Cardiovascular System: Diagnostic Terms

any of several kinds of irregularity or loss or rhythm of the heartbeat

• bradycardia
• fibrillation
• flutter
• heart block
• premature ventricular contraction (PVC)
• tachycardia

slow heart rate (<60 beats/minute)

chaotic, irregular contractions of the heart

extremely rapid but regular contractions of the heart

an interference with the normal electrical conduction of the heart defined by the location of the block

a ventricular contraction preceding the normal impulse initiated by the SA node (pacemaker)

fast heart rate (>100 beats/minute)

a degenerative condition of the arteries characterized by thickening of the inner lining, loss of elasticity, and susceptibilty to rupture

a bacterial inflammation that affects the endocardium or the heart valves

compression of the heart produced by the accumulation of fluid in the pericardial sac as results from pericarditis or trauma, causing rupture of a blood vessel within the heart

a general term for disease of the heart muscle

malformations of the heart present at birth

• Includes:
• - atrial septal defect (ASD)
• - coarctation of the aorta
• - patent ductus arteriosus
• - tetralogy of Fallot
• - ventricular septal defect (VSD)

an opening in the septum separating the atria

narrowing of the descending portion of the aorta resulting in a limited flow of blood to the lower part of the body

an abnormal opening between the pulmonary artery and the aorta caused by the failure of the fetal ductus arteriosus to close after birth

• an anomaly that consists of four defects:
• pulmonary stenosis, ventricular septal defect, malposition of the aorta, and right ventricular hypertrophy - causes the blood to bypass the pulmonary circulation so that deoxygenation blood goes into the systemic circulation, resulting in cyanosis

an opening in the septum separating the ventricles

failure of the left ventricle to pump an adequate amount of blood to meet the demands of the body, resulting in a "bottleneck" of congestion in the lungs that may extend to the veins, causing edema in lower portions of the body

failure of the left ventricle to pump an adequate amount of blood to meet the demands of the body, resulting in a "bottleneck" of congestion in the lungs that may extend to the veins, causing edema in lower portions of the body

a condition of enlargement of the right ventricle as a result of chronic disease within the lungs that causes congestion within the pulmonary circulation and resistance of blood flow to the lungs

a condition affecting arteries of the heart that reduces the flow of blood and delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the myocardium - most often caused by atherosclerosis

persistently high blood pressure

high blood pressure attributed to no single cause, but risks include smoking, obesity, increased salt intake, hypercholesterolemia, and hereditary factors

high blood pressure caused by the effects of another disease

protrusion of one or borth cusps of the mitral valve back into the left atrium during ventricular contraction, resulting in incomplete closure and backflow of blood

heart attack; death of myocardial tissue (infarction) owing to loss of blood flow (ischemia) as a result of an occlusion (plugging) of a coronary artery

inflammation of the myocardium most often caused by viral or bacterial infection

inflammation of the pericardium

inflammation of a vein

damage to heart muscle and heart valves by rheumatic fever

inflammation of a vein associated with a clot formation

abnormally swollen, twisted veins with defective valves, most often seen in the legs

formation of a clot in a deep vein of the body