Cardiac Vocabulary: Part 2

Question 1

Acute Coronary Syndrome

Answer 1

A spectrum of disease precesses from myocardial ischemia and injury to myocardial infarction.

Question 2

Angina Pectoris

Answer 2

Chest pain that results when the heart’s oxygen demands exceed its blood supply.

Question 3

Prinzmetal’s Angina

Answer 3

Also called vasospastic angina or atypical angina: variant of angina pectoris caused by vasospasm of the coronary arteries, not blockage per se.

Question 4

Myocardial Infarction

Answer 4

Death and subsequent necrosis of the heart muscle caused by inadequate blood supply; also acute myocardial infarction.

Question 5

Transmural infarction

Answer 5

Myocardial infarction that affects the full thickness of the myocardium and almost always results in a pathological Q wave in the affected leads.

Question 6

ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)

Answer 6

Myocardial infarction with the presence of an elevated ST segment on the ECG

Question 7

non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)

Answer 7

Myocardial infarction without the presence of an elevated ST segment on the ECG.

Question 8

Heart Failure

Answer 8

Clinical syndrom in which the heart’s mechanical performances ins compromised so that cardiac output cannot meet the body’s needs.

Question 9

Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

Answer 9

Blood clot in one of the pulmonary arteries.

Question 10

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

Answer 10

Condition in which the heart’s reduced stroke volume causes an overload of fluid in the body’s other tissues.

Question 11

Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea (PND)

Answer 11

A sudden episode of difficult breathing that occurs after lying down; most commonly caused by left heart failure.

Question 12

Hypertensive Emergency

Answer 12

An acute elevation of blood pressure that requires the blood pressure to be lowered within 1 hour; characterized by end-organ changes such as hypertensive encephalopathy, renal failure, or blindness. Usually greater than 130 mmHg.

Question 13

Hypertensive Encephalopathy

Answer 13

A cerebral disorder of hypertension indicated by sever headache, nausea, vomiting, and altered mental status. Neurological symptoms may include blindness, muscle twitches, inability to speak, weakness, and paralysis.

Question 14

Cardiac Arrest

Answer 14

The absence of ventricular contraction.

Question 15

Downtime

Answer 15

Duration from the beginning of the cardiac arrest until effective CPR is established.

Question 16

Total Downtime

Answer 16

Duration from the beginning of the arrest until the patient’s delivery to the emergency department.

Question 17

Resuscitation

Answer 17

Provision of efforts to return a spontaneous pulse and breathing.

Question 18

Atherosclerosis

Answer 18

A progressive, degenerative disease of the medium-sized and large arteries.

Question 19

Arteriosclerosis

Answer 19

A thickening, loss of elasticity, and hardening of the walls of the arteries from calcium deposits.

Question 20

Claudication

Answer 20

Sever pain in the calf muscle due to inadequate blood supply. It typically occurs with exertion and subsides with rest.

Question 21

Dissection Aortic Aneurysm

Answer 21

Aneurysm caused when blood gets between and separates the layers of the aortic wall.

Question 22

Cystic Medial Necrosis

Answer 22

A death of degeneration of a part of the wall of an artery.

Question 23

Acute pulmonary embolism

Answer 23

Blockage that occurs when a blood clot or other particle lodges in a pulmonary artery.

Question 24

Acute Arterial Occlusion

Answer 24

The sudden occlusion of arterial blood flow

Question 25

Vasculitis

Answer 25

Inflammation of blood vessels

Question 26

Peripheral Arterial Atherosclerotic Disease

Answer 26

A progressive degenerative disease of the medium-sized and large arteries.

Question 27

Deep Venous Thrombosis

Answer 27

A blod clot in a vein

Question 28

Varicose Veins

Answer 28

Dilated superficial veins, usually in the lower extremity.