The Cardiovascular System Flashcards
angi/o
Blood or lymph vessel
Arteri/o
artery
ather/o
Plaque or fatty substance
aort/o
Aorta
brady-
slow
-emia
Blood or blood conditions
erythr/o
Red
cardi/o
Heart
-crasia
A mixture or blending
hem/o
blood, relating to the blood.
phleb/o
Vein
leuk/o
white
thromb/o
clot
tachy-
fast, rapid
hemat/o
blood, relating to the blood
ven/o
vein
angina
A condition of episodes of severe chest pain due to inadequate blood flow to the myocardium.
ACE inhibitors
Blocks the action of the enzyme that causes the blood vessels to contract, resulting in hypertension.
anemia
A lower-than-normal number of erythrocytes (red blood cells) in the blood.
aneurysm
A localized weak spot or ballon-like enlargement of the wall of an artery
angioplasty
the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel
atheroma
A deposit of plaque on or within the arterial wall
anticoagulant
Medication that slows coagulation and prevents new clots from forming.
arrhythmia
The loss of the normal rhythm of the heartbeat
aplastic anemia
A condition characterized by the absence of all formed blood elements caused by the failure of blood cell production in the bone marrow.
atherectomy
Surgical removal of plaque buildup from the interior lining of an artery
automated external defibrillator
Electronic equipment that automatically samples the heart’s electric rhythms and when necessary, externally shocks the heart restore a normal cardiac rhythm.
atrial fibrillation
when the normal rhythmic contractions of the atria are replaced by rapid, uncontrolled twitching of the muscular heart wall.
atherosclerosis
Hardening and narrowing of the arteries due to a buildup of cholesterol plaque on the interior walls of the arteries
bradycardia
an abnormally slow resting heart rate.
beta-blocker
A medication that reduces the workload of the heart by slowing the rate of the heartbeat.
blood dyscrasia
Any pathologic condition of the cellular elements of the blood
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 is guided into the heart
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
chronic venous insufficiency
A condition in which venous circulation is inadequate due to partial vein blocking or leakage of venous valves
defibrillation
The use of electrical shock to restore the heart’s normal rhythm; also known as cardioversion
diuretic
Medication administered to stimulate the kidneys to increase the secretion of urine to rid the body of excess sodium and water
coronary artery disease
Atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries that reduces blood supply to the heart muscle
coronary thrombosis
Damage to the heart muscle caused by a thrombus blocking a coronary artery
electrocardiogram
A record of the electrical activity of the myocardium
erythrocytes
Mature red blood cells produced by the red bone marrow
embolus
A foreign object, such as a blood clot, quantity of air gas, or a bit of tissue or a tumor, that is circulating in the blood.
endocarditis
Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart
embolism
The sudden blockage of a blood vessel by an embolus
hemoglobin
The oxygen-carrying blood protein pigment of the erythocytes
hemostasis
To stop or control bleeding
hemolytic anemia
A condition of an inadequate number of circulating red blood cells due to the premature destruction of these cells by the spleen
leukemia
A type of cancer characterized by a progressive increase in the number of abnormal leukocytes (white blood cells) found in blood-forming tissue, other organs, and in the circulating blood
leukocytes
White blood cells that are involved in defending the body against infective organisms and foreign substances
megaloblastic anemia
A blood disorder characterized by anemia in which red blood cells are larger than normal
leukopenia
A decrease in a number of disease-fighting white blood cells circulating in the blood
myelodysplastic syndrome
A type of cancer in which there’s insufficient production of one or more types of blood cells due to dysfunction of the bone marrow.
orthostatic hypotension
Low blood pressure that occurs upon standing up; also known as postural hypotension
pericardium
The double-walled membranous sac that encloses the heart
pernicious anemia
A form of anemia caused by a lack of the protein that helps the body absorb vitamins B12, which is necessary for the formation of red blood cells
myocardial infraction
The occlusion (blockage) of one or more coronary arteries caused by a plaque buildup; commonly known as a heart attack
phlebitis
Inflammation of a vein
tachycardia
An abnormally rapid resting heart rate
sepsis
A potentially life-threatening infection that results from a bacteria or other infectious organism entering the bloodstream
sickle cell anemia
A genetic disorder that causes abnormal hemoglobin, resulting in some red blood cells assuming an abnormal sickle shape that interferes with normal blood flow
Raynaud’s disease
A peripheral arterial occlusive disease in which intermittent attacks are triggered by cold or stress
temporal arteritis
A form of vasculitis that can causes headaches, visual impairment, jaw pain and other symptoms
thrombolytic
Medication that dissolves or causes a thrombus to break up; also known as a clot-busting drug
thrombotic occlusion
The blocking of an artery by a thrombus
thallium stress test
A diagnostic test preformed to evaluate how well blood flows through the coronary arteries of the heart muscle during exercise
Thromboctopenia
A condition is an abnormally smaller number of platelets circulating in the blood
thrombosis
The abnormal condition of having a thrombus
valvulitis
Inflammation of the heart valve
Transfusion reaction
a serious condition 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
thrombus
A blood colt attached to the interior wall of a vein or an artery
varicose veins
Abnormally swollen veins, usually occurring in the superficial veins of the legs
ventricular fibrillation
The rapid, irregular, and useless contractions of the ventricles
ventricular tachycardia
A very rapid heartbeat that begins within the ventricales
