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CARDIOVASCULAR AND PULMONARY LEGAL GLOSSARY |
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Glossary of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Terms
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Cardiac Catheterization: A diagnostic procedure
in which catheters are passed through the arteries of the heart. Pressures are
measured and blood samples are taken from within the heart and its major blood
vessels.
Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM): The field of
cardiovascular disease which relates to the detection and treatment of
abnormally fast tachycardia (Tachy) and abnormally slow bradycardia (Brady)
heart rhythms.
Cardioversion: The stopping of a fast heart rate
by an electrical impulse that is delivered at the same time as the heartbeat. It
uses low to moderate energy to restore the heart's normal rhythm.
Catheter: A hollow, flexible tube used to
withdraw or inject fluid into the body.
Catheterization: A test in which a catheter is
inserted through the veins or arteries and into the heart to measure pressure,
take blood samples and test for abnormalities in the heart. See Cardiac
catheterization.
Contraction: The rhythmic squeezing of the heart
muscle that causes blood to be pumped out of the heart chambers and into the
body. This contraction produces a heartbeat.
Coronary Angiogram: A procedure in which
catheters are passed into the heart and coronary arteries. Radiopaque dye (x-ray
dye) is injected so that x-ray pictures of the heart and arteries may be taken.
Coronary Arteries: The blood vessels that carry
blood from the aorta to the heart muscle. The three major coronary arteries are:
the right coronary artery (RCA), the left anterior descending (LAD) and the
circumflex (CX).
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft: An operation
performed to circumvent blocked coronary arteries and deliver blood to areas of
the heart receiving insufficient blood flow.
Coronary Artery Disease: The formation of
blockages or atherosclerotic lesions within coronary arteries which result in
restricted blood flow.
Channel Blocker: A medicine that lowers blood
pressure by regulating calcium-related electrical activity in the heart.
Capillaries: Microscopically small blood vessels
between arteries and veins that distribute oxygen-rich blood to the body's
tissues.
Cardiac: Pertaining to the heart.
Cardiac Arrest: The stopping of the heartbeat,
usually because of interference with the electrical signal (often associated
with coronary heart disease).
Cardiac Catheterization: A procedure that
involves inserting a fine, hollow tube (catheter) into an artery, usually in the
groin area, and passing the tube into the heart. Often used along with
angiography and other procedures, cardiac catheterization has become a primary
tool for visualizing the heart and blood vessels and diagnosing and treating
heart disease.
Cardiac Enzymes: Complex substances capable of
speeding up certain biochemical processes in the heart muscle. Abnormal levels
of these enzymes signal heart attack.
Cardiac Output: The amount of blood the heart
pumps through the circulatory system in one minute.
Cardiologist: A doctor who specializes in the
study of the heart and its function in health and disease.
Cardiology: The study of the heart and its
function in health and disease.
Cardiopulmonary Bypass: The process by which a
machine is used to do the work of the heart and lungs so the heart can be
stopped during surgery.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): An emergency
measure that can maintain a person's breathing and heartbeat. The person who
performs CPR actually helps the patient's circulatory system by breathing into
the patient's mouth to give them oxygen and by giving chest compressions to
circulate the patient's blood.
Cardiovascular: Pertaining to the heart and blood
vessels that make up the circulatory system.
Cardioversion: A technique of applying an
electrical shock to the chest to convert an abnormal heartbeat to a normal
rhythm.
Cardiomyopathy: A disease of the heart muscle
that leads to generalized deterioration of the muscle and its pumping ability.
Carotid Artery: A major artery (right and left)
in the neck supplying blood to the brain.
Cerebral Embolism: A blood clot formed in one
part of the body and then carried by the bloodstream to the brain, where it
blocks an artery.
Cerebral Hemorrhage: Bleeding within the brain
resulting from a ruptured blood vessel, aneurysm, or head injury.
Cerebral Thrombosis: Formation of a blood clot in
an artery that supplies part of the brain.
Cerebrovascular: Pertaining to the blood vessels
of the brain.
Cerebrovascular Accident: Also called cerebral
vascular accident, apoplexy, or stroke. Blood supply to some part of the brain
is slowed or stopped, resulting in injury to brain tissue.
Cerebrovascular Occlusion: The blocking or
closing of a blood vessel in the brain.
Cholesterol: An oily substance that occurs
naturally in the body, in animal fats and in dairy products, and that is
transported in the blood. Limited amounts are essential for the normal
development of cell membranes.
Cineangiography: The technique of using moving
pictures to show how a special dye passes through blood vessels, allowing
doctors to diagnose diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
Circulatory System: Pertaining to the heart,
blood vessels, and circulation of blood.
Claudication: A tiredness or pain in the arms and
legs caused by an inadequate supply of oxygen to the muscles, usually due to
narrowed arteries.
Collateral Circulation: Blood flow through small,
nearby vessels in response to blockage of a main blood vessel.
Commissurotomy: A procedure used to widen the
opening of a heart valve that has been narrowed by scar tissue. First developed
to correct rheumatic heart disease.
Computed Tomography (CT or CAT scan): An x-ray
technique that uses a computer to create cross-sectional images of the body.
Conduction System: Special muscle fibers that
conduct electrical impulses throughout the heart muscle.
Congenital: Refers to conditions existing at
birth.
Congenital Heart Defects: Malformation of the
heart or of its major blood vessels present at birth.
Congestive Heart Failure: A condition in which
the heart cannot pump all the blood returning to it, leading to a backup of
blood in the vessels and an accumulation of fluid in the body's tissues,
including the lungs.
Coronary Arteries: Two arteries arising from the
aorta that arch down over the top of the heart and divide into branches. They
provide blood to the heart muscle.
Coronary Artery Bypass: Surgical rerouting of
blood around a diseased vessel that supplies blood to the heart. Done by
grafting either a piece of vein from the leg or the artery from under the
breastbone.
Coronary Artery Disease: A narrowing of the
arteries that supply blood to the heart. The condition results from a buildup of
plaque and greatly increases the risk of a heart attack.
Coronary Heart Disease: Disease of the heart
caused by a buildup of atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries that can
lead to angina pectoris or heart attack; a general term.
Coronary Occlusion: An obstruction of one of the
coronary arteries that hinders blood flow to the heart muscle.
Coronary Thrombosis: Formation of a clot in one
of the arteries carrying blood to the heart muscle. Also called coronary
occlusion.
Cryoablation: The removal of tissue using an
instrument called a cold probe.
Cyanosis: Blueness of the skin caused by a lack
of oxygen in the blood. Cyanotic Heart Disease: A birth defect of the
heart that causes oxygen-poor (blue) blood to circulate to the body without
first passing through the lungs.
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