| Term | Definition |
|---|
| aortic area | The aortic area is found in the 2nd ICS along the RSB (right sternal border) which overlies the aorta |
| apex | the end or extremity of a structure such as the apex of the heart; lowest superficial part of the heart |
| epigastric area | area above the stomach |
| Erb's point (ectopic) | landmark of the brachial plexus on the upper trunk located about 1 in. above the clavicle at about the level of the sixth cervical vertebra. |
| mitral area | at position of apex beat; region of the chest over the apex of the heart; fifth interspace at left midclavicular line |
| pulmonic area | is found in the 2nd intercostal space along the left sternal border which is over the pulmonary artery |
| sternoclavicular area | pertaining to the sternum and clavicle |
| 3rd left interspace | erb's point |
| tricuspid area | the region of the chests near the left lower sternum and opposite the fourth and fifth costal cartilages, where sounds of the tricuspid heart valves are best heard by auscultation |
| contralateral | affecting or originating in the opposite side of a point of reference, such as a point on a body |
| ipsilateral | affecting the same side of the body |
| arrhythmia | irregularity or loss of rhythm; the heart is beating too fast, too slowly, or irregularly |
| bradycardia | a slow heart beat marked by a pulse rate of below 60 beats per minute. |
| bruit | an adventitious sound of venous or arterial origin heard in auscultation. |
| cardiac/apical impulse | movement of the chest wall caused by the heart beat. |
| clubbing | a condition affecting the fingers and toes in which the extremeties are broadened and the nails are shiny and abnormally curved. Clubbing is associated with cardiovascular & respiratory diseases. |
| dextrocardia | the condition of having the heart on the Rt. side of the body. |
| diastole | the period of cardiac muscle relaxation, alternating in the cardiac cycle with systole or contraction. |
| ejection click | a click heard in early systole after the first heart sound; this sound is often best heard in the apex; the sound is generated by the abrupt halt of the fused aortic cusps in systole when they fail to fold onto the wall of the aorta. |
| gallop (atrial/ventricular) | an extra heart sound (3rd or 4th) typically heard during diastole |
| grade | a standard measurement of assessment. |
| heave | the act of lifting something with great effort. |
| murmur | an abnormal heart sound or neighboring large blood vessels. They may be soft, blowing rumbling, booming, loud, or variable in intensity. Can be heard in systole, diastole, or both. |
| opening snap | an abnormal early diastolic extra heart sound usually associated with stenosis (constricting or narrowing) of one of the atrioventricular valves. |
| pericardial friction rub | inflammation of the pericardial sac causes the parietal and the visceral surfaces of the roughened pericardium to rub against each other. Produces an extra cardiac sound. |
| pitch | that quality of the sensation of sound that enables one to classify it in a scale from high to low. |
| pitting edema | pitting is the formation of pits or depressions and the severity of the edema is characterized by grading 1+ through 4+. (see pg 481) |
| point of maximum impulse (PMI) | the place where the apical pulse is palpated as strongest |
| Raynaud's phenomenon | intermittent attacks of ischemia of the extremities of the body, especially the fingers, toes, ears, and nose, caused by exposure to cold or emotional stimuli. |
| regurgitant | the backward flow from the normal direction, such as the backward flow of blood through a defective heart valve |
| rubor | red |
| splitting | a primitive defense mechanism that when overused represents a developmental arrest. It is a failure to synthesize the positive and negative experiences and ideas one has of oneself, other people, situations, and institutions. |
| supine hypotensive syndrome | a fall in blood pressure that occurs when a pregnant woman is lying on her back. It is caused by impaired venous return that results from pressure of the gravid uterus on the vena cava. |
| stenosis | abnormal narrowing or constriction of and opening |
| systole | the contraction of the heart, driving blood into the aorta and pulmonary arteries. First heart sound |
| tachycardia | heart contracts at a rate greater than 100/min |
| thrill | a fine vibration, felt by an examiner's hand on a patient's body over the site of an aneurysm or on the precordium |
| thromboembolic phenomenon | condition in which a blood vessels is obstructed by a clot carried in the bloodstream from its site of formation |
| variscosities/ varices | a tortuous, dilated vein, artery, or lymphatic vessel |
| venous hum | continuous murmur heard on auscultation over the major veins at the base of the neck and around the umbilicus. |
| Allen's test | a test for the patency of the radial artery after insertion of an indwelling monitoring catheter. |
| capillary refill | process where blood returns to a portion of the capillary system after its blood supply has been interrupted briefly. |
| pedal refill | process where blood returns to a portion of the foot |
| base | the portion of the heart opposite the apex; is superior and medially located; forms the upper border of the heart, lies just below the second rib, and primarily involves the left atrium, part of the right atrium, and the proximal portions of the great vessels |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace