The Cardiovascular System Flashcards
angi/o
blood or lymph vessel
aort/o
aorta
arteri/o
artery
ather/o
plaque, fatty substance
brady-
slow
cardi/o
heart
-crasia
a mixture or blending
-emia
blood, blood condition
erythr/o
red
hem/o, hemat/o
blood, relating to the blood
leuk/o
white
phleb/o
vein
tachy-
fast, rapid
thromb/o
clot
ven/o
vein
ACE inhibitor
medication administered to treat hypertension and congestive heart failure.
anemia
a disorder characterized by a lower-than-normal number of erythrocytes (red blood cells) in the blood.
aneurysm
a localized weak spot or balloon-like enlargement of the wall of an artery.
angina
a condition in which severe episodes of chest pain occur due to an inadequate blood flow to the myocardium.
angioplasty
the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel.
anticoagulant
medication that slows coagulation and prevents new clots from forming.
aplastic anemia
a condition characterized by an absence of all formed blood elements caused by the failure of blood cell production in the bone marrow.
arrhythmia
a loss of the normal rhythm of the heartbeat.
atherectomy
surgical removal of plaque buildup from the interior of an artery.
atherosclerosis
hardening and narrowing of the arteries due to a buildup of cholesterol plaque on the interior walls of the arteries.
atrial fibrillation
rapid uncontrolled twitching of the muscular wall of the atria.
automated external defibrillator
electronic equipment that externally shocks the heart to restore a normal cardiac rhythm.
beta-blocker
medication administered to reduce the workload of the heart by slowing the rate of the heartbeat.
bradycardia
an abnormally slow resting heart rate, usually at a rate of less than 60 beats per minute.
cardiac arrest
an event in which the heart abruptly stops beating or develops an arrhythmia that prevents it from pumping blood effectively.
cardiac catheterization
a diagnostic and treatment procedure in which a catheter is passed into a vein or artery and guided into the heart.
cardiomyopathy
all diseases of the heart muscle.
carotid endarterectomy
“surgical removal of the lining of a portion of a clogged carotid artery leading to the brain.”
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 artery disease
atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries that reduces the blood supply to the heart muscle.
coronary thrombosis
damage to the heart muscle caused by a thrombus blocking a coronary artery.
defibrillation
the emergency use of electrical shock to restore the heart’s normal rhythm.
diuretic
“medication 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, a 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
red blood cells, produced by the red bone marrow; primary role of these cells is to transport oxygen to the tissues.
hemoglobin
oxygen-carrying blood protein pigment of the erythrocytes.
hemolytic anemia
condition characterized by an inadequate number of circulating red blood cells due to their premature destruction by the spleen.
hemorrhage
the loss of a large amount of blood in a short time.
hemostasis
to stop or control bleeding.
leukemia
a type of cancer characterized by a progressive increase in the number of abnormal white blood cells found in blood-forming tissues, other organs, and in the circulating blood.
leukocytes
white blood cells; involved in defending the body against infective organisms and foreign substances.
leukopenia
a decrease in the number of disease-fighting white blood cells circulating in the blood.
megaloblastic anemia
a blood disorder characterized by anemia in which red blood cells are larger than normal.
mitral valve prolapse
the abnormal protrusion of a heart valve that results in the inability of the valve to close completely.
myelodysplastic syndrome
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.
myocardial infarction
the occlusion of one or more coronary arteries caused by plaque buildup.
orthostatic hypotension
low blood pressure that occurs upon standing up.
pericardium
the double-walled membranous sac that encloses the heart.
pernicious anemia
“anemia caused by a lack of the protein intrinsic factor (IF) that helps the body absorb vitamin B12 from the astrointestinal tract.”
phlebitis
inflammation of a vein.
Raynaud’s disease
a peripheral arterial occlusive disease in which intermittent attacks are triggered by cold or stress.
sepsis
a potentially life-threatening infection that results from bacteria or other infectious organisms entering the bloodstream.
sickle cell anemia
“a serious genetic disorder that causes abnormal hemoglobin, resulting in some red blood cells assuming an abnormal sickle shape. This sickle shape interferes with normal blood flow, resulting in damage to most of the body systems.”
tachycardia
an abnormally rapid resting heartbeat usually at a rate of more than 100 beats per minute.
temporal arteritis
inflammation of the temporal arteries that can cause headache, visual impairment, or other symptoms.
thallium stress test
“a nuclear imaging test performed to evaluate how well blood flows through the coronary arteries of the heart muscle during exercise by injecting a small amount of thallium into the bloodstream.”
thrombocytopenia
a condition in which there is an abnormally small number of platelets circulating in the blood.
thrombolytic
medication that dissolves or causes a thrombus to break up.
thrombosis
the abnormal condition of having a thrombus.
thrombotic occlusion
the blocking of an artery by a thrombus.
thrombus
a blood clot attached to the interior wall of an artery or vein.
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.
varicose veins
abnormally swollen veins usually occurring in the superficial veins of the legs.
venous thromboembolism
a blood clot that originates in a vein.
ventricular fibrillation
rapid, irregular, and useless contractions of the ventricles.
ventricular tachycardia
a very rapid heartbeat that begins within the ventricles.
