Cardio Flashcards
supraclinoid
carotid-ophthalmic segment of internal carotid artery. Aneurysm in this artery can cause visual impairment
AAA abdominal aortic aneurysm
weakened/ballooned or burst vessel in the aorta, rupture can be fatal.
fascicular block
blockage interfering with the heartbeat’s signal when it gets to the left anterior fascicle of the heart’s left bundle branch. Makes the left contract later than the right. Can cause tiredness and fainting
adenosine stress test
(with myocardial perfusion imaging) for PTs who cannot exercise on a treadmill. Drugs administered to stimulate stress of regional blood flow to the heart muscle to be measured at stress and rest.
ambulatory phlebectomy
surgical procedure with local numbing to remove small varicosities by making small incisions to remove veins.
aneurysm
pressure of blood passing through a weakened artery creates a balloon-like bulge. Vessel may rupture; blood loss. Can be detected by basic x-ray or ultrasound.
angina pectoris
chest pain or discomfort that is recurrent. Can occur when some part of the heart doesn’t get enough blood and oxygen. Can be a symptom of coronary artery disease.
anion gap blood test
checks acid-vase balance of blood and if electrolytes are balanced. ID metabolic acidosis - higher than normal acid in blood
aortic dissection
small tear occurs in tunica intima (inside layer) of aortic wall. Blood enters and creates a false channel. Potential full wall rupture. Upper back/chest pain with nausea, sweating, SOB, weakness. Treated by v BP and ultimately surgery for grafting.
aortic stenosis
When the aortic valve narrows and blood can’t flow normally. Can be mild to severe. Over time causes left ventricle to pump harder to push through the narrow valve. Often via calcification.
aortic stenosis
Aortic valve is stiff; has narrow opening and doesn’t fxn properly. Increases strain on the heart; left ventricle has to pump harder to send blood to body. Sometimes the valve also allows backflow (aortic regurgitation)
arteriosclerosis vs atherosclerosis
Arterio: stiffening of vessels due to elastin fibers losing elasticity. Arthero: narrowing of vessels due to fatty deposits/plaque buildup
arteriosclerosis
thickening or hardening of the arteries caused by buildup of plaque in the inner lining of an artery. Due to high cholesterol and triglycerides, high BP, smoking, diabetes, obesity
atherosclerosis
accumulation of fatty deposits on the interior lining of arterial walls. Accumulation impedes flow of blood, may cause blockage.
atresia
total absence of an opening in a heart valve to allow blood to pass through
atrial bigeminy
heart rhythm that has an extra heartbeat between every normal one. May feel palpitations, but mostly asymptomatic. Treatment: medicine or catheter ablation.
atrial septal defect ASD
a hole in the septum separating the left and right atria. Can cause enlarged heart, abnormal heart rhythm, or damage to lung vessels
atrioventricular (AV) septal defect / endocardial cushion defect / AV canal defect
poorly formed central area of heart; large hole b/t atria and b/t ventricles. Single common valve. Often seen with down syndrome.
BBB bundle branch block
either R or L BBB becomes diseases/damaged and cannot conduct electrical impulses to its respective ventricle -> ventricles contract in sequence rather than at same time.
bilateral BBB
both branches are completely blocked; impulse cannot reach ventricles; unless an escape rhythm occurs (spontaneous electrical impulse) the ventricles stopbeathing and death occurs.
bovine pericardium valve
artificial bioprosthetic heart valve using a chemically treated bovine tissue - the pericardium which is the cow’s heart sac muscle. Used for aortic stenosis.
Brugada syndrome
condition affecting the way electrical signals pass through the heart; can cause it to beat dangerously fast.
Brugada syndrome
abnormal rhythm in the ventricles and can lead to ventricular fibrillation (no bloodflow to the brain); can cause syncope and lead to sudden cardiac death.
bundle branch block
delay or blockage along the pathway that electrical impulses travel to make the heart beat; if with a heart attack can signal serious heart muscle damage.
CABG: Coronary artery bypass grafting
Creates a new pathway for blood to flow to the heart to an affected area with restricted flow (blockage). Arteries or veins used as the graft are often taken from the chest or legs.
cardiomyopathy
Disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body. Can lead to heart failure. Often due to heart attacks, connective tissue disease, and autoimmune disease.
cardioversion
quick low-energy shocks administered to restore a regular heart rhythm.
cavernous malformation / cavernoma
abnormal clusters of small blood vessels in the brain (cerebral, CCM) and spinal cord that create wide caverns of slow-flowing blood.
circumflex artery
one of two branches on the left main coronary artery. Delivers blood to heart’s left pumping chambers.
Claudication
pain, cramping, discomfort in a limb during walking/exercise. Relieved by rest. Resting claudication is more severe; can lead to ulcers and gangrene. Caused by trauma, drugs, radiation, or similar to CAD.
coarctation of the aorta (COA)
narrowing of a portion of the aorta; often seriously decreases the blood flow to lower portion of the body
congenital cardiovascular defect
occur when heart/blood vessels near the heart do not develop normally before birth. Also called congenital heart disease.
congestive heart failure
heart is progressively less efficient; kidneys respond by causing water and sodium retention causing fluid buildup ->volume of blood in the veins increases causing dilation, and blood pools into liver, lungs, instestines. symptoms: SOB, lower extremity edema, weakness
CTPA / computed tomography pulmonary angiogram
diagnostic examination to exclude pulmonary emboli
deep vein thrombosis DVT.
clot forms in a vein buried in muscle tissue. Most common in lower extremities; can lead to pulmonary embolus. Most often no symptoms; sometimes swelling and pain; cramping feeling making it difficult to walk. Compression socks, drugs, vena cava filter
disseminated intravascular coagulation DIC
rare but serious; abnormal blood clotting throughout body’s vessels. May be developed via injury. Multiple sites of bleeding/internal bleeding. May cause SOB or chest pain.
EDP / end-diastolic pressure
amount of blood in the heart’s left ventricle just before the heart contracts. Enlarged ventricles / damaged heart muscle can be indicated by raise of EDP: reduced ability to pump.
electrophysiology study (EPS)
invasive; catheters are placed into the heart. Stimulate various pacing patterns and record heart’s reponsal activity. For patients with high risk for cardiac risk where a device might delay dangerous diagnosis
endarterectomy
A surgical procedure to remove plaque material, or blockage, in the lining of an artery constricted by the buildup of deposits. It is carried out by separating the plaque from the arterial wall - using an endarterectomy spatula
endocarditis
inflammation of endocardium (inner heart lining). Often due to bacterial infection, most often affects heart valves. Symptoms: fever, chillds, fatigue, muscle or joint aches, sweats, SOB, cough, edema, heart murmur. Can lead to organ damage, stroke, heart failure.
event recorder
for intermittent heart symptoms suspect of arrhythmia. Circular tape records heart’s rhythm for 30-60s and can be frozen when patient experiences symptoms to be brought in for evaluation.