Chapter 5 Cardiovascular system Flashcards
1
Q
Angi/o
A
Blood or lymph vessel
2
Q
Aort/o
A
Aorta
3
Q
Arteri/o
A
Artery
4
Q
Ather/o
A
Plaque, fatty substance
5
Q
brady-
A
slow
6
Q
cardi/o
A
heart
7
Q
-crasia
A
a mixture or blending
8
Q
-emia
A
blood, blood condition
9
Q
erythr/o
A
Red
10
Q
hem/o, hemat/o
A
blood, relating to the blood
11
Q
Leuk/o
A
white
12
Q
phleb/o
A
vein
13
Q
tachy-
A
fast, rapid
14
Q
throm/o
A
clot
15
Q
ven/o
A
vein
16
Q
Vascul
A
blood vessels
17
Q
Cardiovascular
A
Pertaining to the heart and blood vessels.
18
Q
Pericardium
A
is the double-walled membranous sac that encloses the heart.
19
Q
epicardium
A
is the external layer of the heart and the inner layer of the pericardium.
20
Q
epi-
A
upon
21
Q
myocardium
A
is the middle and thickest of the heart’s three layers. Also known as myocardial muscle.
22
Q
Endocardium
A
which consists of epithelial tissue, is the inner lining of the heart.
23
Q
endo-
A
within
24
Q
Coronary Arteries
A
which supply oxygen-rich blood to the myocardium.
25
Atria
Are the two upper chambers of the heart, and these chambers are divided by interactrial septum. Singular = atrium
26
Ventricles
are the two lower chambers of the heart, and these chambers are divided by the interventricular septum. Ventricle is also defined as a normal hollow chamber of the brain.
27
Tricuspid Valve
controls the opening between the right atrium and the right ventricle. The term tricuspid means having three cups (points).
28
Pulmonary Semilunar valve
is located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. Pulmonary means pertaining to the lungs, and semilunar means half-moon.
29
Pulmonary Circulation
is the flow of blood only between the heart and lungs.
30
Pulmonary arteries
carry deoxygenated blood out of the right ventricle and into the lungs. This is the only place in the body where deoxygenated blood is carried by arteries instead of veins.
31
Pulmonary veins
carry the oxygenated blood from the lungs into the left atrium of the heart. This is the only place in the body where veins carry oxygenated blood.
32
Systemic Circulation
includes the flow of blood to all parts of the body except the lungs.
33
Heartbeat
Is the ability to pump blood effectively throughout the body; the contraction and relaxation (beating) of the heart must occur in exactly the correct sequence.
34
Sinoatrial node (SA node)
is located int eh posterior wall of the right atrium near the entrance of the superior vena cava.
35
Atrioventricular node (AV node)
where the impulses from the Sinoatrial node (SA node) travel to. The AV node is located on the floor of the right atrium near the interactrial septum. From here, it transmits the electrical impulses onward to the bundle of His.
36
Bundle of His
is a group of fibers located within the interventricular septum. These fibers carry an electrical impulse to ensure the sequence of the heart contractions. These electrical impulses travel onward to the right and left ventricles and Purkinje fibers.
37
Purkinje Fibers
are specialized conductive fibers located within the walls of the ventricles. These fibers relay the electrical impulses to the cells of the ventricles, and it is this stimulation that causes the ventricles to contract. This contraction of the ventricles forces blood out of the heart and into the aorta and pulmonary arteries.
38
Arteries
are large blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to all regions of the body.
39
Aorta
is the largest blood vessel in the body. It begins from the left ventricle of the heart and forms the main trunk of the arterial system.
40
Carotid arteries
are the major arteries that carry blood upward to the head.
41
Arterioles
Are the smaller, thinner branches of arteries that deliver blood to the capillaries. As it enters one end of the capillary bed, it is here that the rate of flow of arterial blood slows.
42
Capillaries
Which are only one epithelial cell in thickness, are the smallest blood vessels in the body. The capillaries form networks of expanded vascular beds that have the important role of delivering oxygen and nutrients to the cells o the tissues.
43
Veins
Form a low-pressure collecting system to return oxygen-poor blood to the heart. The walls of the veins are thinner and less elastic than those of the arteries.
44
Venules
are the smallest veins that join to form the larger veins.
45
Vanae Cavae
are the two largest veins in the body. These are the veins that return blood into the heart (singular, vena cava).
46
Pulse
is the rhythmic pressure against the walls of the an artery caused by the contraction of the heart.
47
Blood pressure
is the measurement of the amount of systolic and diastolic pressure exerted against the walls of the arteries.
48
Systolic Pressure
which occurs when the ventricles contract, is the highest pressure against the walls of an artery. The term systole means contraction of the heart, and systolic means pertaining to this contraction phase.
49
Diastolic Pressure
which occurs when the ventricles are relaxed, is the lowest pressure against the walls of an artery. The term diastole means relaxation of the heart, and diastolic means pertaining to this relaxation phase.
50
Plasma
is a straw-coored fluid that contains nutrients, hormones, and waste products. Plasma is 91% water. The remaining 9% consists mainly of proteins, including the clotting proteins.
51
Serum
is plasma fluid after the blood cells and the clotting protein have been removed.
52
Fibrinogen and prothrombin
are the clotting proteins found in plasma. They have an important role in clot formation to control bleeding.
53
Erythrocytes
also known as red blood cells, are mature blood cells produced by the red bone marrow. (Eryth/o means red, and -cytes means cells). The primary role of these cells is to transport oxygen to the tissues.
54
Hemoglobin
which is the oxygen-carrying blood protein pigment of the erythrocytes. (hem/o means blood, and -globin means protein).
55
-globin
protein
56
Leukocytes
also known as white blood cells (WBC), are the blood cells involved in defending the body against infective organisms and foreign substances (Leuk/o means white, and -cytes means cells).
57
Neutrophils
which are formed in red bone marrow, are the most common type of White Boold Cell. Through phagocytosis, neutrophils play a major role in the immune system's defense against pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
58
Basophils
which are also formed in red bone marrow, are the least common type of WBC. Basophils are responsible for causing the symptoms of allergies.
59
Eosinophils
Are formed in red bone marrow and then migrated to tissues throughout the body. Here these cells destroy parasitic organisms and play a major role in allergic reactions.
60
Lymphocytes
are formed in red bone marrow, in lymph nodes, and in the spleen. Lymphocytes identify foreign substances and germs (bacteria or viruses) in the body and produce antibodies that specifically target them.
61
Monocytes
are formed in red bone marrow, lymph nodes, and the spleen. Through phagocytosis, monocytes provide immunological defenses against many infectious organisms.
62
Thrombocytes
which are also known as platelets, are the smallest formed elements of the blood. The play an important role in the clotting of blood (thromb/o means clot, and -cytes means cells).
- When a blood vessel is damage, the thrombocytes are activated and become sticky.
- This action causes the thrombocytes to clump together to form a clot to stop the bleeding.
63
Blood Types
are classified according to the presence or absence of certain antigens. (An antigen is any substance that the body regards are being foreign.)
-Four major blood types are: A,AB, B, and O. The A, AB, and B groups are based on the presence of the A or B antigens or both on the red blood cells. In type O blood, both the A and B antigens are absent.
64
Rh Factor
Defines the presence or absence of the Rh antigen on red blood cells. The Rh factor was named because this antigen was first found in rhesus monkeys.
65
Blood gases
are gases that are normally dissolved in the liquid portion of blood. The major blood gases are oxygen (O2), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and Nitrogen (N2).
66
Cardiologist
is a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating abnormalities, diseases, and disorders of the heart (cardi/o means heart, and -ologist means specialist).
67
Hematologist
is a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating abnormalities, diseases, and disorders of the blood and blood-forming tissues (hemat/o means blood, and -ologist means specialist).
68
Vascular surgeon
is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis, medical management, and surgical treatment of disorders of the blood vessels.
69
Congenital heart defects
are structural abnormalities caused by the failure of the heart to develop normally before birth. Congenital means present at birth. Some congenital heart defects are apparent at birth, whereas others amy not be detected until later in life.
70
Coronary Artery Disease
is atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries that reduces the blood supply to the heart muscle. This creates an insufficient supply of oxygen that can cause angina (pain), a myocardial infarction (heart attack), or death.
71
Atherosclerosis
is hardening and narrowing of the arteries caused by a buildup of cholesterol plaque on the interior walls of the arteries (ather/o means plaque or fatty substance, and -sclerosis means abnormal hardening).
72
Plaque
which is found within the lumen of an artery, is a fatty deposit that is similar to the buildup of rust inside a pipe.
73
Atheroma
Which is a characteristic of atherosclerosis, is a deposit of plaque on or within the arterial wall (ather/o means plaque or fatty substance, and -oma means tumor).
74
Ischemic Heart Disease
is a group of cardiac disabilities resulting from an insufficient supply of oxygenated blood to the heart. These disease are usually associated with coronary artery disease.
75
Ischemia
is a condition in which there is an insufficient supply of oxygen in the tissues due to a restricted blood flow to a part of the body (isch means to hold back, and -emia means blood).
76
Isch-
to hold back
77
Angina
also known as angina pectoris, is a condition in which severe episodes of chest pain occur due to an inadequate blood flow to the myocardium.
78
Myocardial Infarction
commonly known as a heart attack, is the occlusion (blockage) of one ore more coronary arteries caused by plaque buildups. As used here, occlusion means total blockage.
- The term infarction means a sudden insufficiency of blood.
- An infarct is a localized area of dead tissue caused by a lack of blood.
79
Heart Failure
which is also referred to as congestive heart failure (CHF), occurs most commonly in the elderly. In this chronic condition the heart is unable to pump out all of the blood that it receives. The decreased pumping action causes the congestion. The term congestion describes a fluid buildup.
80
Cardiomegaly
is the abnormal enlargement of the heart that is frequently associated with heart failure as the heart enlarges in an effort to compensate for its decreased pumping ability (cardi/o means heart, and -megaly means enlargement).
81
Carditis
is an inflammation of the heart (Card means heart, and -itis means inflammation).
82
Endocarditis
is an inflammation of the inner lining of the heart (endo- means within, card means heart, and -itis means inflammation).
83
Bacterial Endocarditis
is an inflammation of the lining or valves of the heart caused by the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream. One cause of this condition is bleeding during dental surgery because it allows bacteria from the mouth to enter the bloodstream.
84
Pericarditis
is an inflammation of the pericardium (peri- means surrounding, card/o means heart, and -itis means inflammation). This inflammation causes an accumulation of fluid within the pericardial sac, and this excess fluid restricts the beating of the heart, thereby reducing the ability of the heart to pump blood throughout the body.
85
Myocarditis
Is an uncommon condition that is an inflammation of the myocardium (heart muscle) that develops as a complication of a viral infection (my/o means muscle, card means heart, and -itis means inflammation).
86
Cardiomyopathy
is the term used to describe all diseases of the hearth muscle (cardi/o means heart, my/o means muscle, and -pathy means disease).
87
Heart Murmur
is an abnormal blowing or clicking sound heard when listening to the heart or a neighboring large blood vessels. Heart murmurs are most often caused by defective heart valves, but do not usually require surgery unless they affect the patient's quality of life.
88
Valvulitis
is an inflammation of a heart valve (valvul means valve, and -itis means inflammation).
89
Valvular Prolapse
is the abnormal protrusion of a heart valve that results in the inability of the valve to close completely. Prolapse means the falling or dropping down of an organ or internal part. This condition is named for the affected valve, such as mitral valve prolapse.
90
Valvular Stenosis
is a condition in which there is narrowing, stiffening, thickening, or blockage of one or more valves of he heart. Stenosis is the abnormal narrowing of an opening.
91
Arrhythmia
is the loss of the normal rhythm of the heartbeat. This can be a minor, temporary episode, or it can be a fatal event. The severity of this episode depends on how much of the heart's ability to pump blood is compromised. Rather than being an abnormality in the heart muscle, arrhythmias are usually caused by an abnormality in the electrical conduction system of the heart.
92
Asystole
known as a flat line (a- means without, and systole means contraction), is the complete lack of electrical activity in the heart. The resulting lack of heart contractions, with no blood pumping from the heart and no blood flow through the body, is one of the conditions required for a medical practitioner to certify death.
93
Cardiac Arrest
is an event in which the heart abruptly stops beating or develops an arrhythmia that prevents it from pumping blood effectively.
94
Sudden Cardiac Death
Results when treatment of cardiac arrest is not provided within a few minutes.
95
Bradycardia
is an abnormally slow resting heart rate (brady- means slow, card means heart, and -ia means abnormal condition). The term bradycardia is usually applied to a heartbeat rate less than 60 beats per minute. This condition is the opposite of tachycardia.
96
Tachycardia
is an abnormally rapid resting heart rate (tachy- means rapid, card means heart, and -ia means abnormal condition). The term tachycardia is applied to a heartbeat rate of greater than 100 beats per minute.
97
Palpitation
is a pounding or racing heartbeat with or without irregularity in rhythm. This condition is associated with certain heart disorders; however, it can also occur during a panic attack.
98
Fibrillation
describers a rapid and uncontrolled heartbeat. The addition of the term atrial or ventricular identifies which heart chambers are affected.
99
Atrial Fibrillation
Also known as A-fib, occurs when the normal rhythmic contractions of the atria are replaced b rapid, irregular twitching of the muscular heart wall. This causes an irregular and quivering action of the atria.
100
Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia
also known as PSVT, is an episode that begins and ends abruptly during which there are very rapid and regular heartbeats that originate in the atrium or in the AV node. Paroxysmal means pertaining to sudden occurrence.
101
Ventricular fibrillation
also known as V-fiber, consists of rapid, irregular, and useless contractions of the ventricles. Instead of pumping strongly, the heart muscle quivers ineffectively. This condition is the cause of many sudden cardiac deaths.
102
Ventricular Tachycardia
also known as V-tach, is very rapid heartbeat that begins with the ventricles. This condition is potentially fatal because the heart is beating so rapidly that it is unable to adequately pump blood through the body. For some patient, this condition can be controlled with an automated implantalbe cardioverter-defibrillator.
103
Vasculitis
is the inflammation of a blood vessel.
104
Polyarteritis
is a form of vasculitis involving several medium and small arteries at the same time (poly- means many, arter means artery, and -itis means inflammation). Polyarteritis is a rare but serious blood vessel disease that occurs when certain immune cells attack the affected arteries.
105
Temporal Arteritis
also known as giant cell arteritis, is a form of vasculitis that can cause headaches, visual impairment, jaw pain, and other symptoms. It is diagnosed when a biopsy shows the presence of abnormally large cells. Temporal arteritis can cause unilateral or bilateral blindness, and more rarely, a stroke.
106
Angiostenosis
is the abnormal narrowing of a blood vessel. (Angi/o means blood vessel, and -sternosis means abnormal narrowing).
107
Hemangioma
is a benign tumor made up of newly formed blood vessels. (hem means blood, angi means blood vessel, and -oma means tumor).
108
Hypoperfusion
is a deficiency of blood passing through an organ or body part. Perfusion is the flow of blood through the vessels of an organ.
109
Aneurysm
is localized weak spot or ballon-like enlargement of the wall of an artery. The rupture of an aneurysm can be fatal because of the rapid loss of blood. Aneurysm are name for the artery involved such as aortic aneurysm, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and popliteal aneurysm.
110
Arteriosclerosis
Also known as hardening of the arteries, is any of a group of diseases characterized by thickening and the loss of elasticity of arterial walls. (Arteri/o means arter, and -sclerosis means abnormal hardening).
111
Arteriostenosis
is the abnormal narrowing of an artery or arteries (arteri/o means heart, and -stenosis means abnormal narrowing).
112
Chronic venous insufficientcy
also known as venous insufficiency, is a condition in which venous circulation is inadequate due to partial vein blockage or to the leakage of venous valves. This condition primarily affects the feet and ankles, and the leakage of venous blood into the tissues causes discoloration of the skin.
113
Phlebitis
is the inflammation of a vein (pleb means vein, and -itis means inflammation). It is also known as thrombophlebitis, because the walls of the vein are often infiltrated and a clot (thrombus) formed. This condition usually occurs in a superficial vein.
114
Varicose veins
are abnormally swollen veins that usually occur in the superficial veins of the legs. This condition occurs when the valves in these veins do not function properly, so blood pools in the veins, causing them to enlarge.
115
Thrombosis
is the abnormal condition of having a thrombus (thromb means clot, and -osis means abnormal condition or disease). The plural form is thromboses.
116
Thrombus
is a blood clot attached to the interior wall of an artery or vein (thromb means clot, and -us is a singular noun ending). Plural, thrombi
117
Thrombotic Occlusion
is the blocking of an artery by a thrombus. Thrombotic means caused by a thrombus. As used here, Occlusion means blockage.
118
Coronary Thrombosis
is damage to the heart muscle caused by a thrombus blocking a coronary artery. (Coron means crown, and -ary means pertaining to, and thromb means clot, and -osis means abnormal condition).
119
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
also known as a deep venous thrombosis, is the condition of having a thrombus attached to the interior wall of a deep vein. Sometimes such a blockage forms in the legs of a bedridden patient or in someone who has remained seated too long in an airplane or car. The danger is that the thrombus (clot) will break loose and travel to a lung where it can be fatal by causing a blockage.
120
Embolism
is the sudden blockage of a blood vessel by an embolus (embol means something inserted, and -ism means condition). The embolism is often named for the causative factor, such as an air embolism or a fat embolism, or its location, such as pulmonary embolism.
121
Embolus
is a foreign object, such as a blood clot, a quantity of air or gas, a a bit of tissue or tumor that is circulateing in the blood. (Embol means something inserted, and -us means a singular noun ending). Plural, emboli.
122
Peripheral Vascular Diseases
Are disorders of blood vessels that are located outside of the heart and brain. These conditions usually involve narrowing of the vessels that carry blood to the legs, arms, and stomach, or kidneys.
123
Peripheral arterial occlusive disease
also known as peripheral artery disease, is an example of a peripheral vascular disease that is caused by atherosclerosis. This condition is common and serious problem affecting more than 20% of all patients over 70 years of age. Impaired circulation to the extremities and vital organs can cause changes int eh skin color and temperature. It is also involved with intermittent claudication.
124
Raynaud's disease
is a peripheral arterial occlusive disease in which intermittent attacks are triggered by cold or stress. The symptoms, which are due to constricted circulation, include pallor (paleness), cyanosis (blue color), and redness of the fingers and toes.
125
Blood Dyscrasia
is any pathologic condition of the cellular elements of the blood. (dys- means bad, and -crasia means a mixture or blending).
126
Hemochromatosis
is a genetic disorder in which the intestines absorb too much iron, also known as iron overload disease. (Hem/o means blood, chromat means color, and -osis means abnormal condition or disease). The excess iron that is absorbed enters the bloodstream and accumulates in organs where it causes damage.
127
Leukopenia
is a decrease in the number of disease-fighting white blood cells circulating in the blood. (leuk/o means white, and -penia means deficiency). This condition, which is also known as low white blood cell count, places the patient at an increased of risk of developing or having difficulty fighting infections.
128
-penia
deficiency
129
Polycythemia
is an abnormal increase in the number of red cells int he blood due to excess production of these cells by the bone marrow.
130
Septicemia
is often associated with severe infections caused by the presence of bacteria in the blood. Also known as bacteremia. This condition can begin with a sudden onset of symptoms that include a spiking fever, chills, rapid breathing, and rapid heart rate. Septicemia can lead to sepsis, which is a systemic bacterial infection in the bloodstream.
131
Thrombocytopenia
is a condition in which there is an abnormally small number of platelets circulating int eh blood. Because these cells help the blood to clot, this condition is sometimes associated with abnormal bleeding.
132
Thrombocytosis
is an abnormal increase in the number of platelets in the circulating blood.
133
Hemorrhage
is the loss of a large amount of blood in a short time. (hem/o means blood, and -rrhage means bleeding). This term also means to bleed.
134
Transfusion reaction
is a serious and potentially fatal complication of a blood transfusion in which a severe immune response occurs because the patient's blood and the donated blood do not match.
135
Cholesterol
is fatty substance that travels through the blood and is found in all parts of the body. It aids the production of cell membranes, some hormones, and vitamin D. Some cholesterol comes from dietary sources, and some is created by the liver. Excessively high levels of certain types of cholesterol can lead to heart disease.
136
Hyperlipidemia
is the general term used to describe elevated levels of cholesterol and other fatty substances in the blood. (hyper- means excessive, lipid means fat, and -emia means blood condition.).
137
Myelodysplactic syndrome
is a group of bone marrow disorders that are characterized by the insufficient of production of one or more types of blood cells due to dysfunction of the bone marrow.
138
Leukemia
is a type of cancer characterized by a progressive increase in the number of abnormal leukocytes (WBC) found in blood-forming tissues, other organs, and in the circulating blood. (leuk means white, and -emia means blood condition).
139
Anemia
is a lower-than-normal number of erythrocytes (red blood cells) in the blood. (an- means without or less than, and -emia means blood condition). The severity of this condition is usually measured by a decrease in the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. When inadequate hemoglobin is present, all parts of the body receive less oxygen and have less energy than is needed to function properly.
140
Aplastic Anemia
is characterized by an absence of all formed blood elements caused by the failure of blood cell production in the bone marrow (a- means without, plast means growth, and -ic means pertaining to).
141
Hemolytic Anemia
is characterized by an inadequate number of circulating red blood cells due to the premature destruction of red blood cells by the spleen (hem/o means relating to blood, and -lytic means to destroy)
142
Iron-deficiency Anemia
is the most common form of anemia. Iron, an essential component of hemoglobin, is normally obtained through food intake and by recycling iron from old red blood cells. Without sufficient iron to help create hemoglobin, blood cannot carry oxygen effectively.
143
Megaloblastic Anemia
is a blood disorder characterized by anemia in which the red blood cells are larger than normal (megalo- means large, blast means immature, and -tic means pertaining to). This condition usually results from a deficiency of folic acid or of vitamin B12.
144
Pernicious Anemia
is caused by a lack of the protein intrinsic factor (IF) that helps the body absorb vitamin B12 from the gastrointestinal tract. Vitamin B12 is necessary for the formation of red blood cells.
145
Sickle Cell Anemia
is a genetic disorder that causes abnormal hemoglobin, resulting in some red blood cells assuming an abnormal sickle shape. This sickle shape interferes with normal blood flow, resulting in damage to most of the body systems.
146
Thalassemia
is an inherited blood disorder that causes mild or severe anemia due to reduced hemoglobin and fewer red blood cells than normal. Cooley's anemia is the name that is sometimes used to refer to any type of thalassemia that requires treatment with regular blood transfusions.
147
Hypertension (HTN)
commonly known as high blood pressure, is the elevation of arterial blood pressure to a level that is likely to cause damage to the cardiovascular system. Hypertension is the opposite of hypotension.
148
Hypotension
is lower-than-normal arterial blood pressure. Symptoms can include dizziness, light-headacheness, or fainting. Hypotension is the opposite of hypertension.
149
Orthostatic Hypotension
also known as postural hypotension, is low blood pressure that occurs upon standing up. Orthostatic means relating to an uprights or standing position.
150
Angiography
is a radiographic (x-ray) study of the blood vessels after the injection of a contrast medium (angi/o means blood vessels, and -graphy means the process of recording). The resulting film is an angiogram.
151
Cardiac Catheterization
is a diagnostic procedure in which a catheter is passed into a vein or artery and then guided into the heart. When catheter is in place, a contrast medium is introduced to produce an angiogram to determine how well the heart is working. This procedure is also used during treatment.
152
Digital subtraction angiography (DSA)
combines angiography with computerized components to clarify the view of the area of interest by removing the soft tissue and bones from the images.
153
Duplex Ultrasound
is a diagnostic procedure to image the structures of the blood vessels and the flow of blood through these vessels. This is a combination of diagnostic ultrasound to show the structure of the blood vessels and Doppler ultrasound to show the movement of the red blood cells through these vessels.
154
Phlebography
also known as venography, is a radiographic test that provides an image of the leg vein in the patient's foot (phleb/o means vein, and -graphy means the process of recording). The resulting film is a phlebogram. This is a very accurate test for detecting deep vein thrombosis.
155
Electrocardiography
is the noninvasive process of recording the electrical activity of the myocardium (-graphy means the process of recording a picture or record). A noninvasive procedure does not require the insertion of an instrument or device through the skin or a body opening for diagnosis or treatment.
156
Electrocardiogram
is a record of the electrical activity of the myocardium.
157
Holter Monitor
is a portable electrocardiograph that is worn by an ambulatory patient to continuously monitor the heart rates and rhythms over a 24-or-48-hour period.
158
Stress test
is performed to assess cardiovascular health and function during and after stress. This involves monitoring with an electrocardiogram while the patient exercise on a treadmill, or is injected with a chemical to increase the patient's heart rate if he or she is unable to use a treadmill. The test can also be performed in conjunction with an echocardiogram.
