Medical Terminology - Chapter 11
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148 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Angiogram | X-ray record of a blood vessel. |
| Angioplasty | Surgical repair of a blood vessel. |
| Anoxia | Lack of oxygen in body tissues. |
| Aorta | Largest artery in the body. |
| Aortic stenosis | Narrowing of the aorta. |
| Arrhythmia | Without rhythm; an irregular beat of the heart. |
| Arterial anastomosis | Surgical connection between two arteries. |
| Arteriography | X-ray recording of arteries; contrast is injected. |
| Arteriole | Small artery. |
| Arteriosclerosis | Hardening of an artery with collection of fatty plaque. |
| Artery | Largest type of blood vessel. |
| Atherectomy | Removal of plaque (lipids and clots) that accumulate in the lining of an artery. |
| Atheroma | Mass of fatty plaque that collects in an artery. |
| Atherosclerosis | Form of arteriosclerosis in which fatty plaque deposits in the interior lining of an artery. |
| Atrial | Pertaining to an atrium (upper chamber of the heart). |
| Atrioventricular bundle | Specialized muscle fibers connecting the atria with the ventricles and transmitting impulses between them; bundle of His. |
| Atrioventricular node | Specialized tissue in the wall between the atria. Electrical impulses pass from the sino-atrial node (pacemaker) through the atrioventricular node and atrioventricular bundle (bundle of His) toward the ventricles. |
| Atrium (pl. atria) | Upper chamber of the heart. |
| Brachial artery | Artery that carries blood to the arm. |
| Bradycardia | Slow heartbeat. |
| Bundle of His | Atrioventricular bundle. |
| Capillary | Smallest blood vessel. |
| Carbon dioxide | Gas released by body cells and carried by veins to the heart, and then to the lungs for exhalation; CO2. |
| Cardiomegaly | Enlargement of the heart. |
| Cardiomyopathy | Disease of heart muscle. |
| Coronary arteries | Branches of the aorta bringing oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. |
| Cyanosis | Abnormal condition of blueness of the skin; caused by decreased oxygen and increased carbon dioxide in the blood. |
| Deoxygenated blood | Blood that is oxygen-poor. |
| Diastole | Relaxation phase of the heartbeat. |
| Electrocardiogram | Record of the electricity flowing through the heart. |
| Endocardium | Inner lining of the heart. |
| Endothelium | Innermost lining of blood vessels. |
| Hypercholesterolemia | High levels of cholesterol in the blood. |
| Hypoxia | Hypoxia is deficiency of oxygen in body tissues. |
| Interventricular septum | Wall between the ventricles of the heart. |
| Mitral valve | Valve between the left atrium and left ventricle; bicuspid valve. |
| Mitral valvulitis | Inflammation of the mitral valve. |
| Myocardium | Muscular layer of the heart. |
| Myxoma | Rare neoplasm of connective tissue found in the heart muscle. |
| Normal sinus rhythm | Heart rhythm originating in the sinoatrial node. |
| Oxygen | A gas that enters the body through the lungs and travels to the heart to be distributed by arterial blood to all parts of the body. |
| Pacemaker | Specialized nervous tissue in the wall of the right atrium; it begins the heartbeat; sinoatrial node. |
| Pericardiocentesis | Surgical puncture to remove fluid within the pericardial space surrounding the heart. |
| Pericardium | Double-layered membrane surrounding the heart. |
| Phlebotomy | Incision into a vein. |
| Pulmonary artery | Blood vessel carrying oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs. |
| Pulmonary circulation | Flow of blood from the heart to the lungs and then back to the heart. |
| Pulmonary valve | A valve located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. |
| Pulmonary vein | One of two pairs of vessels carrying oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart. |
| Pulse | Beat of the heart as felt through the walls of the arteries. |
| Septum (pl. septa) | Wall or partition. The interatrial septum lies between the atria of the heart and the interventricular septum is between the ventricles of the heart. |
| Sinoatrial node | Sensitive nervous tissue in the wall of the right atrium; pacemaker of the heart. |
| Sphygmomanometer | Instrument to measure blood pressure. |
| Stethoscope | Instrument for listening to sounds in the chest. |
| Systemic circulation | Flow of blood from body tissues to the heart and from the heart back to the tissues. |
| Systole | Contraction phase of the heartbeat. |
| Tachycardia | Rapid heartbeat. |
| Thrombolysis | Destruction of a clot. |
| Thrombophlebitis | Inflammation of a vein and formation of a clot within the vein. |
| Tricuspid valve | A valve located between the right atrium and right ventricle. |
| Valve | Structure in a vein or in the heart that temporarily closes an opening so that blood flows in the proper direction. |
| Valvotomy | Incision of a valve. |
| Valvuloplasty | Surgical repair of a valve. |
| Vascular | Pertaining to a blood vessel. |
| Vasoconstriction | Narrowing of a blood vessel. |
| Vasodilation | Widening of a blood vessel; vasodilatation. |
| Vein | Thin-walled blood vessel that carries oxygen-poor (deoxygenated) blood from body tissues back to the heart. |
| Vena cava (pl. venae cavae) | Largest vein in the body. The venae cavae (inferior and superior) return blood to the heart from the body tissues. |
| Venipuncture | Incision of a vein to remove blood. |
| Venous | Pertaining to a vein. |
| Ventricle | One of two lower chambers of the heart. |
| Venule | Small vein. |
| ACE inhibitor | Drug that causes dilation of blood vessels and lowers blood pressure, prevents heart attacks, strokes, and congestive heart failure. ACE stands for angiotensin-converting enzyme, which normally constricts blood vessels. |
| Acute coronary syndromes | Consequences of plaque rupture in coronary arteries; unstable angina and myocardial infarction (heart attack). |
| Aneurysm | Local widening or ballooning out of a small area of an artery. |
| Angina | Chest pain associated with myocardial ischemia. |
| Angiography | X-ray imaging of blood vessels after injection of contrast material. |
| Atrioventricular block | Failure of conduction of impulses from the AV node to the atrioventricular bundle and ventricles of the heart. |
| Atrial fibrillation | Electrical impulses move randomly throughout the atria, causing the atria to quiver instead of contracting with a normal rhythm. |
| Auscultation | Use of a stethoscope to listen for sounds emanating from the heart or other organs. |
| Beta-blocker | Drug used to treat high blood pressure and control heart rate. |
| Bruit | An abnormal blowing or swishing sound heard on auscultation of an artery or an organ. |
| Calcium channel blocker | Drug used to treat chest pain (angina) and high blood pressure (hypertension). |
| Cardiac arrest | Sudden, unexpected stoppage of the heart; sudden cardiac death. |
| Cardiac catheterization | Thin, flexible tube is guided into the heart via a vein or an artery and after contrast material is introduced, blood pressure is measured, and x-rays taken to image patterns of blood flow. |
| Cardiac MRI | Images of the heart are produced with magnetic waves. |
| Cardiac tamponade | Pressure on the heart caused by fluid in the pericardial space. |
| Cardioversion | Treatment for serious arrhythmias using brief discharges of electricity to shock the heart so that a normal rhythm can begin; defibrillation. |
| Claudication | Pain, tension, and weakness in a leg after walking has begun, but absence of pain at rest. |
| Coarctation of the aorta | Congenital anomaly in which a portion of the aorta near the heart is narrowed or stenosed. |
| Computerized tomography angiography | X-ray images are combined with computerized tomography to produce a three-dimensional picture of the heart and blood vessels. |
| Congenital heart disease | Structural heart defects that appear at birth. |
| Congestive heart failure | Heart is unable to pump its required amount of blood. |
| Coronary artery disease | Arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle become clogged and blocked with deposits of fatty material and cholesterol (plaque). |
| Coronary artery bypass grafting | Arteries or veins are grafted onto coronary arteries to bypass blocked arteries and bring need blood supply to the myocardium. |
| Deep-vein thrombosis | Blood clots form in a large vein, usually in the leg. |
| Digoxin | Drug that increases the strength and regularity of the heartbeat. |
| Digital subtraction angiography | Video equipment, computer and x-ray machine produce images of blood vessels before and after injecting contrast material. |
| Doppler ultrasound | Method of focusing sound waves on blood vessels to measure blood flow. |
| Echocardiography | High-energy sound waves are transmitted into the chest and images recorded of valves, chambers, surfaces and movement of the heart. |
| Electrocardiography | Process of recording the electricity flowing through the heart. |
| Electron beam computed tomography | Electron beams and CT identify calcium deposits in and around coronary arteries to diagnose early coronary artery disease. |
| Embolus (pl. emboli) | A clot or other substance that travels to a distant location and suddenly blocks a blood vessel. |
| Endarterectomy | Surgical removal of plaque from the inner layer of an artery. |
| Endocarditis | Inflammation of the endocardium (inner lining of the heart). |
| Extracorporeal circulation | Use of a heart-lung machine to divert blood from the heart and lungs during open heart surgery. |
| Fibrillation | Random, rapid, inefficient, irregular contractions of the atria or ventricles. |
| Flutter | Rapid, but regular contractions of the heart, usually of the atria. |
| Heart transplantation | Donor heart is transferred to a recipient. |
| Hemorrhoids | Swollen, twisted veins in the rectal and anal region. |
| Holter monitoring | Compact version of an electrocardiograph is worn during a 24-hour period to detect cardiac arrhythmias. |
| Hypertension | High blood pressure. |
| Implantable cardioverter defibrillator | Small electric device implanted inside the chest (near the collarbone) to sense arrhythmias and terminate them to restore normal sinus rhythm. |
| Infarction | Area of dead tissue. |
| Ischemia | Holding back blood to an region of the body. Myocardial ischemia is deprivation of blood to the heart muscle. |
| Left ventricular assist device | Booster pump implanted in the abdomen with a tube inserted into the left ventricle. An LVAD is a "bridge to transplant" or destination therapy when heart transplantation is impossible. |
| Lipid tests | Measurement of cholesterol and triglycerides (fats) in a sample of blood. |
| Lipoprotein electrophoresis | Lipoproteins (combinations of fat and protein) are physically separated in a blood sample. Examples of lipoproteins are HDL (high density lipoprotein) and LDL (low density lipoprotein). |
| Mitral stenosis | Narrowing of the mitral valve. |
| Mitral valve prolapse | Abnormal closure of the mitral valve so that blood refluxes backward into the left atrium during ventricular contraction. |
| Murmur | Extra sound heard between normal beats during auscultation of the heart. |
| Myocardial infarction | Area of dead (necrotic) tissue in the heart muscle; heart attack. |
| Nitroglycerin | Drug used in the treatment of angina (pectoris). It dilates coronary arteries so that more blood flows to heart muscle. |
| Occlusion | Blockage or closure of a vessel or tube. |
| Palpitations | Uncomfortable sensations in the chest related to cardiac arrhythmias, such as skipped beats. |
| Patent ductus arteriosus | The ductus arteriosus, a small duct that is open during fetal circulation, fails to close at birth. |
| Percutaneous coronary | A catheter with a balloon and stent is inserted into a intervention coronary artery to remove collections of plaque. Drug-eluting stents release chemicals to keep debris and plaque from recollecting. |
| Pericardial friction rub | Scraping or grating sound heard on auscultation of the heart. It is usually symptomatic of pericarditis. |
| Pericarditis | Inflammation of the pericardium (double-layered outermost membrane of the heart). |
| Peripheral vascular disease | Blockage of blood vessels outside the heart. Carotid artery occlusion is an example. |
| Petechiae | Small pinpoint hemorrhages under the skin. |
| Positron emission tomography | Images show blood flow and myocardial function following uptake of radioactive substances. |
| Radiofrequency catheter ablation | To treat certain cardiac arrhythmias, radiofrequency energy is delivered from the tip of a catheter inserted through a blood vessel into the heart. The treatment destroys or ablates the tissue causing the arrhythmia. |
| Raynaud disease | Recurrent episodes of pallor and cyanosis in fingers and toes caused by blood vessel spasms. |
| Rheumatic heart disease | Heart disease caused by rheumatic fever. |
| Septal defects | Small holes, present at birth, in the walls between the heart chambers. |
| Serum enzyme tests | Chemicals measured in the blood as evidence of a heart attack. Examples are creatine kinase (CK), troponin-I (cTnI), and troponin T (cTnT). |
| Statins | Drugs given to lower cholesterol in the bloodstream. |
| Stress test | Exercise tolerance test (ETT) is used to determine the heart's response to physical exertion. |
| Telemetry | Continuous monitoring of a patient's heart rhythm in a hospital. |
| Tetralogy of Fallot | Four separate defects of the heart occurring at birth. |
| Technetium 99m sestamibi | Uptake of a radioactive chemical (technetium 99m scan sestamibi) in myocardium reveals evidence of a heart attack (myocardial infarction). |
| Thallium 201 scan | Concentration of a radioactive substance (thallium 201) is measured in the myocardium to show evidence of an infarction ("cold spots"). |
| Thrill | Fine vibration felt on palpation (touching) the body over a blood vessel that is blocked. |
| Thrombolytic therapy | Injection of drugs (streptokinase and tPA) to dissolve clots in the bloodstream. |
| Thrombotic occlusion | Blockage of a blood vessel caused by thrombosis or clot formation. |
| Varicose veins | Swollen, twisted veins, often occurring in the legs. |
| Vegetations | Collections of clotted material that accumulate on endocardium and valves of the heart in conditions such as endocarditis and rheumatic heart disease. |
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