessel by blood clot that breaks off from thrombus somewhere else in body and travels through blood vessels until it becomes stuck in a narrow vessel, plugging it up; if it occurs in coronary artery, may result in MI
hyperlipidemia
condition of having excessive levels of lipids (fats), such as cholesterol, in bloodstream; risk factor for developing atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease
infarct
Area of tissue organ or part that undergoes necrosis (death) following loss of its blood supply
ischemia
condition of localized and temporary deficiency of blood supply due to obstruction holding back the 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 blood pressure a person experiences when standing up suddenly; also called postural hypotension
palpitations
pounding, racing heart
plaque
yellow, fatty deposit of lipids in artery that is hallmark of atherosclerosis; also called an atheroma
regurgitation
to flow backward; in cardiovascular system, refers to backflow of blood (returning again) through a valve
thrombus
blood clot forming within vessel; may partially or completely occluded blood vessel
angina pectoris
condition in which there is severe pain with sensation of restriction around heart; caused by deficiency of oxygen to heart muscle; commonly called chest pain
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 (heart muscle); can be caused by excessive alcohol use, parasites, viral infection, and congestive heart failure; one of most common reasons of patient may require heart transplant
congenital septal defect
hole, present at birth, in septum (wall) between two heart chambers; results in mixture of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood; can be in atrial septal defect (ASD) and a ventricle septal defect (VSD)
congestive heart failure
pathological condition of heart in which there is reduced outflow of blood from left side of heart because the left ventricle myocardium has become too weak to
efficiently pump blood; results in weakness, breathlessness, and edema