Vocabulary Flashcards
A term used to describe a group of symptoms caused by myocardial ischemia: includes angina and myocardial infarction
Acute coronary syndrome
Heart attack; death of the heart muscle following obstruction of blood flow to it, Acute in this context means new or happening now
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI)
The pressure in the aorta against which the left ventricle must pump blood; increasing this pressure can decrease cardiac output
Afterload
Short lived chest discomfort caused by partial or temporary blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle
Angina pectoris
The main artery that receives blood from the left ventricle and delivers it to all the other arteries that carry blood to the tissues of the body
Aorta
A weakness in the wall of the aorta that makes it susceptible to rupture
Aortic aneurysm
The one way semilunar valve that lies between the left ventricle and the aorta; keeps blood from flowing back into the left ventricle after the left ventricle ejects its blood into the aorta and is one of four heart valves
Aortic valve
Vessels of the circulatory system that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart
Arteries
The smallest branches of arteries leading to the vast network of capillaries
Arterioles
The thickening of the arterial walls that result in a loss of elasticity and concomitant reduction in blood flow
Arteriosclerosis
A tracing on an electrocardiogram that is the result of interference , such as patient movement, rather then the hearts electrical activity
Artifact
Complete absence of heart electrical activity
Asystole
A disorder in which cholesterol and possibly calcium build up inside the walls of blood vessels, forming plaque, which eventually leads to partial or complete blockage of blood flow; a plaque can become a site where blood clots can form, detach, and travel elsewhere in the circulatory system.
Atherosclerosis
