Cardiovascular - Vital Vocabulary

Question 1

A group of symptoms caused by myocardial ischemia; includes angina and myocardial infarction.

Answer 1

acute coronary syndrome (ACS)

Question 2

A heart attack; death of heart muscle following obstruction of blood flow to it. “Acute” in this context means “new” or “happening right now.”

Answer 2

acute myocardial infarction (AMI)

Question 3

Transient (short lived) chest discomfort caused by partial or temporary blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle; also called angina.

Answer 3

angina pectoris

Question 4

The front surface of the body; the side facing you in the standard anatomic position.

Answer 4

anterior

Question 5

The main artery, which receives blood from the left ventricle and delivers it to all the other arteries that carry blood to the tissues of the body.

Answer 5

aorta

Question 6

A weakness in the wall of the aorta that makes it susceptive to rupture.

Answer 6

aortic aneurysm

Question 7

The one way valve that lies between the left ventricle and the aorta and keeps blood from flowing back into the left ventricle after the left ventricle ejects its blood into the aorta; one of the four heart valves.

Answer 7

aortic valve

Question 8

A tracing on an ECG that is the result of interference, such as patient movement, rather than the heart’s electrical activity.

Answer 8

artifact

Question 9

The complete absence of all heart electrical activity.

Answer 9

asystole

Question 10

A disorder in which cholesterol and calcium build up inside the walls of blood vessels, eventually leading to partial or complete blockage of blood flow.

Answer 10

atherosclerosis

Question 11

The names of the two upper chambers of the heart.

Answer 11

atrium

Question 12

The ability of cardiac muscle cells to contract without stimulation from the nervous system.

Answer 12

automaticity

Question 13

The part of the nervous system that controls the involuntary activities of the body such as the heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion of food.

Answer 13

autonomic nervous system

Question 14

A slow heart rate, less than 60 beats/min.

Answer 14

bradycardia

Question 15

When the heart fails to generate effective and detectable blood flow; pulses are not palpable in cardiac arrest, even if muscular and electrical activity continues in the heart.

Answer 15

cardiac arrest

Question 16

A measure of the volume of blood circulated by the heart in 1 minute, calculated by multiplying the stroke volume by the heart rate.

Answer 16

cardiac output

Question 17

A state in which no enough oxygen is delivered to the tissues of the body, caused by low output of blood from the heart. It can be a severe complication of a large acute myocardial infarction, as well as other conditions.

Answer 17

cardiogenic shock

Question 18

A disorder in which the heart losers part of its ability to effectively pump blood, usually as a result of damage to the heart muscle and usually resulting in a backup of fluid into the lungs.

Answer 18

congestive heart failure (CHF)

Question 19

The blood vessels that carry blood and nutrients to the heart muscle.

Answer 19

coronary arteries

Question 20

To shock a fibrillating (chaotically shaking) heart with specialized electric current in an attempt to restore a normal, rhythmic beat.

Answer 20

defibrillate

Question 21

Swelling in the part of the body closest to the ground, caused by collection of fluid in the tissues; a possible sign of congestive heart failure.

Answer 21

dependent edema

Question 22

Widening of a tubular structure such as a coronary artery.

Answer 22

dilation

Question 23

A condition in which the inner layers of an artery, such as the aorta, become separated, allowing blood (at high pressures) top flow between the layers.

Answer 23

dissecting aneurysm

Question 24

An irregular or abnormal heart rhythm.

Answer 24

dysrhythmia

Question 25

An emergency situation created by excessively high blood pressure, which can lead to serious complications such as stroke or aneurysm.

Answer 25

hypertensive emergency

Question 26

Death of a body tissue, usually caused by interruption of its blood supply.

Answer 26

infarction

Question 27

Below a body part or nearer to the feet.

Answer 27

inferior

Question 28

A lack of oxygen that deprives tissues of necessary nutrients, resulting from partial or complete blockage of blood flow; potentially reversible because permanent injury has not yet occurred.

Answer 28

ischemia

Question 29

The inside diameter of an artery or other hollow structure.

Answer 29

lumen

Question 30

The heart muscle.

Answer 30

myocardium

Question 31

A blockage, usually of a tubular structure such as a blood vessel.

Answer 31

occlusion

Question 32

The part off the autonomic nervous system that controls vegetative functions such as digestion of food and relaxation.

Answer 32

parasympathetic nervous system

Question 33

the circulation of oxygenated blood within an organ or tissue in adequate amounts to meet the cells' current needs.

Answer 33

perfusion

Question 34

The back surface of the body; the side away from you in the standard anatomic position.

Answer 34

posterior

Question 35

The return of a pulse and effective blood flow to the body i a patient who previously was in cardia arrest.

Answer 35

return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)

Question 36

The volume of blood ejected with each ventricular contraction.

Answer 36

stroke volume.

Question 37

Above a body part or nearer to the head.

Answer 37

superior

Question 38

The part of the autonomic nervous system that controls active functions such as responding to fear (also known as the fight-or-flight system).

Answer 38

sympathetic nervous system

Question 39

A fainting spell or transient loss of consciousness.

Answer 39

syncope

Question 40

A rapid heart rate, more than 100 beats/min.

Answer 40

tachycardia

Question 41

A blood clot that has formed within a blood vessel and is floating within the bloodstream.

Answer 41

thromboembolism

Question 42

One of the tow lower chambers of the heart.

Answer 42

ventricle

Question 43

Disorganized, ineffective quivering of the ventricles, resulting in no blood flow and a state of cardiac arrest.

Answer 43

ventricular fibrillation

Question 44

A rapid heart rhythm in which the electrical impulse begins in the ventricle (instead of the atria), which may results in inadequate blood flow an eventually deteriorate into cardiac arrest.

Answer 44

ventricular tachycardia