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CARDIOVASCULAR AND PULMONARY LEGAL GLOSSARY |
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Glossary of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Terms
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Pacemaker: A surgically implanted
electronic device that helps regulate the heartbeat.
Palpitation: An uncomfortable feeling
within the chest caused by an irregular heartbeat.
Pancreas: The organ behind the stomach
that helps control blood sugar levels.
Pancreatitis: Swelling (inflammation) of
the pancreas.
Patent Ductus Arteriosus: A congenital
defect in which the opening between the aorta and the pulmonary artery does not
close after birth.
Pericarditis: Inflammation of the outer
membrane surrounding the heart. When Pericarditis occurs, the amount of fluid
between the two layers of the pericardium increases. This increased fluid
presses on the heart and restricts its pumping action.
Pericardiocentesis: A diagnostic procedure
that uses a needle to withdraw fluid from the sac or membrane surrounding the
heart (pericardium).
Pericardium: The outer fibrous sac that
surrounds the heart.
Positron Emission Tomography: A test that
uses information about the energy of certain elements in your body to show
whether parts of the heart muscle are alive and working. A PET scan can also
show if your heart is getting enough blood to keep the muscle healthy.
Pacemaker Lead: An electrically insulated
conductor that carries signals between the pulse generator (pacemaker) and the
heart. Some leads enter the heart through a vein, and other leads attach to the
outer surface of the heart.
Pacemaker System: A two-part electrical
system that includes a pulse generator (pacemaker) and one or two leads. It
helps pace the heart when the natural rate is too slow to pump enough blood to
the body.
Pectoral: The area near the breast or
upper chest.
Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary
Angioplasty: Percutaneous (through the skin) transluminal (through the blood
vessel) coronary (of the heart) angioplasty (plastic repair of the blood
vessels) is a minimally invasive procedure which uses balloon dilation catheters
to enlarge and treat blocked coronary arteries.
Perfusion: A feature available on balloon
catheters where holes in the catheter shaft on either side of the balloon allow
uninterrupted blood flow to the heart muscle during inflation.
Plethysmography or Body Box: An airtight
chamber with clear doors where you sit to have your lung volumes measured.
Breathing is accomplished through a mouthpiece.
Pleura: Either of a pair of two-walled
sacs of serous membrane that covers and protect the lung.
Pleural Cavity: The space between the two
layers of pleura; the chest cavity
Pleural Space: The fluid-filled
"space" between the two pleural walls (visceral and parietal
pleura).
Pleurisy: Inflammation of the pleura with
or without diffusion of an exudate into the pleural cavity
Pneumothorax: Presence of air in the
pleural cavity, caused by by rupture of the plural membrane or by trauma through
the chest wall; often referred to as a collapsed lung. Compare to Spontaneous
Pneumothorax
Polycythemia: Too many red blood cells.
The condition exists when the hemoglobin, red blood cell (RBC) count, and total
RBC volume are all above normal. .
Positive Airway Pressure (PAP): Positive
airway pressure adjuncts are used to mobilize secretions and treat conditions
such as atelectasis, or to keep airways open and unobstructed in patients with
sleep apnea.
Positive Expiratory Pressure (PEP): A
method of mechanical ventilation in which pressure is maintained to increase the
volume of gas remaining in the lung at the end of expiration, thus keeping
alveoli open and improving gas exchange. Sometimes called Positive End
Expiratory Pressure (PEEP)
Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV):
Process of forcing gases down a patient's trachea using either a manual control
technique or using an automatic ventilator. PPV can be done using a manual
resuscitator or the re-breathing bag on the anesthesia machine; for long term
use an automatic ventilator is usually prescribed.
Post Nasal Discharge (PND): The
sensation of mucus accumulation in the throat or a feeling that mucus is
dripping downward from the back of the nose into the throat. Also called
Postnasal Drip
Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD): A
condition where cilia in the body fail to beat effectively causing mucus to
become trapped in various parts of the respiratory system.
Primary Immunodeficiency (PIDS): Primary
immune deficiency diseases are inherited disorders in which part of the body's
immune system is missing or fails to function properly. Often presenting as
'common' infections or conditions (such as asthma or sinusitus), PIDs can go
undetected for many years resulting in permanent damage to organs, and even the
patient's death.
Productive Cough: A cough in which mucus
or phlegm is dislodged, enabling a person to clear the lungs.
Programmer: Not a person, but a
computer-based equipment used to communicate with the pulse generator. It
provides information during testing and follow-up exams. The doctor uses the
programmer to adjust the pulse generator so that it senses and treats your
arrhythmias. The programmer can, for example, help your doctor to determine when
the pulse generator needs to be replaced.
Pulse Generator: The part of the pacemaker
or defibrillator system that contains the electronics and the battery. It is
implanted under the skin in the abdominal or pectoral area.
Premature Ventricular Contraction: An
early or extra heartbeat that happens when the heart's lower chambers (the
ventricles) contract too soon or is out of sequence with the normal heartbeat.
Pulmonary Embolism: A condition in which a
blood clot that has formed elsewhere in the body travels to the lungs.
Pulmonary Valve: The heart valve between
the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery that controls blood flow from the
heart into the lungs.
Pulmonary Vein: The blood vessel that
carries newly oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the left atrium of the
heart.
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