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Some ABC Terms in Cardiology
By SCMA On 29/08/2017
Even the most seasoned of medical assistants in Cardiology could use a review on a few Cardiology terms every now and then. SCMA has gathered a few, from A, B and C, for some much needed refresher and review.
ANGINA PECTORIS
A pain or discomfort (pressure or a feeling of constriction, a feeling of indigestion, pain in the shoulder blades, arms, neck, back) caused by insufficient blood in the myocardium. Angina pectoris is a symptom of the coronary disease.
AORTIC ANEURYSMS
An abnormal, segmental increase of the diameter of the aorta. In the majority of cases, it is located in the abdominal aorta under the origin point of the renal arteries, but it can affect any segment of the aorta. The most frequent cause is arteriosclerosis that usually affects men over the age of 55.
ARRHYTHMIA/CONDUCTION DISORDER
A group of disorders that involve the system that generates and transmits the electrical impulses needed for the heart's activity. The electrical phenomena precede and start the sequence of mechanical phenomena that cause the heart's pumping activity (heart contractions).
ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION
Total obstruction of a coronary artery through the formation of a thrombus (blood clot) that usually occurs in an atheroma (fat and calcium deposit in the vascular wall)
ACQUIRED HEART DISEASE
Heart disease that arises after birth, usually from infection or through the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries that feed the heart muscle.
ALVEOLI
Air sacs in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged.
AMIODARONE
A kind of medicine (called an antiarrhythmic) used to treat irregular heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. It works by regulating nerve impulses in your heart. Amiodarone is mainly given to patients who have not responded to other antiarrhythmic medicines.
ANEURYSM
A sac-like protrusion from a blood vessel or the heart, resulting from a weakening of the vessel wall or heart muscle.
ANGINA OR ANGINA PECTORIS
Chest pain that occurs when diseased blood vessels restrict blood flow to the heart.
ANGIOGRAPHY
An x-ray technique in which dye is injected into the chambers of your heart or the arteries that lead to your heart (the coronary arteries). The test lets doctors measure the blood flow and blood pressure in the heart chambers and see if the coronary arteries are blocked.
ANGIOPLASTY
A nonsurgical technique for treating diseased arteries by temporarily inflating a tiny balloon inside an artery.
BACTERIAL ENDOCARDITIS
A bacterial infection of the lining of the heart's chambers (called the endocardium) or of the heart's valves.
BALLOON VALVULOPLASTY
A procedure to repair a heart valve. A balloon-tipped catheter is threaded through an artery and into the heart. The balloon is inflated to open and separate any narrowed or stiffened flaps (called leaflets) of a valve.
BETA-BLOCKER
An antihypertensive medicine that limits the activity of epinephrine, a hormone that increases blood pressure.
BLOOD PRESSURE
The force or pressure exerted by the heart in pumping blood; the pressure of blood in the arteries.
BLUE BABIES
Babies who have a blue tinge to their skin (cyanosis) resulting from insufficient oxygen in the arterial blood. This condition often indicates a heart defect.
BRADYCARDIA
Abnormally slow heartbeat.
BRUIT
A sound made in the blood vessels resulting from turbulence, perhaps because of a buildup of plaque or damage to the vessels.
BUNDLE BRANCH BLOCK
A condition in which parts of the heart's conduction system are defective and unable to conduct the electrical signal normally, causing an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia).
BYPASS
Surgery that can improve blood flow to the heart (or other organs and tissues) by providing a new route, or "bypass" around a section of clogged or diseased artery.
CARDIAC
Pertaining to the heart.
CARDIAC AMYLOIDOSIS
A disorder caused by deposits of an abnormal protein (amyloid) in the heart tissue, which make it hard for the heart to work properly. Also called "stiff heart syndrome."
CARDIAC ARREST
The stopping of the heartbeat, usually because of interference with the electrical signal (often associated with coronary heart disease).
CARDIAC CACHEXIA
A term for the muscle and weight loss caused by severe heart disease. It is often related to the depressed cardiac output associated with end-stage heart failure, but it can also occur with severe coronary artery disease.
CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION
A procedure that involves inserting a fine, hollow tube (catheter) into an artery, usually in the groin area, and passing the tube into the heart. Often used along with angiography and other procedures, cardiac catheterization has become a primary tool for visualizing the heart and blood vessels and diagnosing and treating heart disease.
CARDIAC ENZYMES
Complex substances capable of speeding up certain biochemical processes in the heart muscle. Abnormal levels of these enzymes signal heart attack.
CARDIAC OUTPUT
The amount of blood the heart pumps through the circulatory system in one minute.
CARDIOLOGIST
A doctor who specializes in the study of the heart and its function in health and disease.
CARDIOLOGY
The study of the heart and its function in health and disease.
CARDIOMEGALY
An enlarged heart. It is usually a sign of an underlying problem, such as high blood pressure, heart valve problems, or cardiomyopathy.
CARDIOMYOPATHY
A disease of the heart muscle that leads to generalized deterioration of the muscle and its pumping ability.
CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS
The process by which a machine is used to do the work of the heart and lungs so the heart can be stopped during surgery.
CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR)
An emergency measure that can maintain a person's breathing and heartbeat. The person who performs CPR actually helps the patient's circulatory system by breathing into the patient's mouth to give them oxygen and by giving chest compressions to circulate the patient's blood. Hands-only CPR involves only chest compressions.
CARDIOVASCULAR (CV)
Pertaining to the heart and blood vessels that make up the circulatory system.
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD)
A general term referring to conditions affecting the heart (cardio) and blood vessels (vascular system). May also simply be called heart disease. Examples include coronary artery disease, valve disease, arrhythmia, peripheral vascular disease, congenital heart defects, hypertension, and cardiomyopathy. Refer to specific conditions for detailed explanations.
