LESSON 3: THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM TERMINOLOGY Flashcards
(143 cards)
1
Q
ACE inhibitor
A
(angiotensin-converting enzyme) blocks the action of the enzyme that causes the blood vessels to contract, resulting in hypertension
2
Q
anemia
A
a disorder characterized by a lower-than-normal number of erythrocytes in the blood
3
Q
aneurysm
A
a localized weak spot or balloon-like enlargement of the wall of an artery
4
Q
angina
A
a condition in which severe episodes of chest pain occur due to an inadequate blood flow to the myocardium
5
Q
angioplasty
A
the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel
6
Q
anticoagulant
A
slows clotting and prevents new clots from forming
7
Q
aorta
A
the largest blood vessel in the body
8
Q
aortic stenosis
A
a buildup of calcium and fat deposits in the aortic valve, a condition most prevalent in adults over age 65
9
Q
arrhythmia
A
the loss of the normal rhythm of the heartbeat
10
Q
atherectomy
A
the surgical removal of plaque buildup from the interior of an artery
11
Q
atherosclerosis
A
hardening and narrowing of the arteries caused by a buildup of cholesterol plaque on the interior walls of the arteries
12
Q
atrial fibrillation
A
the most common type of tachycardia
13
Q
automated external defibrillator
A
AED, is designed for use by nonprofessionals in emergency situations when defibrillation is required
14
Q
beta-blocker
A
reduces the workload of the heart by blocking the release of stress hormones, thus slowing the rate of the heartbeat
15
Q
bradycardia
A
abnormally slow resting heart rate
16
Q
capillaries
A
only one epithelial cell in thickness, are the smallest blood vessels in the body
17
Q
cardiac arrest
A
an event in which the heart abruptly stops beating or develops an arrhythmia that prevents it from pumping blood effectively
18
Q
cardiac catheterization
A
a diagnostic and treatment procedure in which a catheter is passed into a vein or artery and then guided into the heart
19
Q
cardiomyopathy
A
term used to describe all diseases of the heart muscle
20
Q
carotid endarterectomy
A
the surgical removal of the lining of a portion of a clogged carotid artery leading to the brain
21
Q
cholesterol
A
a fatty substance that travels through the blood and is found in all parts of the body
22
Q
chronic venous insufficiency
A
CVI, is a condition in which venous circulation is inadequate due to partial vein blockage or to the leakage of venous valves
23
Q
coronary artery disease
A
atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries that reduces the blood supply to the heart muscle
24
Q
coronary thrombosis
A
damage to the heart muscle caused by a thrombus blocking a coronary artery
25
defibrillation
the emergency use of electrical shock to restore the heart’s normal rhythm
26
diastole
the period of relaxation that follows as the chambers refill with blood
27
diuretic
an antihypertensive medication administered to increase urine output to rid the body of excess sodium and water
28
electrocardiogram
a record of the electrical activity of the myocardium
29
electrophysiologist
a doctor specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of heart arrhythmias
30
embolism
the sudden blockage of a blood vessel by an embolus
31
embolus
a foreign object, such as a blood clot, a quantity of air or gas, or a bit of tissue or tumor, that is circulating in the blood
32
endocarditis
an inflammation of the inner lining of the heart
33
erythrocytes
mature red blood cells
34
heart murmur
an abnormal blowing or clicking sound heard when listening to the heart or a neighboring large blood vessel
35
hemoglobin
oxygen-carrying blood protein pigment of the erythrocytes
36
hypertension
the elevation of arterial blood pressure to a level that is likely to cause damage to the cardiovascular system
37
hypoperfusion
a deficiency of blood passing through an organ or body part
38
ischemia
a condition in which there is an insufficient supply of oxygen in the tissues due to restricted blood flow to a part of the body
39
long QT syndrome
an inherited or medically acquired heart rhythm disorder that can cause fast, chaotic, and potentially dangerous arrhythmias
40
mitral valve prolapse
the abnormal protrusion of a mitral valve that results in the inability of the valve to close completely
41
myocardial infarction
the occlusion of one or more coronary arteries cause by plaque buildup
42
orthostatic hypotension
low blood pressure that occurs upon standing up and remains lower than normal as long as the patient remains standing
43
pericardium
the double-walled membranous sac that encloses the heart
44
peripheral artery disease
an example of a peripheral vascular disease that is caused by atherosclerosis
45
phlebitis
inflammation of a vein
46
Raynaud's disease
a peripheral arterial occlusive disease in which intermittent attacks are triggered by cold temperatures or stress
47
sinoatrial node
located in the posterior wall of the right atrium near the entrance of the superior vena cava
48
tachycardia
abnormally rapid resting heart rate
49
telemetry nurse
specializes in the use of technology within a hospital unit to track vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rhythms, and oxygen levels
50
temporal arteritis
caused by inflammation of the temporal arteries supplying blood to the head and brain
51
thallium stress test
a nuclear imaging test performed by injecting a small amount of thallium into the bloodstream to evaluate how well blood flows through the coronary arteries of the heart muscle during exercise
52
thrombolytic
dissolves or causes a thrombus to break up
53
thrombosis
abnormal condition of having a thrombus
54
thrombotic occlusion
the blocking of an artery by a thrombus
55
thrombus
a blood clot attached to the interior wall of an artery or vein
56
varicose veins
abnormally swollen veins that usually occur in the superficial veins of the legs
57
venous thromboembolism
a blood clot that originates in a vein
58
ventricular fibrillation
consists of rapid, irregular, and useless contractions of the ventricles
59
allogeneic transfusion
uses donated blood that must be of a compatible blood type
60
anticoagulant
slows coagulation and prevents new clots from forming
61
antigen
any substance that the body regards as being foreign, thus sometimes triggering an adverse reaction
62
heart disease
leading cause of death in the United States; risk factors include high BP, high cholesterol, and smoking.
63
angina pectoris
pain and tightness in the chest due to plaque in the coronary arteries, restricting flow to the heart
64
hypercholesterdemia
caused by high cholesterol, can increase risk of coronary artery disease
65
arteriosclerosis
hardening of the arteries caused by cholesterol-like plaque
66
angiography
an x-ray of blood vessels after injection of a contrast medium in the bloodstream
67
doppler ultrasound
uses sound waves to measure blood flow
68
echocardiography (Echo)
uses sound waves to produce images of the heart
69
electrocardiography (ECG, EKG)
records electrical activity of the heart
70
holter monitor
records abnormal heart rhythms over a 24-hour period
71
anticoagulants
also known as "blood thinners", slow blood coagulation and prevent new clots from forming
72
antiarrhythmics
used to suppress abnormal heart rhythms
73
antihypertensives
used to treat hypertension
74
cholesterol-lowering drugs
reduce undesirable cholesterol levels in the blood
75
diuretics
treat hypertension and heart failure by increasing excretion of water
76
thrombolytics
administered to some patients having a heart attack or stroke to dissolve clots quickly and restore blood flow
77
cardiac ablation
threads a catheter into vessels to ablate (destroy) abnormal tissues that triggers arrhythmias
78
coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
segment of separate healthy blood vessel is connected to a coronary artery to make a detour around a blockage
79
pacemaker
implant under skin to electronically shock the heart into regular rhythm
80
aplastic anemia
a rare but serious condition characterized by an absence of all formed blood elements caused by the failure of blood cell production in the bone marrow
81
autologous transfusion
uses the patient's own blood instead of blood from a donor
82
basophils
formed in red bone marrow, least common type of WBCs
83
coagulation
process of blood clotting, or the formation of a blood clot
84
coagulopathy
occurs when the blood's ability to coagulate is impaired
85
comprehensive metabolic panel
a broad screening tool used to provide information about the state of the body's metabolism by measuring fourteen different substances in the blood
86
decompression sickness
a potentially fatal condition that can occur as a result of deep-sea diving or unpressurized air travel
87
direct antiglobulin test
used to investigate possible hemolytic transfusion reactions or whether a fetus/newborn has a hemolytic disease
88
eosinophils
formed in red bone marrow and then migrate to tissues throughout the body
89
erythrocyte
mature red blood cells produced by the red bone marrow
90
erythropoietin
a hormone produced in the kidneys that promotes the production of erythrocytes in the bone marrow
91
fibrin
aids in blood clotting and the formation of a scab to help the wound heal
92
fibrinogen
clotting protein found in plasma
93
globulins
group of proteins in the blood that play an important role in the immune system
94
granulocytes
neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils; have small granules containing proteins
95
hematologist
a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating abnormalities, diseases, and disorders of the blood and blood-forming tissues
96
hematopoiesis
formation of blood cells
97
hematocrit
the percentage of blood that is made up of RBCs
98
hemoglobin
blood protein pigment of the erythrocytes
99
hemolysis
process of breaking down erythrocytes
100
hemolytic anemia
characterized by an inadequate number of circulating RBCs due to the premature destruction of RBCs by the spleen
101
hemophilia
a hereditary bleeding disorder in which a blood clotting factor is missing, resulting in abnormal coagulation
102
hemostasis
to stop or control bleeding, done by constricting an injured blood vessel and activating factors to cause the platelets and proteins in the blood to thicken and form a clot
103
heparin
a common anticoagulant
104
hereditary spherocytosis
a genetic disorder that causes the red blood cells to be spherical rather than flat
105
immunoglobulins
help the body attack and kill germs
106
leukemia
a type of cancer characterized by a progressive increase in the number of abnormal leukocytes found in blood-forming tissues, other organs, and the circulating blood
107
leukocytes
blood cells involved in supporting the immune system in defending the body against infective organisms and foreign substances
108
leukopenia
a decrease in the number of disease-fighting leukocytes circulating in the blood
109
lipoprotein panel blood test, lipid panel
measures average levels of cholesterol and triglycerides to assess risk of cardiovascular disease
110
lymphocytes
identify foreign substances and germs (bacteria or viruses) in the body and produce antibodies that specifically target them
111
megakaryocytes
the large cells in the bone marrow that produce platelets
112
monocytes
formed in the red bone marrow, liver, and spleen; largest type of WBCs
113
multiple myeloma
the second most common type of blood cancer
114
neutropenia
the presence of abnormally few of the white blood cells called neutrophils in the blood, usually as a result of cancer treatment
115
neutrophils
formed in the red bone marrow, are the most common type of WBCs
116
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
the more common type, refers to all lymphomas other than Hodgkin’s lymphoma
117
pancytopenia
a condition that is characterized by lower-than-normal quantities of erythrocytes leukocytes, and platelets
118
pernicious anemia
decrease in RBCs due to intestines' inability to absorb vitamin B12
119
phagocytes
cells that play a major role in the immune system’s defense against pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi by engulfing the pathogens and consuming them
120
phlebotomist
a medical professional trained to draw blood from patients for laboratory tests and other procedures
121
plasma
straw-colored fluid that contains nutrients, hormones, and waste products
122
plasmapheresis
the removal of blood plasma by drawing blood and then separating the blood into its cellular elements
123
platelets
the smallest formed elements of the blood
124
prothrombin time
is a blood coagulation test used to diagnose conditions associated with abnormalities of clotting time and to monitor anticoagulant therapy
125
reticulocytes
red blood cells that have just been released from the bone marrow
126
Rh factor
defines the presence or absence of the Rh antigen on RBCs
127
sepsis
a potentially life-threatening infection that results from bacteria or other infectious organisms entering the bloodstream
128
serum
the clear, pale-yellow plasma fluid that remains after the blood cells and clotting proteins have been removed
129
sickle cell anemia
RBCs' form changes to resemble a sickle, become inflexible and prone to bursting
130
thalassemia
an inherited blood disorder that causes mild or severe anemia due to reduced hemoglobin
131
therapeutic plasma exchange
a type of plasmapheresis in which some of the patient’s own blood is circulated through a device that removes the disease-causing antibodies in the plasma and replaces them with healthy donor plasma and/or a plasma substitute
132
thrombocytopenia
a condition in which there is an abnormally small number of platelets circulating in the blood
133
transfusion reaction
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
134
Von Willebrand disease
most common genetic bleeding disorder that impacts women more than men
135
mechanical hemostasis
use of external means to stop the blow of blood during a surgery or an emergency
136
complete blood test
measures erythrocytes, WBCs, platelets, hemoglobins, and hematocrit levels and the average size of erythrocytes
137
blood urea nitrogen
measures amount of urea nitrogen in blood; when elevated, can suggest liver or kidney problems
138
coagulation panel
tests for possible clotting disorders
139
blood gas analysis
measures amount of oxygen and carbon in the blood
140
erythrocyte sedimentation test
when results are elevated, indicates presence of inflammation in the body
141
fibrinogen activity test
measures level of fibrinogen to help identify cause of abnormal bleeding
142
newborn screening test
tests for genetic, hormone-related, and metabolic conditions in a newborn
143
total protein test
measures amount of albumin and globulin in the blood
